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Martinus (or Marthinus) Theunis Steyn (; 2 October 1857 – 28 November 1916) was a South African lawyer, politician, and statesman. He was the sixth and last president of the independent republic the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
from 1896 to 1902.


Early life

The Steyn family lived near Winburg on the farm Josephinesdal. Steyn was born on 2 October 1857 on the farm Rietfontein near
Winburg Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State (province), Free State province of South Africa. It is the oldest proclaimed town (1837) in the Orange Free State, South Africa and thus along with Griquastad, one of the oldest settlemen ...
in the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
. His father Marthinus (known as Marthinus 'blinkstewels') was away from home, following the death of his own father, to assist his mother on a three-month-long round trip from Winburg to
Swellendam Swellendam is the fifth oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, and Paarl), a town with 17,537 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 provincial heritage sites, most of them ...
in the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a 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 it united with t ...
. As Steyn's mother, Cecilia, was pregnant with Marthinus Theunis, they thought it safer for her to stay with her sister Gertruida, who was married to Theunis Wessels, a farmer at Rietfontein. Steyn was intended to be named only Marthinus after his father, but because of the care that Theunis and Gertruida took during Cecilia's pregnancy, Steyn was named both after his father Marthinus and his uncle Theunis. In later years his family always called him Theunis. During the
Free State–Basotho War Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...
of 1858, the Steyns were driven from their farm and lost almost everything. After the death of Steyn's two grandfathers, his Wessels grandmother convinced his father to buy his own farm. They bought the farm Suurfontein/Zuurfontein, on the Modder River, about 13 miles from
Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...
. It is on this farm that Steyn spent most of his youth, and experienced the open and free spaces of the Free State. Steyn started his school years in a small farm school, on the farm Rooiwal. The school was forty minutes away by horse and the teacher was Mr. Wiggins, who taught in English. Another Basotho War started in 1864, disrupting the family, and causing Theunis and his brother Tewie to stay with their grandmother in Wessels, where they attended a small grammar school briefly; afterward they were sent to Grey College. At the age of 16, he left school with his brother Tewie to farm on Zuurfontein. Steyn's family lived right across from the then president of the Free State, J.H. Brand, in Bloemfontein. The family socialized with other groups of Dutch families. The Steyn home in Bloemfontein, Green Lodge, was the meeting place for the young people of Bloemfontein. The house was open for everybody: from the Fichardts of German origin, to the English speaking Robertses, to the Jewish Baumans, to English speaking Afrikaners, like President Brand, as well as the Dutch community.


Studies

After finishing his studies at Grey College, and after farming for four years on Suurfontein/Zuurfontein, a visit by Judge James Buchanan, a member of the Orange Free State High Court changed Steyn's direction from farming towards further studies in law. According to Judge Buchanan's daughter, he was set on convincing Steyn's father that they needed to send Steyn to the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
to study law at Leiden University. Steyn and his friend Harry Vels left in May 1877 on the
Dunrobin Castle Dunrobin Castle (mostly 1835–1845 — present) is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland, as well as the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan wh ...
from Port Elizabeth for Cape Town and from there to Europe. In Cape Town, more passengers, including Rev. Colin Fraser and his family, on his way to Scotland as a delegate for the Free State Church at the Pan-Presbyterian Council (now known as the
World Alliance of Reformed Churches The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin. Its headquarters was in Geneva, Switzerland. They are now merged ...
), (accompanied by the 12-year-old Tibbie Fraser, later to become the wife of Steyn). Also on board was the
Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...
government delegation consisting of
Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South African Republic, South Africa, and President of the So ...
, the then Vice State President, E.J.P. Jorissen, the state attorney and their secretary,
Willem Eduard Bok Willem Eduard Bok, also known as W. Eduard Bok ( Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands, 28 June 1846 – Johannesburg, Transvaal Colony, 1 November 1904) was a Dutch-born South African Boer politician, civil servant and statesman, who served as first ...
, on their way to England to lay a formal protest against the proclamation of
Theophilus Shepstone Theophilus Shepstone Sir Theophilus Shepstone (8 January 181723 June 1893) was a British South African statesman who was responsible for the annexation of the Transvaal to Britain in 1877. Early life Theophilus Shepstone was born at Westbury ...
asserting British sovereignty over the ''Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek''. Steyn and Vels did preparatory studies under W.F.P. Enklaar and Dr. B. Wisselink at the Gymnasium in Deventer. In September 1879, they would have taken their admission exams for the Leiden University, however, they decided to move to England instead. This decision was made as they needed an English certificate and training to be allowed to practice law in South Africa. Steyn took his admission exam in January 1880 for 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 ...
in London. Steyn was called to the English bar in November 1882 and shortly afterward returned to South Africa.


