Background
He was born in Horten to Jacob Kielland and his wife Thora Margrethe (1827–1902), née Bendz.
politician member of the Parliament of Norway
He was born in Horten to Jacob Kielland and his wife Thora Margrethe (1827–1902), née Bendz.
Jonas Schancke Kielland had four older brothers, one of whom died young, and one older sister. In 1893 Jonas Schanche Kielland married Helene Christiane Lorange (1868–1925). The couple had two sons a one daughter:
Wibeke Trane Kielland, daughter: wife of museum director Robert Kloster
Thor Bendz Kielland, son: director of the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design from 1928 to 1960
He enrolled in law studies in 1881, and graduated with the candidate.jur. degree in 1886.
From 1889 to 1910 he worked as an attorney in Stavanger.
He rose in the hierarchy to become a judge in 1917 and stipendiary magistrate (byfogd) of Stavanger in 1919. As a politician, he represented the Conservative Party and was first elected to Stavanger city council in 1902.
He was later mayor of Stavanger from 1908 to 1909. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in the Norwegian parliamentary election, 1909, but after one year of the three-year term he relinquished his seat because of illness.