Henry Latham Currey (1863 – 1945),
also known as Harry Currey was a British politician in the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
.
Biography
Currey was the son of
John Blades Currey and Mary Margaret Christian, daughter of Ewan Christian.
He was educated at
The King's School, Canterbury and went then to
Winchester College
Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...
.
Currey joined the Cape Civil Service in 1880, where he worked for six years.
He became private secretary to
John X. Merriman
John Xavier Merriman (15 March 1841 – 1 August 1926) was the last prime minister of the Cape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Early life
He was born in Street, Somerset, England. His parents were Nathaniel Jame ...
in 1883 and then after one year to
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.
An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Br ...
, both personal friends of his father.
In 1887, Rhodes made him additionally secretary of the Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa Ltd.,
a post he held until 1894, when they split over Currey's engagement. Despite however the rift between them, Rhodes's friendship to the father did not change.
In 1897, Currey was called to the bar by the
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...
.
[ He was elected to the Cape House of Assembly for ]George, Western Cape
George is the second largest city in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre, as well as the administrative and commercial hub and the seat of the Garden Route District Municipality. It is na ...
in 1902, sitting until 1910; the last two years as Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
in Merriman's government.[Currey, p. 26] Following the formation of the Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...
, he was returned to the House of Assembly of South Africa until 1915.[Currey, p. 256] Currey's wife died in 1941 and he survived her for four years, dying in Kenilworth, Cape Town
Kenilworth is a suburb in Cape Town, South Africa.
Geography
Kenilworth is bordered by Wynberg to the south and Claremont to the north. Kenilworth railway station is on the main line from Cape Town to Simon's Town. Main Road (which runs fro ...
.[
]
Footnotes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Currey, Henry
1863 births
1945 deaths
Members of the Inner Temple
People educated at Winchester College
Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa)
Place of birth missing
Cape Colony politicians