John Charles Molteno
Encyclopedia
Sir John Charles Molteno KCMG (5 June 1814 – 1 September 1886) was a soldier, businessman, champion of responsible government
and the first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony
.
. At the age of 23 he founded his first company, Molteno & Co., a trading company that exported wine, wool and aloes to Mauritius
and the West Indies, and opened branches around the Cape.
Later, disposing of his mercantile businesses, he bought several farms in the arid Beaufort
area and successfully introduced Saxon Merino
sheep, creating the extensive Nelspoort Estate
. Among his other business ventures, he also founded the region's first bank, Alport & Co. – in Beaufort West
.
After his first wife Maria died in childbirth (along with their child), he left for the frontier to fight in the 1846 Amatola War.
house (At the time an estate of orchards and vineyards, not the busy suburb that it is today).
Molteno had been elected as member of the Cape Colony's legislative assembly for Beaufort West
in 1854 and had been using his position to push for responsible self-government
for the Cape. His experiences fighting in the frontier wars had given him a contempt for what he saw as the incompetence of colonial rule in Southern Africa and a lifelong belief in the need for efficient local government. When the new governor, Sir Henry Barkly was sent from London with a mandate to implement self government for the Cape, Molteno saw the bill through parliament and became the Cape Colony's first Prime Minister.
He was appointed Prime Minister in 1872, and in turn appointed the young John X. Merriman
as his commissioner of public works (Merriman himself was later to become the 8th Prime Minister of the Cape and in that capacity continued many of Molteno's policies).
Molteno began his ministry by re-organising the state finances. He used the new revenues from the diamond and ostrich feather
industries to pay off the Cape's accumulated debts and to invest heavily in infrastructure, including a telegraph system and an ambitious railway building programme. He also oversaw a revival in the agricultural sector, and began the construction of a vast irrigation system across the country. The economy recovered as exports climbed, resulting in reasonable budget surpluses by the end of his tenure. He led the (now prosperous) Cape colony in the Ninth Frontier War
when it broke out in 1877, and he strongly resisted regional factionalism – going to great lengths to heal the rifts between the eastern
and western
halves of the Cape and blocking attempts by his political opponents to racially segregate the armed forces.
His government also founded the University of the Cape of Good Hope
, now one of the world's mega-universities with over 200,000 students, and Victoria College (later to become Stellenbosch University
). The Molteno Ministry was characterised by its stout opposition to imperial interference in Cape affairs, for example, quashing a bid to forcefully incorporate Griqualand West
and opposing Frere's later deployment of imperial troops against the Xhosa.
Importantly, the system of responsible government
as instituted under Molteno retained the traditional Cape system of non-racial franchise
– whereby all races could vote, quite unlike the situation in the rest of Southern Africa.
A change of government in London led to a pro-imperialist lobby headed by Secretary of State, Lord Carnarvon
, determined to enforce a confederation on southern Africa. This was resisted by the Cape colony government and relations between the Cape Ministry and the Colonial Office deteriorated. Molteno himself argued that such an initiative ought to come from South African authorities – not from the London Colonial Office – and that it was badly timed. However, the Colonial Office dismissed governor Henry Barkly
and appointed Sir Henry Bartle Frere
who on 3 February 1878 dissolved the Cape government. Frere was a formidable administrator of the British Empire but had scant experience of Cape government and the confederation scheme soon fell apart leaving a trail of wars across Southern Africa. After the disastrous invasion of Zululand
and rising discontent in the Transvaal
(that later exploded as the First Boer War
), Frere was recalled to London in 1880 to face charges of misconduct.
Molteno was repeatedly asked to take office again, however (by now in his late sixties) he declined and instead retired from public life to spend time with his family. His last office was a brief stint advising the Scanlen
Ministry as Colonial Secretary
before he retired completely.
His legacy was in the system of responsible government and parliamentary accountability that he helped to establish.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1882.
was an ally and friend of Gandhi and Emily Hobhouse
, as well as a prominent early activist for women's rights
.
Three of his sons (Percy Molteno
, James Molteno
and John Molteno II) later entered parliament, while two
became important landowners in Elgin
and one was an Admiral who fought in the Battle of Jutland
– the largest naval engagement of the First World War.
Although born and raised a Catholic, Molteno was tight-lipped on the subject of his religious beliefs (Unusually so for a man known to be frank and direct). According to his son and biographer
, he disliked denominations and was a freethinker
.
The "Lion of Beaufort" died on 1 September 1886 and was interred at St Saviour's in Claremont, Cape Town
.
The town of Molteno
, in the Stormberg Mountains
of South Africa, is named after him.
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
and the first Prime Minister of 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...
.
Early life
Born in London into a large Anglo-Italian family, Molteno emigrated to the Cape in 1831 at the age of 17, where he found work as an assistant to the public librarian in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. At the age of 23 he founded his first company, Molteno & Co., a trading company that exported wine, wool and aloes to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and the West Indies, and opened branches around the Cape.
