Páll Melsteð (historian)
Encyclopedia
Páll Melsteð was an Iceland
ic historian, editor and member of the Althing
. In 1892 he was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog
.
the official. At the age of 16 Páll entered the Learned School
and graduated in 1834. He then went to study law at the University of Copenhagen
but also studied history and the fine arts, especially singing. He returned to Iceland in 1840 when he married his first wife, Jórunn Ísleifsdóttir. They lived in Álftanes
for several years where Páll started working on his first book, Ágrip af merkisatburðum mannkynssögunnar ["A Synopsis of the Significant Events of History"], which was printed in Viðey in 1844. He had also started work on a history of Iceland but in 1844 his house burnt down and his manuscripts were lost.
where he was the prime mover in founding Reykjavíkurpósturinn at a time when no newspaper was being published in Iceland. Páll had a role in editing the paper from 1846 through 1849. In 1848 he also played a role in founding Þjóðólfur. He also had a large role in the first years of Íslendingur (1860 - 1863) and was the editor of Víkverji in 1873 and 1874.
(a kind of sheriff
) of Árnessýsla
but from 1849 to 1854 he was the sýslumaður of Snæfellsnessýsla. He was elected as a representative of Snæfellsnes
to the constitutional convention of 1851
and to the Althing
in 1859. In 1855 Páll again went again to Copenhagen to study law since he had not completed a degree the first time. He graduated in Danish laws in 1857. From 1858 to 1862 Páll was sýslumaður for Gullbringu- og Kjósarsýsla. In 1858 Jórunn died and Páll married his second wife, Þóra Melsteð. They were to work together on establishing Kvennaskólinn, the first girls' school of Iceland.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic historian, editor and member of the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
. In 1892 he was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
.
Early life
Páll was the son of Páll MelsteðPáll Melsteð (amtmann)
Páll Melsteð was an Icelandic official and politician.He graduated from Bessastaðir School in 1809 and from Copenhagen University with a degree in law in 1815. From 1815 to 1849 he served as a sýslumaður in various sýslur. In 1849 he became the amtmann of the Western Amt, an office he retained...
the official. At the age of 16 Páll entered the Learned School
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is the oldest gymnasium in Reykjavík, Iceland....
and graduated in 1834. He then went to study law at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
but also studied history and the fine arts, especially singing. He returned to Iceland in 1840 when he married his first wife, Jórunn Ísleifsdóttir. They lived in Álftanes
Álftanes
Álftanes is a town, municipality and low-lying peninsula which extrudes from the eastern part of Reykjanes, located in Iceland's Greater Reykjavík Area....
for several years where Páll started working on his first book, Ágrip af merkisatburðum mannkynssögunnar ["A Synopsis of the Significant Events of History"], which was printed in Viðey in 1844. He had also started work on a history of Iceland but in 1844 his house burnt down and his manuscripts were lost.
Editor
Páll now moved to ReykjavíkReykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
where he was the prime mover in founding Reykjavíkurpósturinn at a time when no newspaper was being published in Iceland. Páll had a role in editing the paper from 1846 through 1849. In 1848 he also played a role in founding Þjóðólfur. He also had a large role in the first years of Íslendingur (1860 - 1863) and was the editor of Víkverji in 1873 and 1874.
Official
In 1848 and 1849 Páll was the sýslumaðurSýslumaður
Sýslumaður is an office or title created in Iceland when it submitted to the King of Norway in 1262-1264. This sort of office had already been established in Norway, called sysselmann in contemporary Norwegian...
(a kind of sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
) of Árnessýsla
Árnessýsla
Árnessýsla is a large county of south-western Iceland. It has an area of 8287 km². In 2004, its population was 6,778....
but from 1849 to 1854 he was the sýslumaður of Snæfellsnessýsla. He was elected as a representative of Snæfellsnes
Snæfellsnes
The Snæfellsnes is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western of Iceland.It has been named Iceland in Miniature, as many national sights can be found in the area, including the Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland. With its height of 1446 m, it...
to the constitutional convention of 1851
National Assembly (Iceland)
- National Assembly of 1851 :The National Assembly of 1851 was a constitutional convention called to decide the political status of Iceland. The assembly was called in 1848, in the liberal atmosphere following the Spring of Nations...
and to the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
in 1859. In 1855 Páll again went again to Copenhagen to study law since he had not completed a degree the first time. He graduated in Danish laws in 1857. From 1858 to 1862 Páll was sýslumaður for Gullbringu- og Kjósarsýsla. In 1858 Jórunn died and Páll married his second wife, Þóra Melsteð. They were to work together on establishing Kvennaskólinn, the first girls' school of Iceland.