Ewald Auguste Esselen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ewald Auguste Esselen
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Ewald Auguste Esselen, secretary to the Boer delegation at the London Convention (1884)
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| State Attorney of the South African Republic | |
| In office 1894–1895 |
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| Succeeded by | Herman Coster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 September 1858 Worcester, Cape Colony |
| Died | 1 November 1918 (aged 59) Sea Point, Cape Town, Union of South Africa |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh, Inner Temple |
| Profession | barrister |
Ewald Auguste Esselen was an important South African lawyer and politician. He was born in 1858 and lived until 1918. He held a top legal job as the State Attorney for the South African Republic for a short time.
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Ewald Esselen: A Life Story
Ewald Auguste Esselen was born in a place called Worcester in the Cape Colony in 1858. His family had a history of being missionaries.
After school, Ewald first studied medicine in Scotland. But he came back to South Africa in 1881 during a time of conflict called the First Boer War. He became a special helper (private secretary) to Paul Kruger, who was a very important leader. Ewald even helped Kruger during important peace talks known as the Pretoria Convention.
Becoming a Lawyer
After the war, Kruger suggested that Ewald go back to Europe to study. This time, he studied law in London at a famous place called the Inner Temple. He became a qualified lawyer, also known as a barrister.
Between 1883 and 1884, Ewald was the secretary for the Boer group that went to the London Convention. This meeting created a new agreement that replaced the earlier Pretoria Convention.
Working in South Africa
When Ewald returned to South Africa, he started working as a lawyer in Cape Town in 1885. In 1886, people in Richmond in the Cape Colony chose him to be a member of their law-making group.
In 1887, Paul Kruger offered him a job as a judge for the criminal court in the South African Republic. Ewald took this job and worked there until 1890. He then left for personal reasons and became a lawyer in Pretoria.
Later, he became a member of the Volksraad, which was like the parliament of the South African Republic. He served in both the lower and upper parts of the Volksraad. In 1894, he was chosen to be the State Attorney of the South African Republic, a very important legal role. However, he resigned after only one year and went back to working as a private lawyer.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1900, during the South African War (also known as the Second Boer War), Ewald was taken as a prisoner of war. But he was later allowed to go to Europe. He came back to the Transvaal Colony in 1902 and continued his legal work.
After the war, he stayed interested in politics. He helped start a political party called Het Volk. This party wanted the country to govern itself.
Ewald Esselen passed away in 1918 in Sea Point, Cape Town. He is buried in Pretoria.
Remembering Esselen
A street in Sunnyside, Pretoria was named Esselen Street after him. However, in 2012, it was renamed Robert Sobukwe Street.
Images for kids
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Delegates from the South African Republic to the London Convention (1884).