Later, disposing of his mercantile businesses, he bought several farms in the arid Beaufort
Beaufort West
Beaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001....
area and successfully introduced Saxon Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
sheep, creating the extensive Nelspoort Estate
Nelspoort, Western Cape
Nelspoort is a town located in Beaufort West Local Municipality in the Western Cape, South Africa.-External links:*...
. Among his other business ventures, he also founded the region's first bank, Alport & Co. – in Beaufort West
Beaufort West
Beaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001....
.
After his first wife Maria died in childbirth (along with their child), he left for the frontier to fight in the 1846 Amatola War.
Political career
The Cape economy was in a recession in the early 1860s when Molteno remarried, moved back to Cape Town and bought ClaremontClaremont, Cape Town
Claremont is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated six miles south of the city, and is one of the so-called "Southern Suburbs". It is an important commercial and residential area, which is currently experiencing significant growth and development.-History:Until the arrival of Dutch...
house (At the time an estate of orchards and vineyards, not the busy suburb that it is today).
Molteno had been elected as member of the Cape Colony's legislative assembly for Beaufort West
Beaufort West
Beaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001....
in 1854 and had been using his position to push for responsible self-government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
for the Cape. His experiences fighting in the frontier wars had given him a contempt for what he saw as the incompetence of colonial rule in Southern Africa and a lifelong belief in the need for efficient local government. When the new governor, Sir Henry Barkly was sent from London with a mandate to implement self government for the Cape, Molteno saw the bill through parliament and became the Cape Colony's first Prime Minister.
He was appointed Prime Minister in 1872, and in turn appointed the young John X. Merriman
John X. Merriman
John Xavier Merriman was the last prime minister of the Cape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.-Early life:...
as his commissioner of public works (Merriman himself was later to become the 8th Prime Minister of the Cape and in that capacity continued many of Molteno's policies).
Molteno began his ministry by re-organising the state finances. He used the new revenues from the diamond and ostrich feather
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
industries to pay off the Cape's accumulated debts and to invest heavily in infrastructure, including a telegraph system and an ambitious railway building programme. He also oversaw a revival in the agricultural sector, and began the construction of a vast irrigation system across the country. The economy recovered as exports climbed, resulting in reasonable budget surpluses by the end of his tenure. He led the (now prosperous) Cape colony in the Ninth Frontier War
Xhosa wars
The Xhosa Wars, also known as the Cape Frontier Wars, were a series of nine wars between the Xhosa people and European settlers, from 1779 to 1879 in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa....
when it broke out in 1877, and he strongly resisted regional factionalism – going to great lengths to heal the rifts between the eastern
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
and western
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
halves of the Cape and blocking attempts by his political opponents to racially segregate the armed forces.
His government also founded the University of the Cape of Good Hope
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
, now one of the world's mega-universities with over 200,000 students, and Victoria College (later to become Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
). The Molteno Ministry was characterised by its stout opposition to imperial interference in Cape affairs, for example, quashing a bid to forcefully incorporate Griqualand West
Griqualand West
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
and opposing Frere's later deployment of imperial troops against the Xhosa.
Importantly, the system of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
as instituted under Molteno retained the traditional Cape system of non-racial franchise
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
– whereby all races could vote, quite unlike the situation in the rest of Southern Africa.
A change of government in London led to a pro-imperialist lobby headed by Secretary of State, Lord Carnarvon
Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party...
, determined to enforce a confederation on southern Africa. This was resisted by the Cape colony government and relations between the Cape Ministry and the Colonial Office deteriorated. Molteno himself argued that such an initiative ought to come from South African authorities – not from the London Colonial Office – and that it was badly timed. However, the Colonial Office dismissed governor Henry Barkly
Henry Barkly
Sir Henry Barkly, GCMG, KCB, FRS, FRGS was a British politician, colonial governor and patron of the sciences.-Early life and education:...
and appointed Sir Henry Bartle Frere
Henry Bartle Frere
Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI, was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Frere was born at Clydach House, Clydach, Monmouthshire, the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks...
who on 3 February 1878 dissolved the Cape government. Frere was a formidable administrator of the British Empire but had scant experience of Cape government and the confederation scheme soon fell apart leaving a trail of wars across Southern Africa. After the disastrous invasion of Zululand
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
and rising discontent in the Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
(that later exploded as the First Boer War
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
), Frere was recalled to London in 1880 to face charges of misconduct.
Molteno was repeatedly asked to take office again, however (by now in his late sixties) he declined and instead retired from public life to spend time with his family. His last office was a brief stint advising the Scanlen
Thomas Charles Scanlen
Thomas Charles Scanlen was a politician, British administrator and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1881 to 1884.Scanlen was born 9 July 1834 on Longford Farm in the district of Albany in the Cape Colony...
Ministry as Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
before he retired completely.
His legacy was in the system of responsible government and parliamentary accountability that he helped to establish.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1882.
Family
Molteno was married three times and had a total of nineteen children, founding a large and influential South African family. His oldest daughter Elizabeth MariaElizabeth Maria Molteno
Elizabeth Maria Molteno , was a prominent early advocate of civil and women's rights in South Africa.Elizabeth was born into a very prominent Cape family of Anglo-Italian origin...
was an ally and friend of Gandhi and Emily Hobhouse
Emily Hobhouse
Emily Hobhouse was a British welfare campaigner, who is primarily remembered for bringing to the attention of the British public, and working to change, the poor conditions inside the British concentration camps in South Africa built for Boer women and children during the Second Boer War.-Early...
