Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow

He was born at Rødøy in Nordland, Norway. He was the son of the Danish-born priest Rasmus Sundt Christensen Kjerschow (1739–1806) and his wife Benedicte Maria Pedersdatter Hersleb (born 1744). His father was a vicar in Brønnøy, who had migrated to Norway from Jutland. He was a student at Trondheim Cathedral School and earned his cand.theol. in 1808.[1]

From 1814, he was a resident chapel in Aker Prestegjeld, where he served under parish priest Claus Pavels (1769–1822). In 1823, he became a parish priest in Aker. In 1830, he was added as the second bishop of the Diocese of Tromsø.[2] He was a bishop in the Church of Norway for twenty-seven years; first in Tromsø from 1830 to 1848 and later in the Diocese of Bjørgvin from 1848 to 1857.[3][4][5]

Peder Kjerschow married Johanne Benedicte Collett (1802–1851),[6] daughter of mining director Christian Ancher Collett and cousin of Peter Jonas and Johan Christian Collett.[7] They had seven children of which two died young.[6] Their son Christian Collett Kjerschow became a County Governor, while their daughter married businessman Jacob Andreas Michelsen.[5] His grandson Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen was named after him, but is better known as Christian Michelsen, statesman and prime minister.[8]