Law career

After his return to South Africa he set up practice as barrister in
Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...
. In 1889, Steyn was appointed state attorney of the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
. A few months afterwards he became second
puisne judge A puisne judge or puisne justice (; from french: puisné or ; , 'since, later' + , 'born', i.e. 'junior') is a dated term for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. Use The term is used almost exclusively in common law ...
, and in 1893 first puisne judge of the high court. His decisions won him a reputation for ability and sound judgment.


Early political career

Marthinus 'blinkstewels', father of Steyn, as member of the Executive Council, regularly accompanied State President
Johannes Brand Sir Johannes Henricus Brand, (popularly known as Sir Jan Brand and sometimes as Sir John Henry Brand or Jan Henrick Brand; 6 December 1823 – 14 July 1888) was a South African lawyer and politician who served as the fourth state president ...
on visits to determine the needs of the people of the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
. Steyn, as a lover of books, who took a small library of books with him during the Anglo-Boer War, was well read. Through his father and visits home, he kept in contact with the latest political views, activities and needs of the people. Steyn's first interest in the politics of the day was initiated by the disputed annexation of the diamond fields in the Kimberley area by the British government in 1871. Following the claims of the
Griqua Griqua may refer to: * Griqua people * Griqua language or Xiri language * Griquas (rugby) Griquas (known as the Windhoek Draught Griquas for sponsorship reasons since April 2022) are a South African rugby union team that participates in the an ...
captain,
Nicolaas Waterboer Nic(h)olaas Waterboer (1819 - 17 September 1896) was a leader ("Kaptijn") of the Griqua people. He was the last fully independent Griqua Kaptijn of Griqualand West, and after it became a British colony, his rule and that of his successors was la ...
, the British government agreed that the Cape Governor, Sir Henry Barkly, could annex the land, in direct conflict to the wishes of the Cape Colony Government and the
Orange River Convention The Orange River Convention (sometimes also called the Bloemfontein Convention) was a convention whereby the British formally recognised the independence of the Boers in the area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, which had previously been kno ...
(Bloemfontein Convention) of 1854. The resolution of the payment, £90, 000 and the building of a railway to the Orange Free State by the British government in 1876, was not deemed acceptable to the general public.


President of the Orange Free State

In 1895, upon the resignation of state president
Francis William Reitz Francis William Reitz, Jr. (Swellendam, 5 October 1844 – Cape Town, 27 March 1934) was a South African lawyer, politician, statesman, publicist, and poet who was a member of parliament of the Cape Colony, Chief Justice and fifth State Presid ...
, Steyn was the candidate of the pan-Dutch party for the vacant post. The
election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
was held in February 1896 and resulted in a decisive victory for Steyn, who assumed office as president. The beginning of the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...
, in 1899, caused Steyn to link the fortunes of his state with those of the
Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
, allying with it against the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. While the Orange Free State was occupied by the British, Steyn ran his government from the field, playing a key role in continuing Boer resistance and the coordination of guerrilla warfare that made up most of the Boer War from 1900 onwards. Regarded as one of the most irreconcilable of the
Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this are ...
leaders, he took part, however, in the preliminary peace negotiations at
Klerksdorp Klerksdorp () is located in the North West Province, South Africa. Klerksdorp, the largest city in the North West Province, is located southeast of Mahikeng, the provincial capital. Klerksdorp was also the first capital of the then Transvaal Repu ...
in April 1902 but was prevented by illness from signing the
Treaty of Vereeniging The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, on the one side, and the United Kingdom on the other. This settlement provided f ...
at
Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...
on 31 May 1902. The treaty ended the independence of the
Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
and Steyn's term as its president.


After 1902

By 1902, Steyn was suffering from myasthenia gravis brought on by his constant exertions; and in July 1902 he sailed for Europe, where he remained until the autumn of 1904. He then took the oath of allegiance to the British crown, and returning to South Africa partially restored to health resumed active participation in politics. In 1908–1909, he was vice-president of the
National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year Nationa ...
, the constitutional convention which resulted in the establishment 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, Tran ...
. Here he was distinguished for his statesmanlike and conciliatory attitude, while maintaining the rights of the
Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this are ...
community. While addressing a meeting in
Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...
in November 1916, he collapsed and died of a heart attack, at 59.


