Gudmundur Gissarson - The Watchman

Magnus B. Magnus wrote about his great grandfather, Gudmundur Gissarson, the watchman (Vaktara). Gudmundur was the sole police force in Reykavik in his day. He carried a staff for lighting the street lamps, a lantern, and a cudgel to enforce the law, and over his watch he called out weather conditions, tides, and the alls well, on the hour. He was said, to have on occasion settled minor disputes when neither party could reach a peaceful solution, by banging their heads together.

When more serious offences were committed, he acted in the capacity of sheriff and brought the offenders to the Governor General, and so the Danish court of law.

On one such occasion, he was obliged to take his own son and other relatives to justice, for brawling and injuring several Danish sailors. Gudmundur went before the court and paid the fines that were levied, and was said to have remarked as he paid, that had never paid a sum more gladly. Gudmundur had on other occasions been to court to pay for free trading with English merchantmen, and other ships which came and stood out in international waters to trade. An act that was strongly frowned on by the Danish government. The picture left, we understand, is a picture of Gudmundur, that was published in a geographic, reportably of a portrait in Denmark.