Jan Kemp (South African)
Encyclopedia
Jan Christoffel Greyling Kemp (10 June 1872 – 31 December 1946) was a South African Boer
officer, rebel general and South African politician.
district, Transvaal
on 10 June 1872, the younger son of Jurie Johannes Kemp and Maria Aletta Greyling. His maternal grandfather, Abraham Carel Greyling, a stepson of the Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief
, was killed with Retief in 1838. His paternal grandfather, Petrus Johannes Kemp, emigrated from Belgium
between 1830 and 1840.
He was educated at the Staatsgymnasium (State Gymnasium) in Pretoria
.
He became a clerk
in the Transvaal
department of education in 1889. He soon transferred to the mining commissioner's office in Krugersdorp and achieved the position of chief clerk by 1899.
.
At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War he joined the Krugersdorp commando. As a burgher
, he participated in many of the early engagements in Natal
.
In November 1899, he was elected assistant field-cornet
. On 27 February 1900 he distinguished himself at the Battle of Pietershoogte (also known as Spoorwegkop/Railway Hill) despite the Boer forces having to withdraw and the British forces taking the position.
In June 1900, while serving under General CF Beyers in the northern Transvaal he was elected a commandant
.
On 13 December 1900, at the Battle of Nooitgedacht
, where he commanded one of the Boer commandos, he was wounded in the arm.
In February 1901 he was promoted to combat general and instructed to make contact with General JH de la Rey in the western Transvaal.
It had been intended that Kemp should invade the Cape Colony
. This plan was abandoned and he became one of De la Rey's ablest and most daring officers, showing his tactical acumen particularly in the actions at Vlakfontein
(29-30 May 1901), Moedwil
(30 September 1901) and Battle of Ysterspruit, near Klerksdorp in the Western Transvaal
on 25 February 1902.
His suggestion (September 1901) that a military government should supplant the civil government of the Transvaal republic, was vetoed by De la Rey. In the Battle of Tweebos
on 7 March 1902, where his horse was shot under him, he played a prominent part in capturing Lord Methuen's column. On 11 April 1902, at Roodewal
, in one of the last important actions of the war, Kemp launched a recklessly brave attack in De la Rey's absence, on Major-General RG Kekewich
's forces, once again using a mounted charge over open terrain, which had become his characteristic mode of attack.
Representing the Krugersdorp commando at the peace negotiations at Vereeniging
, he urged the continuation of the war and was one of the minority of six who voted against the peace terms.
of Krugersdorp, JC Bodenstein and his wife, MC Combrink. They had two daughters and a son.
His wife died in March 1941 and his already failing health
deteriorated rapidly. Despite this he remained active in parliament.
He published two volumes of memoirs, the first, published in 1941, dealt with events before 1902 and the second, published in 1942, covered the subsequent period.
His physical and moral courage
cannot be doubted. He was determined, direct, forceful, impetuous in the field and in politics and, above all, a fervent believer in the republican form of government for South Africa.
He died at Piet Retief, Transvaal
, on 31 December1946.
English translation: "For Freedom & Justice". Anglo-Boer War memoir of one of the ablest Boer Generals (1st of 2 volumes - this vol. ends with the Peace of Vereeniging).
Die Pad Van Die Veroweraar - Generaal J.C.G. Kemp . 1942 NASIONALE PERS
English translation: "The Road of the Conqueror". Anglo-Boer War memoir of one of the ablest Boer Generals (2nd of 2 volumes - this vol. starts with the Peace of Vereeniging, covers the 1914 rebellion and ends with Kemp as cabinet minister).
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
officer, rebel general and South African politician.
Early life
Jan Kemp was born in the present AmersfoortAmersfoort, Mpumalanga
Amersfoort is a small sheep farming town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The town was established in 1888 around a Dutch Reformed Church which was built in 1876. Lying at 1,664m above sea level in the upper reached of the Vaal river basin on the banks of the Schulpspruit, the area was first...
district, Transvaal
Transvaal
The Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa. The land originally comprised most of the independent Boer South African Republic, which had existed since 1856, despite two previous attempts by the British of varying success to establish supremacy...
on 10 June 1872, the younger son of Jurie Johannes Kemp and Maria Aletta Greyling. His maternal grandfather, Abraham Carel Greyling, a stepson of the Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief
Piet Retief
Pieter Mauritz Retief was a South African Boer leader. Settling in 1814 in the frontier region of the Cape Colony, he assumed command of punitive expeditions in response to raiding parties from the adjacent Xhosa territory...
