Hartvig Jentoft

Hartvig Jentoft was a Norwegian tradesman and sailor. He was born in Vestvågøy. He joined Hans Egede on his Greenland expedition in 1721, and worked as merchant for the Bergen Greenland Company at the first Danish/Norwegian colony until 1725. He later settled in Buksnes in Lofoten, where he earned his living as sailor and landlord. He perished at sea in 1739.

Jentoft grew up in Borge in Lofoten - neighboring parish to Vågan, where Hans Egede was a priest in the years 1707 to 1718. Bergen Greenland Company was a partnership formed 1720/21 of Bergen merchants, who were interested in whaling, and Hans Egede, who wanted to proselytize. The objective of the new company was both financial and religious: to conduct whaling, trade and missionary work. Hartvig Jentoft was the company’s chief merchant in Greenland until he left for Norway in 1725. The following year he married a wealthy lady in Buksnes, and lived there until he died at sea in 1739.