Background
He was born in Rotterdam, the son of merchant Gabriel Marselis, Senior (c 1575–1643), and was a brother of Gabriel Marselis and Leonhard Marselis.
He was born in Rotterdam, the son of merchant Gabriel Marselis, Senior (c 1575–1643), and was a brother of Gabriel Marselis and Leonhard Marselis.
He settled in Amsterdam in 1631, and traded with weapons, groceries and timber. He settled in Christiania in 1644, had contract for delivering several ships to the Danish-Norwegian fleet, and eventually became one of the largest landowners in Norway. He was also a pioneer in developing the mining industry in Norway.