, was killed with Retief in 1838. His paternal grandfather, Petrus Johannes Kemp, emigrated from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
between 1830 and 1840.
He was educated at the Staatsgymnasium (State Gymnasium) in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
.
He became a clerk
Clerk
Clerk, the vocational title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. It is also occasionally used to refer to third-year medical students completing a medical clerkship. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record...
in the Transvaal
Transvaal
The Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa. The land originally comprised most of the independent Boer South African Republic, which had existed since 1856, despite two previous attempts by the British of varying success to establish supremacy...
department of education in 1889. He soon transferred to the mining commissioner's office in Krugersdorp and achieved the position of chief clerk by 1899.
Military career
He served in the Magato War, against the Basuto chief, in 1895 and helped to suppress the Jameson RaidJameson Raid
The Jameson Raid was a botched raid on Paul Kruger's Transvaal Republic carried out by a British colonial statesman Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895–96...
.
At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War he joined the Krugersdorp commando. As a burgher
Burgher
Burgher may refer to:* A citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to middle class* A resident of a burgh* A formally defined class in medieval German cities, usually the only group from which city officials could be drawn...
, he participated in many of the early engagements in Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
.
In November 1899, he was elected assistant field-cornet
Field Cornet
A Field Cornet was a South African term for either a local government official or a military officer.Initially, the term was used for a civilian official in a local government district of the Cape Colony, acting as and invested with the authority of a military officer and empowered to act as a...
. On 27 February 1900 he distinguished himself at the Battle of Pietershoogte (also known as Spoorwegkop/Railway Hill) despite the Boer forces having to withdraw and the British forces taking the position.
In June 1900, while serving under General CF Beyers in the northern Transvaal he was elected a commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
.
On 13 December 1900, at the Battle of Nooitgedacht
Battle of Nooitgedacht
In the Battle of Nooitgedacht on 13 December 1900, Boer commandos led by Generals Koos de la Rey and Christiaan Beyers combined to deal a defeat to a British brigade under the command of Major General R. A. P. Clements during the Second Boer War.-Background:...
, where he commanded one of the Boer commandos, he was wounded in the arm.
In February 1901 he was promoted to combat general and instructed to make contact with General JH de la Rey in the western Transvaal.
It had been intended that Kemp should invade the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. This plan was abandoned and he became one of De la Rey's ablest and most daring officers, showing his tactical acumen particularly in the actions at Vlakfontein
Vlakfontein
Vlakfontein is a small settlement in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. During the Second Boer War it was the site of a guerrilla action against the British forces where a Victoria Cross was awarded to William John English of the Scottish Horse for conspicuous gallantry....
(29-30 May 1901), Moedwil
Moedwil
Moedwil is a small town near Swartruggens, North West Province, South Africa. It was the site of a battle during the Second Boer War where for actions during the battle, William Bees was awarded the Victoria Cross....
(30 September 1901) and Battle of Ysterspruit, near Klerksdorp in the Western Transvaal
Transvaal
The Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa. The land originally comprised most of the independent Boer South African Republic, which had existed since 1856, despite two previous attempts by the British of varying success to establish supremacy...
on 25 February 1902.
His suggestion (September 1901) that a military government should supplant the civil government of the Transvaal republic, was vetoed by De la Rey. In the Battle of Tweebos
Battle of Tweebosch
In the Battle of Tweebosch or De Klipdrift on 7 March 1902, a Boer commando led by Koos de la Rey defeated a British column under the command of Lieutenant General Lord Methuen during the final months of the Second Boer War.-Background:...
on 7 March 1902, where his horse was shot under him, he played a prominent part in capturing Lord Methuen's column. On 11 April 1902, at Roodewal
Battle of Rooiwal
The Battle of Rooiwal was an engagement of the Second Boer War. It took place on 11 April 1902 and resulted in a victory by a British force commanded by Colonel Robert Kekewich over a Boer commando led by Generals Ferdinandus Jacobus Potgieter and Jan Kemp....
