Cornelis Pama (1916 - 1994) was a Dutch bookseller, publisher, heraldist and genealogist, who spent the second half of his life in South Africa. He was born in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

. During World War II, when the Netherlands were under German occupation, he was conscripted for forced labour in Germany.Laing, R.A. (2000). 'The Myth of South African Heraldic Writing' in ''Arma'' (Spring 2000). After the war, he moved to England, where he lived until emigrating to South Africa in 1955. He spent the rest of his life there. Pama was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by a Belgian university in 1963.''Familia'' Vol XXVIII No 2 (1990).

Heraldry

Pama is probably best known as a heraldist and genealogist, in both the Netherlands and South Africa. He was a prolific writer in both countries.Laing, R.A. (2004). 'Our South African (Afrikaner) Heraldic Heritage – A Mythic Creation?' in ''Historia'' Vol 49 No 1 (May 2004).

Netherlands

Pama founded the journal ''Nederlands Archief voor Genealogie en Heraldiek'' in 1935. His Netherlands publications included several editions of ''Rietstap's Handboek der Wapenkunde'' (1943 - 1987), ''Heraldiek en Ex-Libris'' (1943), ''Het Volkskarakter in de Heraldiek'' (1943), ''Ons Familiewapens'' (1943) and ''Prisma van de Heraldiek en Genealogie'' (1990).

South Africa

In 1956, Pama served on a committee of enquiry which investigated the requirements for a national heraldry authority. From 1959 to 1963, he was consultant to the government's new Heraldry Section (headed by Dr

Coenraad Beyers Dr Coenraad Beyers (1893–1975) was a South African historian, archivist, and herald. He joined the State Archives in 1927, and was Chief Archivist from 1944 until he retired in 1953. In 1956, he served on the official committee appointed to inv ...

),Department of Education, Arts and Sciences outh Africa ''Annual Report'' (1961). and in that capacity he designed official insignia for the new Republic of South Africa in 1961 : the state president's sash of office and official flag, a new mace for the House of Assembly, and a new Black Rod for the Senate.Pama, C. (1965) ''Lions and Virgins''. From 1963 to 1989, he was a member of the

Heraldry Council The Heraldry Council is part of the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria in June 1963, in terms of the Heraldry Act. It is the governing and policy-making body for the Bureau of Heraldry and consists of the National Herald ...

. In 1993, he served on the Commission for National Symbols, which was tasked with designing a new national flag and coat of arms (but whose recommendations were not accepted). Pama was chairman of the

Heraldry Society of Southern Africa The Heraldry Society of Southern Africa (HSSA) was founded in Cape Town on 27 August 1953. It has not been active since 2007, but as it has not been wound up it is, in effect, in suspense. Activities The HSSA's main activity was regular meetings a ...

from 1957 until his death. He also edited the society's journal ''Arma'' from 1977. He was a founder member of the

Genealogical Society of South Africa The Genealogical Society of South Africa is a family history society. The society consists of 11 regional branches as well as an electronic branch accessible online. The society maintains a large archive of Genealogical material related to South ...

in 1964, edited its journal ''Familia'' from 1964, and served a term as its chairman. Pama designed coats of arms and flags for dozens of schools, corporate bodies, municipalities, and private individuals. They included the

Milnerton Milnerton is a seaside suburb on Table Bay and is located north of central Cape Town in South Africa. It is located 11 kilometres to the north of the city's centre. Suburbs Suburbs/ neighbourhoods of the greater Milnerton area include: * Bot ...

, Clanwilliam,

Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the up ...

and Brackenfell municipalities, the Conradie Hospital, and the Wellington Teachers Training College and its successor the Boland Teachers College. He also designed the seal of the General Synod of the

Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa Three churches from the Dutch Reformed Church tradition in South Africa are often mentioned together as "three sister churches". They are the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK), Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NHK), and Reformed Ch ...

. His South African publications included ''Heraldiek in Suid-Afrika'' (1956), ''Die Unievlag'' (1957), ''Die Wapens van die Ou Afrikaanse Families'' (1959), ''Simbole van die Unie'' (1960), ''Lions and Virgins'' (1965), ''Heraldry of South African Families'' (1972), ''Die Vlae van Ons Land'' (1976), ''Heraldiek ABC'' (1980), ''Flags of Southern Africa'' (1981), ''Die Groot Afrikaanse Familienaamboek'' (1983), ''Vlae van Suider-Afrika'' (1983) and ''British Families in South Africa'' (1992). He also revised and re-published C.C. de Villiers' ''Geslagregisters van Ou Afrikaans Families'' (1966). Pama also published a few local history works : ''Vintage Cape Town'' (1973), ''Regency Cape Town'' (1975), ''Bowler's Cape Town'' (1977), ''Wagon Road to Wynberg'' (1979) and ''Wine Estates of South Africa'' (1979).

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pama, Cornelis 1916 births 1994 deaths Dutch genealogists Dutch heraldists Dutch emigrants to South Africa South African heraldists Businesspeople from Rotterdam Dutch expatriates in the United Kingdom