Jacob Andreas Michelsen (17 August 1821 – 12 October 1902) was a Norwegian businessperson and politician, also known as the father of

Christian Michelsen Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen (15 March 1857 – 29 June 1925), better known as Christian Michelsen, was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first prime minister of independent Norway and Norway's 9th prime minis ...

. He was the son of Tollach Michelsen, a manual labourer with roots in the Egersund district. Tollach's wife Madsi Magdalena Eide (died 1829) came from the same social background. In June 1855 he married Caroline Sophie Ernstine Kjerschow. Their son was the later Norwegian Prime Minister

. Christian Michelsen was named after Jacob's father-in-law, bishop

Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow (29 June 1786 – 24 November 1866) was a Norwegian clergyman. Biography He was born at Rødøy in Nordland, Norway. He was the son of the Danish-born priest Rasmus Sundt Christensen Kjerschow (1739–1806) an ...

. Michelsen worked himself up from the modest social background. A businessman, he was awarded burghership in 1847. He was a grain trader, wine grocerer and consul, stock exchange commissioner from 1870 to 1902 and bank director from 1870. He served as mayor of Bergen from 1865 to 1866 and 1876 to 1878. He was elected from his city to the Norwegian Parliament in 1868 and 1871.Jacob Andreas Michelsen
– Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) He died in 1902, three years before his son became Prime Minister.

References

1821 births 1902 deaths Members of the Storting Mayors of Bergen Norwegian businesspeople {{Norway-politician-1820s-stub