, in one of the last important actions of the war, Kemp launched a recklessly brave attack in De la Rey's absence, on Major-General RG Kekewich
Robert Kekewich
Major General Robert George Kekewich CB was a Victorian era British Army officer.Kekewich was the second son of Trehawke Kekewich, of Peamore House, near Exeter, Devon, and the grandson of Samuel Trehawke Kekewich...
's forces, once again using a mounted charge over open terrain, which had become his characteristic mode of attack.
Representing the Krugersdorp commando at the peace negotiations at Vereeniging
Treaty of Vereeniging
The Treaty of Vereeniging was the peace treaty, signed on 31 May 1902, that ended the South African War between the South African Republic and the Republic of the Orange Free State, on the one side, and the British Empire on the other.This settlement provided for the end of hostilities and...
, he urged the continuation of the war and was one of the minority of six who voted against the peace terms.
Personal life
On 10 June1903 he married Anna Emma Bodenstein, the daughter of a former landdrostLanddrost
Landdrost was the title of various officials with local jurisdiction. It is of Dutch origin, with land- corresponding to the English meaning of an area, suggesting a somewhat larger jurisdiction than just a village or estate; and drost being a short form of Drossaard, one of many similar titles in...
of Krugersdorp, JC Bodenstein and his wife, MC Combrink. They had two daughters and a son.
His wife died in March 1941 and his already failing health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
deteriorated rapidly. Despite this he remained active in parliament.
He published two volumes of memoirs, the first, published in 1941, dealt with events before 1902 and the second, published in 1942, covered the subsequent period.
His physical and moral courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
cannot be doubted. He was determined, direct, forceful, impetuous in the field and in politics and, above all, a fervent believer in the republican form of government for South Africa.
He died at Piet Retief, Transvaal
Transvaal
The Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa. The land originally comprised most of the independent Boer South African Republic, which had existed since 1856, despite two previous attempts by the British of varying success to establish supremacy...
, on 31 December1946.
Legacy
- The town of Jan KempdorpJan KempdorpJan Kempdorp is an agricultural town situated in the centre of the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.Originally, the border between the Cape and Transvaal provinces ran through the town, making it the only town in South Africa that was in two provinces.During...
in the Northern Cape Province is named after Kemp.
- When, as Minister of Lands, Kemp, was asked in 1936 to set aside a special reserve for the endangered Cape mountain zebraCape Mountain ZebraCape mountain zebra, Equus zebra zebra, is a subspecies of the Mountain zebra found in the Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa. They mainly eat grass but if little food is left they will eat bushes...
, he gave his now infamous reply: "No! They're just a lot of donkeys in football jerseys." Fortunately for the species, he was persuaded otherwise, and the Mountain Zebra National ParkMountain Zebra National ParkMountain Zebra National Park is a national park in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa proclaimed in July, 1937 for the purpose of providing a nature reserve for the endangered Cape mountain zebra....
at Cradock, Eastern CapeCradock, Eastern CapeCradock is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, in the upper valley of the Great Fish River, by rail northeast of Port Elizabeth. The town is the administrative seat of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality in the Chris Hani District of the Eastern Cape. The estimated population...
was established in 1938.
Memoirs
Vir Vryheid En Vir Reg - Generaal J.C.G. Kemp. 1941 NASIONALE PERSEnglish translation: "For Freedom & Justice". Anglo-Boer War memoir of one of the ablest Boer Generals (1st of 2 volumes - this vol. ends with the Peace of Vereeniging).
Die Pad Van Die Veroweraar - Generaal J.C.G. Kemp . 1942 NASIONALE PERS
English translation: "The Road of the Conqueror". Anglo-Boer War memoir of one of the ablest Boer Generals (2nd of 2 volumes - this vol. starts with the Peace of Vereeniging, covers the 1914 rebellion and ends with Kemp as cabinet minister).