The Iceland year-book - 01.01.1926, Page 80

OBITUARY.
As this last sheet goes to press there comes the
sad news of the Prime Minister’s sudden death from
heart failure. This took place on June 23rd at the
Rectory in NorSfjorSur, where, having accompanied
their Majesties the King and the Queen on a tour
round the north coast and as far as SeySisfjorSur,
he landed on his way home to see once more the
playgrounds of his youth, not visited by him for 45
years.
Mr. Jon Magnusson was born on January 16th
1858, the son of a country parson. After having
completed his course at the Reykjavik Gymnasium
in 1881, he went to Copenhagen to study jurispru-
dence. Upon graduating he was appointed Prefect
of Vestmannaeyjar, and aftir having for a number
of years filled several of the more responsible legal
offices in the country, besides serving on the Royal
Dano-Icelandic Diplomatic Commission of 1907—
1908 as well as various inter-parliamentary commit-
tees, he was requested by the King to form a new
cabinet at the ministerial crisis in 1917. Except for a
space of two years, he thenceforth remained the head
of the Government until his death, though during his
premiership several cabinet changes took place. He
was a man of versatile accomplishments, and was
generally regarded as one of the greatest Icelandic
lawyers of this time.
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