Francis William Reitz information

Francis William Reitz
Francis William Reitz
5th State President of the Orange Free State
	In office; 10 January 1889 – 11 December 1895
Preceded by	Johannes Brand
Succeeded by	M.T. Steyn
Chief Justice of the Orange Free State
	In office; June 1876 – 10 January 1889
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Unknown
State Secretary of the South African Republic
	In office; June 1898 – 31 May 1902
Preceded by	W.J. Leyds
Succeeded by	Office abolished
President of the Senate of the Union of South Africa
	In office; 1910–1921
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	H.C. van Heerden
Personal details
Born	5 October 1844; Swellendam, Cape Colony
Died	27 March 1934 (aged 89); Cape Town, South Africa
Spouse(s)	Blanka Thesen (1854–1887); Cornelia Maria Theresa Mulder (1864–1935)
Children	15
Alma mater	South African College
Profession	Lawyer

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 President of the Orange Free State, State Secretary of the South African Republic at the time of the Second Boer War, and the first president of the Senate of the Union of South Africa.^[2]

Reitz had an extremely varied political and judicial career that lasted for over forty-five years and spanned four separate political entities: the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, the South African Republic, and the Union of South Africa. Trained as a lawyer in Cape Town and London, Reitz started off in law practice and diamond prospecting before being appointed Chief Justice of the Orange Free State.^[3] In the Orange Free State Reitz played an important role in the modernisation of the legal system and the state's administrative organisation. At the same time he was also prominent in public life, getting involved in the Afrikaner language and culture movement, and cultural life in general.^[4] He was a South African Freemason.^[5]

Reitz was a popular personality, both for his politics and his openness. When State President Brand suddenly died in 1888, Reitz won the presidential elections unopposed. After being re-elected in 1895, subsequently making a trip to Europe, Reitz fell seriously ill, and had to retire.^[6] In 1898, now recovered, he was appointed State Secretary of the South African Republic, and became a leading Afrikaner political figure during the Second Boer War.^[7] Reluctant to shift allegiance to the British, Reitz went into voluntary exile after the war ended.^[7] Several years later he returned to South Africa and set up a law practice again, in Pretoria. In the late 1900s he became involved in politics once more, and upon the declaration of the Union of South Africa in 1910, Reitz was chosen the first president of the Senate.^[8]

Reitz was an important figure in Afrikaner cultural life during most of his life, especially through his poems and other publications.^[9]

^ From 9 May 1874 to June 1876 he was the chairman of the forerunner of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court of the Orange Free State, and consequently also the highest judge in the land.
^ This article is predominantly based on the information derived from Moll, J.C. (1972). "Reitz, Francis William, die jonge". Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese Woordenboek. Vol. 2. Kaapstad & Johannesburg: Raad vir die Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing. pp. 592–600.
^ Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 593.
^ Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 594.
^ "GLSA: Annual Report & Yearbook 2011, page 60" (PDF). Retrieved 21 September 2018.
^ Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 595.
^ ^a ^b Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 598.
^ Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 599.
^ Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 595–596.

[1] From 9 May 1874 to June 1876 he was the chairman of the forerunner of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court of the Orange Free State, and consequently also the highest judge in the land.

[2] This article is predominantly based on the information derived from Moll, J.C. (1972). "Reitz, Francis William, die jonge". Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese Woordenboek. Vol. 2. Kaapstad & Johannesburg: Raad vir die Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing. pp. 592–600.

[lawpractice-3] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 593.

[president1-4] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 594.

[5] "GLSA: Annual Report & Yearbook 2011, page 60" (PDF). Retrieved 21 September 2018.

[president2-6] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 595.

[ZAR-7] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 598.

[Union-8] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 599.

[culture-9] Moll, 'Reitz, Francis William', 595–596.

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Francis William Reitz


5th State President of the Orange Free State
In office 10 January 1889 – 11 December 1895
Preceded by	Johannes Brand
Succeeded by	M.T. Steyn
Chief Justice of the Orange Free State
In office June 1876^[1] – 10 January 1889
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Unknown
State Secretary of the South African Republic
In office June 1898 – 31 May 1902
Preceded by	W.J. Leyds
Succeeded by	Office abolished
President of the Senate of the Union of South Africa
In office 1910–1921
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	H.C. van Heerden

Personal details
Born	(1844-10-05)5 October 1844 Swellendam, Cape Colony
Died	27 March 1934(1934-03-27) (aged 89) Cape Town, South Africa
Spouse(s)	Blanka Thesen (1854–1887) Cornelia Maria Theresa Mulder (1864–1935)
Children	15
Alma mater	South African College
Profession	Lawyer