, as well as a prominent early activist for women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
.
Three of his sons (Percy Molteno
Percy Molteno
Percy Alport Molteno was a Cape Colony-born lawyer, director of companies, politician and philanthropist who served as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1906 to 1918....
, James Molteno
Sir James Tennant Molteno
James Molteno , was a South African politician and Speaker of Parliament.The son of Prime Minister Sir John Molteno, James was born on 5 January 1865 at his family's Claremont estate...
and John Molteno II) later entered parliament, while two
The Molteno Brothers
The Molteno Brothers, Edward and Harry Molteno, were sons of Cape Prime Minister John Molteno by his third wife Sobella Maria...
became important landowners in Elgin
Elgin, Western Cape
Elgin, situated in the Overberg region of South Africa, is an apple-growing area near Grabouw and is about 70 km southeast of Cape Town. A group of apple farms called Glen Elgin - owned by the Molteno family - gave the place its name...
and one was an Admiral who fought in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
– the largest naval engagement of the First World War.
Although born and raised a Catholic, Molteno was tight-lipped on the subject of his religious beliefs (Unusually so for a man known to be frank and direct). According to his son and biographer
Percy Molteno
Percy Alport Molteno was a Cape Colony-born lawyer, director of companies, politician and philanthropist who served as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1906 to 1918....
, he disliked denominations and was a freethinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
.
The "Lion of Beaufort" died on 1 September 1886 and was interred at St Saviour's in Claremont, Cape Town
Claremont, Cape Town
Claremont is a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is situated six miles south of the city, and is one of the so-called "Southern Suburbs". It is an important commercial and residential area, which is currently experiencing significant growth and development.-History:Until the arrival of Dutch...
.
The town of Molteno
Molteno, Eastern Cape
Molteno is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.It was founded in 1874 and named for Sir John Molteno, the first prime minister of the Cape Colony....
, in the Stormberg Mountains
Stormberg Mountains
The Stormberg Mountains are a range of mountains situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and are a subsection of the greater Drakensberg mountain range. They form part of the 'Amatola and Stormberg' region which includes major towns like Grahamstown, East London and Port Alfred.Towns...
of South Africa, is named after him.
See also
- Parliament of South AfricaParliament of South AfricaThe Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
- Union of South AfricaUnion of South AfricaThe Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
- Henry Bartle FrereHenry Bartle FrereSir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI, was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Frere was born at Clydach House, Clydach, Monmouthshire, the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks...
- Elizabeth Maria MoltenoElizabeth Maria MoltenoElizabeth Maria Molteno , was a prominent early advocate of civil and women's rights in South Africa.Elizabeth was born into a very prominent Cape family of Anglo-Italian origin...
- Percy Alport Molteno
- Sir James Tennant MoltenoSir James Tennant MoltenoJames Molteno , was a South African politician and Speaker of Parliament.The son of Prime Minister Sir John Molteno, James was born on 5 January 1865 at his family's Claremont estate...
- Donald Barkly MoltenoDonald Barkly MoltenoDonald Barkly Molteno , known as Dilizintaba , was a South African parliamentarian, constitutional lawyer, champion of civil rights and a prominent opponent of Apartheid....
- Molteno (disambiguation)
- John Gordon SpriggJohn Gordon SpriggSir John Gordon Sprigg GCMG PC was a British administrator, politician and four-time prime minister of the Cape Colony.-Early life:Sprigg was born in Ipswich, England, into a strongly Puritan family...
- Thomas Charles ScanlenThomas Charles ScanlenThomas Charles Scanlen was a politician, British administrator and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1881 to 1884.Scanlen was born 9 July 1834 on Longford Farm in the district of Albany in the Cape Colony...
- John X. MerrimanJohn X. MerrimanJohn Xavier Merriman was the last prime minister of the Cape Colony before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.-Early life:...
- History of Cape Colony from 1870 to 1899History of Cape Colony from 1870 to 1899The year 1870 in the history of the Cape Colony marks the dawn of a new era in South Africa, and it can be said that the development of modern South Africa began on that date. Despite political complications that arose from time to time, progress in Cape Colony continued at a steady pace until the...
Further reading
- Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
- P. A. Molteno: The life and times of Sir John Charles Molteno, K. C. M. G., First Premier of Cape Colony, Comprising a History of Representative Institutions and Responsible Government at the Cape. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1900
- Phillida Brooke Simons: Apples of the sun : being an account of the lives, vision and achievements of the Molteno brothers. Vlaeberg: Fernwood Press, 1999. ISBN 1-874950-45-8
- R. Kent Rasmussen: Dictionary of African historical biography. University of California Press, 1989. ISBN 0520066111
- Joseph McCabe: A Biographical Dictionary Of Modern Rationalists. London: Watts & Co, 1920. ISBN 1110365993