The Right Reverend Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Bjørgvin | |
 | |
| Church | Church of Norway |
| Diocese | Tromsø stift (1830–1848) Bjørgvin (1848–1857) |
| In office | 1830–1857 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 June 1786 |
| Died | 24 November 1866 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Denomination | Christian |
| Spouse | Johanne Benedicte Collett |
| Children | Christian Collett Kjerschow |
| Occupation | Priest |
| Education | Cand.theol. |
Peder Christian Hersleb Kjerschow (29 June 1786 – 24 November 1866) was a Norwegian clergyman.
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]
