Gunnlaugur Guðbrandsson Briem was born at Brjánslækur in Barðastrandar County on January 13, 1773. His parents were Guðbrandur Sigurðsson (1735—1779), a priest at Brjánslækur, and his wife Sigríður Jónsdóttir (1747—1835). Gunnlaugur's father died in an accident when he was seven years old. A year later, he was fostered by Reverend Björn Halldórsson, a deacon in Sauðlauksdalur (1724-1794) and his wife Rannveigar Ólafsdóttir from Svefneyjar (1734—1814). He grew up with them for the next eight years, most of it at Setberg in Eyrarsveit. At the age of 15, Gunnlaugur sailed to Denmark to study art and worked for a short time as a sculptor. There he met the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. After completing his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Gunnlaugur worked on his art for a while, but graduated in law in 1797. He went to Iceland in the summer of 1799 and became an assistant to Jón Jakobsson, the sheriff of Eyjafjörður County (1738-1808). A year later he married Valgerður Árnadóttir (1779-1872). The same year he was appointed to the land assessment committee, but this work involved constant travel, and Gunnlaugur and Valgerður therefore lived in various places for the next few years. Gunnlaugur spent most of his life in government positions, but he was the sheriff of Grund in Eyjafjörður for the longest time. He is perhaps best known, however, as one of the greatest patriarchs in Iceland in later centuries.

The manuscript collection preserves various manuscripts, letters and official documents of Gunnlaug (Lbs 196-198 fol.)