Legacy

;Afrikaner Bond From early on, Steyn, along with many other prominent Freestaters, came under the influence of a German, Carl Borckenhagen, the editor of the ''Bloemfontein Express'' newspaper, and in 1881 he had joined Borckenhagen in founding the
Afrikaner Bond The Afrikaner Bond (Afrikaans and Dutch for "Afrikaner Union"; South African Dutch: Afrikander Bond) was founded as an anti-imperialist political party in 19th century southern Africa. While its origins were largely in the Orange Free State, ...
. ;South African Party In the Union of South Africa, he was a co-founder of the
South African Party nl, Zuidafrikaanse Partij , leader1_title = Leader (s) , leader1_name = Louis Botha,Jan Smuts, Barry Hertzog , foundation = , dissolution = , merger = Het Volk South African PartyAfrikaner BondOrangia Unie , merged ...
which he left in 1914 with
James Barry Munnik Hertzog General James Barry Munnik Hertzog (3 April 1866 – 21 November 1942), better known as Barry Hertzog or J. B. M. Hertzog, was a South African politician and soldier. He was a Boer general during the Second Boer War who served ...
and Christiaan Rudolf de Wet to found the National Party. ;National Party Steyn,
James Barry Munnik Hertzog General James Barry Munnik Hertzog (3 April 1866 – 21 November 1942), better known as Barry Hertzog or J. B. M. Hertzog, was a South African politician and soldier. He was a Boer general during the Second Boer War who served ...
and Christiaan Rudolf de Wet co-founded the National Party in 1914. ;The C&N Oranje Meisieskool The Anglo-Boer War and the great loss of women and children was a driving force behind the origin of the C&N Oranje Meisieskool, an originally Dutch and now Afrikaans girls school, that was initiated by Steyn. The school opened its doors in 1907. ;National Woman's Monument The Vrouemonument, the first monument in the world dedicated to women and children, was unveiled on 16 December 1913 and was initiated by the ideals of Steyn and the family friend, Emily Hobhouse. The sculptor Anton van Wouw and the architect Frans Soff designed the monument. ;University of the Free State In December 1895, Steyn mentioned in his election speech that he would do everything possible to see to it that the children of the Orange Free State received a good education. He consulted with the Government (Volksraad) to devise a framework to uplift the standard of education to the same level of other wealthier states. Steyn believed that education would bring about unification between different groups in the Free State. During his inauguration speech in 1896, President Steyn stated that his vision, with regards to educational facilities, for the city of Bloemfontein was a university where youth from all over the country could come and study. The
University of the Free State The University of the Free State is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in 1904 as a tertiary se ...
was established as a higher institute of learning in 1904.


Descendants

Many of Steyn's descendants followed the family tradition of a career in politics or the legal profession. Steyn's son, Dr.
Colin Steyn Colin Fraser Steyn (27 November 1887 – 23 April 1959) was a lawyer and a politician of Southern Africa, Member of the House of Assembly, Senator, and Cabinet Minister in the government of Jan Smuts. Early life He was born on 27 November 1887 i ...
, was a Minister of Justice and Minister of Employment in Jan Smuts' South African Party Cabinet. Steyn's grandson, Marthinus Steyn - also known as Theunie - was a Judge in the South African Supreme Court of Appeal. He also served as Administrator-General of South-West Africa during its transition to the independent Republic of
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
. During his tenure as Administrator-General, Theunie played an important role in instituting democratic reforms, including universal suffrage. Another grandson of Steyn, Jan, was a partner and head of the Patent Department of Pretoria law firm Adams & Adams. Steyn's great-grandsons, Theuns and Colin Steyn, practice as lawyers. Theuns is a partner and corporate lawyer at the law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs ( ENSafrica) in Cape Town. Colin is a senior public prosecutor in Bloemfontein. The former is married to South African High Court Judge Elize Steyn. Anthor Steyn's great-grandson, Theuns Stofberg, captained the Springbok Rugby Team of South Africa in 4 Test Matches from 1980 -1984 against South America, All Blacks of New Zealand and England. Outside law and politics, Steyn's great-great-granddaughter, Martine, is a French-English translator and copywriter who lives and works between Cape Town and Paris, France. Steyn's granddaughter was the well-known South African actress Nerina Ferreira."Nerina Ferreira verskyn weer op die Verhoog" (1 June 1969) ''
Die Burger ''Die Burger'' (English: The Citizen) is a daily Afrikaans-language newspaper, published by Naspers. By 2008, it had a circulation of 91,665 in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Along with ''Beeld'' and ''Volksblad'', it is ...
'', Cape Town


Quote

"The nation of the Orange Free State stand ready for war in such circumstances where peace cannot be secured with honour, and although we recognize our shortcomings, our nation depend on the power of God to deliver us and secure us a victory. With a deep understanding of what we can expect when we place our trust in the Almighty, our nation will enter the war with courage and will fight until the bitter end to preserve the independence of our beloved fatherland" *During an urgent government meeting on 26 September 1899 just before the outbreak of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War, Marthinus Theunis Steyn - regsman, staatsman en volksman, M.C.E. van Schoor, Protea Boekhuis Pretoria, p. 127


Statue


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Steyn, Martinus Theunis 1857 births 1916 deaths State Presidents of the Orange Free State People from the Free State (province) Afrikaner people South African people of Dutch descent Leiden University alumni Alumni of Grey College, Bloemfontein South African judges South African Party (Union of South Africa) politicians National Party (South Africa) politicians Members of the Inner Temple