Willem Johannes Leyds (1 May 1859 – 14 May 1940) was a Dutch lawyer and statesman who served as state attorney and state secretary of the

South African Republic 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 ...

. From 1898 to 1902, during the crucial period 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 ...

, he was the Republic's special envoy and minister plenipotentiary in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, accredited to several European states.

Biography

Early life

Leyds was born in Magelang, then part of the Dutch East Indies, as the son of Dutch teachers. After the death of his father the family returned to the Netherlands. He studied law at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...

, where he excelled and from which he graduated ''cum laude''. He was recommended for the position of state attorney of the

to its president,

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 ...

, by some of his previous lecturers. The president had been conducting a tour of Europe after his country's newly-reclaimed independence from the British, following the

First Boer War The First Boer War ( af, Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally "First Freedom War"), 1880–1881, also known as the First Anglo–Boer War, the Transvaal War or the Transvaal Rebellion, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 betwee ...

. Though initially hesitant, Leyds accepted the offer, and he and his wife Louise moved to

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 ...

South African Republic

state attorney of the Transvaal The State Attorney of the Transvaal was the principal legal officer of the Transvaal, or, as it was also known, the South African Republic. See also *State President of the South African Republic *State Secretary of the South African Republic ...

, Leyds was tasked with judicial cases of the republic, as well as the founding of the promising Netherlands–South African Railway Company. Leyds soon became the right-hand man of Kruger, and in 1888, he was promoted to state secretary of the booming republic. Due to health problems relating to his throat, in 1896, Leyds travelled to Europe for treatment. After his return to Pretoria, he resigned as state secretary due to his recurring health troubles. He was succeeded in that capacity by

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 ...

, and returned to Europe to serve as envoy of the South African Republic in

Return to Europe

During the

, Leyds served as diplomat for the South African Republic, and attempted in vain to win support for 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 ...

cause. His diplomatic career came to a halt with the conclusion of hostilities, marked by the signing of 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 ...

. He accompanied Paul Kruger's remains back to Pretoria in 1904, having died in Switzerland. After his return to The Hague, he authored a work on the history of the South African Republic. His wife Louise died at the age of 52 in 1907; he subsequently married the daughter of a Dutch official on the Dutch East Indies' island of

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

, in 1910.

Legacy

During his time as state secretary of the South African Republic, Leyds was awarded the Dutch

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...

, the German

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

, and the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. For his contribution to South African history, Leyds was awarded honorary doctorates by the

University of Pretoria The University of Pretoria ( af, Universiteit van Pretoria, nso, Yunibesithi ya Pretoria) is a multi-campus public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 ...

and the

University of Stellenbosch Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...

. Former Boer general and South African Prime Minister

Jan Smuts Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, (24 May 1870 11 September 1950) was a South African statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various military and cabinet posts, he served as prime minister of the Union of South Af ...

described Leyds as the most significant figure in the history of Transvaal, second only to Kruger. The former gold rush town of Leydsdorp in

Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...

is named after him.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Leyds, Willem Johannes 1859 births 1940 deaths 20th-century Dutch diplomats Dutch emigrants to South Africa Dutch expatriates in South Africa 19th-century Dutch lawyers History of South Africa Historians of South Africa Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion People from Magelang People from Pretoria People of the Second Boer War People who lost Dutch citizenship South African Republic politicians University of Amsterdam alumni 19th-century Dutch diplomats