John X. Merriman
Encyclopedia
John Xavier Merriman was the last prime minister of the Cape Colony
before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
, England. His parents were Nathaniel James Merriman, curate of the parish of Street and later third Bishop of Grahamstown
, and the former Julia Potter. He emigrated to the Cape Colony
with his parents in 1849, aged 8. He was educated at the Diocesan College
in Rondebosch
, Cape Town
, and then at Radley College
in England. He returned to South Africa in 1861 and became a farmer.
, then Wodehouse and finally Victoria West. After the granting of responsible government to the Cape Colony in 1872, he served in the cabinet of its first Prime Minister, Sir John Molteno
, from 1875 to 1878, then in the Scanlen
ministry from 1881 to 1884, his private secretary in this time being Henry Latham Currey
, the son of an old friend. He was Treasurer-General under Cecil Rhodes from 1890 to 1893 but he ended his relationship with Rhodes after the Jameson Raid
in December 1895.
Thereafter he become an opponent of the mining interests and British imperialism
in Southern Africa. This gained him the sympathy and cooperation of the Afrikaner Bond
led by Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr
. He was a member of the Cape Commission charged with investigating the Jameson Raid
and was responsible for writing its report. He again served as Treasurer General of the Cape in the ministry of W.P. Schreiner
from 1898 to 1900. He tried but failed to prevent the Second Boer War
.
In 1908 his South African Party together with the Afrikaner Bond won control of the Assembly and he served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1908 until the formation of the Union of South Africa
on 31 May 1910.
He was a leading figure in the National Convention which brought about this Union. It was thought that he might become the first Prime Minister of the new union. Lord Gladstone, the first Governor-General
, however, asked the Afrikaner statesman, Louis Botha
to form a government. Merriman declined to accept a post in the first Union Cabinet.
He continued to serve in the Parliament of South Africa
, representing first the constituency of Victoria West, and then Stellenbosch. He carried on a lively correspondence with Jan Christiaan Smuts
, constantly warning him about possibilities of rebellion and civil war with Afrikaner
sections of the white population who objected to South African cooperation with Great Britain against Germany in World War I, especially the South African invasion of German South West Africa, now Namibia
. He was one of only a few members of Parliament who the opposed the Native Land Act
, legislation introduced in 1913 which drastically limited African ownership of land.
He died, aged 85, in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1926.
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...
before the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Early life
He was born in Street, SomersetStreet, Somerset
Street is a small village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. It is situated on a dry spot in the Somerset Levels, at the end of the Polden Hills, south-west of Glastonbury. The 2001 census records the village as having a population of 11,066...
, England. His parents were Nathaniel James Merriman, curate of the parish of Street and later third Bishop of Grahamstown
Bishop of Grahamstown
The Bishop of Grahamstown is the bishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in the Diocese of Grahamstown, which encompasses the area around Grahamstown, South Africa and is located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The seat of the Bishop is St. Michael and St. George...
, and the former Julia Potter. He emigrated to 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...
with his parents in 1849, aged 8. He was educated at the Diocesan College
Diocesan College
The Diocesan College, or Bishops as it is more commonly known, is an independent, all-boys school situated in the suburb of Rondebosch in Cape Town, South Africa...
in Rondebosch
Rondebosch
Rondebosch is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is primarily a residential suburb, with a medium-size shopping area, a small business district as well as the main campus of the University of Cape Town.-History:...
, Cape Town
Cape 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...
, and then at Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
in England. He returned to South Africa in 1861 and became a farmer.
Political career
He entered politics in 1869, having first been a farmer and surveyor. At this time the Cape Colony was in the transition stage of representative government. He represented, firstly, the district of NamaqualandNamaqualand
Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions - Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the...
, then Wodehouse and finally Victoria West. After the granting of responsible government to the Cape Colony in 1872, he served in the cabinet of its first Prime Minister, Sir John Molteno
John Charles Molteno
Sir John Charles Molteno KCMG was a soldier, businessman, champion of responsible government and the first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony.-Early life:...
, from 1875 to 1878, then in 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 from 1881 to 1884, his private secretary in this time being Henry Latham Currey
Henry Latham Currey
Henry Latham Currey , also known as Harry Currey was a British politician in the Cape Colony.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.Currey joined the Cape...
, the son of an old friend. He was Treasurer-General under Cecil Rhodes from 1890 to 1893 but he ended his relationship with Rhodes after the Jameson Raid
Jameson 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...
in December 1895.
Thereafter he become an opponent of the mining interests and British imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
in Southern Africa. This gained him the sympathy and cooperation of the Afrikaner Bond
Afrikaner Bond
The Afrikaner Bond was a political party in the Cape Colony. It was formed by the union in 1881 of the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners of Rev S.J...
led by Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr
Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr , South African politician affectionately known as Onze Jan, "our Jan" in Dutch, was born in Cape Town....
. He was a member of the Cape Commission charged with investigating the Jameson Raid
Jameson 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...
and was responsible for writing its report. He again served as Treasurer General of the Cape in the ministry of W.P. Schreiner
William Philip Schreiner
William Philip Schreiner was a barrister, politician, statesman and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony during the Second Boer War.-Career:...
from 1898 to 1900. He tried but failed to prevent the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
In 1908 his South African Party together with the Afrikaner Bond won control of the Assembly and he served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1908 until the formation of the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The 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...
on 31 May 1910.
He was a leading figure in the National Convention which brought about this Union. It was thought that he might become the first Prime Minister of the new union. Lord Gladstone, the first Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
, however, asked the Afrikaner statesman, Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
to form a government. Merriman declined to accept a post in the first Union Cabinet.
He continued to serve in the Parliament of South Africa
Parliament of South Africa
The 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....
, representing first the constituency of Victoria West, and then Stellenbosch. He carried on a lively correspondence with Jan Christiaan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
, constantly warning him about possibilities of rebellion and civil war with Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
sections of the white population who objected to South African cooperation with Great Britain against Germany in World War I, especially the South African invasion of German South West Africa, now Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. He was one of only a few members of Parliament who the opposed the Native Land Act
Native Land Act
The Natives Land Act, 1913 was an act of the Parliament of South Africa aimed at regulating the acquisition of land by "natives", i.e. black people...
, legislation introduced in 1913 which drastically limited African ownership of land.
Personal life
In 1874 he married Agnes Vintcent daughter of Mr. L. Vintcent, a member of the Cape Legislative Council. In 1892 he purchased a farm in Stellenbosch which later became Rustenberg Wines. The company has honoured him by naming their flagship red bordeaux blend after him.He died, aged 85, in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1926.