John Gordon Sprigg
Encyclopedia
Sir John Gordon Sprigg GCMG
PC
(1830–1913) was a British administrator
, politician and four-time prime minister of the Cape Colony
.
, England, into a strongly Puritan
family. His father was a pastor and his strictly conservative up-bringing had a life-long effect on Sprigg's values (until the end of his life, one of Sprigg's proudest claims was that his ancestor had been one of Oliver Cromwell
's chaplains).
He was educated at Ipswich School
, as well as a series of other private schools. He started his career in a shipbuilder’s office, and then switched jobs to become a reporter. However, his fragile health caused him to emigrate to the Cape Colony
in 1858 to recuperate, and here he decided to settle. He bought a farm in what was known at the time as British Kaffraria
(near what is today East London), and began to get involved in local politics.
His newly acquired property lay near the Cape's frontier, and was therefore surrounded by a large population of non-Christian Xhosa people – whom Sprigg regarded with considerable suspicion. This led him to become very concerned about issues of frontier security, and he regularly prioritised such issues in his political career.
be separately administered for the Eastern and Western halves of the Colony and (ominously) that the Cape's defences be racially segregated. Both suggestions were rejected outright by the Prime Minister at the time, John Molteno
, a strong advocate of racial and regional unity in the Cape.
Sprigg nonetheless joined Molteno's movement for responsible government
, and in June 1875 he added his voice to those of other prominent local politicians (such as Saul Solomon
, John X. Merriman
and Molteno himself) in condemning as impractical Lord Carnarvon
's ill-fated scheme to confederate southern Africa. Lord Carnarvon nevertheless pushed ahead and replaced the Cape governor with his own political ally Henry Bartle Frere
with the intent of forcing the region into confederation, and Sprigg, along with fellow parliamentarian John Paterson
, prudently re-aligned themselves as pro-federalists.
and Prime Minister in 1878 when Frere dissolved the elected Cape government and assumed direct control of the Colony. Frere had appointed Sprigg on condition that he supported confederation, so Sprigg dutifully began making arrangements for a "Federal Conference" in June 1880. However, local Cape opposition to it was so strong and widespread that Sprigg had to give up on the idea. Elsewhere in southern Africa, Frere's attempts to enforce confederation were sparking wars with the Xhosa, the Zulu Kingdom
, the Pedi
and the Transvaal Republic. A consequence of this was that Sprigg was Prime Minister during the disastrous First Boer War
(1880–1881). This period also saw massive spending on defence and the accumulation of a large government debt.
When war broke out with the Xhosa in 1877–78, Sprigg and Henry Bartle Frere
decided to disarm all Africans in the Cape Colony. Accordingly, Sprigg passed the Peace Preservation Act in 1878 which required that all Black Africans (even Cape citizens) were to be disarmed. Against the advice of many in parliament, Sprigg went ahead with applying the act in Basutoland – at the time administered by the Cape. The resulting Basuto Gun War, together with continued conflict with the Xhosa, saw the Cape government dragged towards bankruptcy. In fact, colonial instigation and mis-management of the Basuto Gun War is one of the main reasons why Lesotho
is now an independent country, and not part of modern South Africa.
In spite of his good relationship with the British Colonial Office, Sprigg had little support locally, and when Frere was recalled to London to face charges of misconduct, his government fell. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by locally-born Thomas Charles Scanlen
.
Sprigg's subsequent terms as Prime Minister came at a time of increased tension between the colonists of British origin and the Afrikaners, tension that was sharply exacerbated by the Confederation attempt and the subsequent rise of the Afrikaner Bond
. These disagreements eventually culminated in the Second Boer War
. This era also saw the origin of the South African Customs Union, and a slow but steady erosion of the rights of the Cape's Black citizens.
resigned due to ill-health. His second term was dominated by two major issues: the voting rights of Black African citizens of the Cape, and the issue of railways. The Cape constitution guaranteed equal voting rights for citizens of all races, however Sprigg was concerned about the large and growing African population beginning to form a considerable voting block, especially in the Eastern Cape
where he resided. He circumvented this with his Registration Bill in 1887, which excluded communal land-owners from voting and thus effectively disenfranchised a large proportion of the Cape's Black African citizens.
He was much less successful in his railway policy. His attempts to extend the Cape's railways to Natal
and the Transvaal Republic failed due to the continued tensions remaining from the earlier confederation scheme and its resultant wars. In addition, his 1889 railway proposals were massively impractical and expensive. The costs came to 7,500,000 pounds and caused his second ministry to fall on 16 July 1890.
, to lose much of his parliamentary support. Sprigg made himself available to Rhodes for a cabinet position and in the power vacuum he successfully re-secured the position of treasurer. Sprigg went on to become one of the most vocal and loyal of Rhodes's supporters. When the Jameson Raid
forced Rhodes to resign in 1896, Sprigg was once again the best stop-gap candidate for Premier.
The major theme of his third ministry was his increasing disagreement with the powerful Afrikaner Bond
party, caused partly by his continued political assistance to Rhodes. He lost a vote of no confidence that was initiated by William Philip Schreiner
in May 1898, but fought to keep his position through the resultant general election, which he lost after an acrimonious campaign; his ministry finally fell to a second motion of no confidence later in the year. Schreiner succeeded him as Premier, just in time to bear the brunt of the crisis of the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Sprigg's final ministry coincided with the Second Boer War
(1899–1902), during which the supplying of the army in the field caused a massive artificial inflation of trade in Southern Africa. This, together with his policy of heavy expenditure, severely damaged the finances of the Cape Colony
.
However, in his final term in office, Sprigg distinguished himself more than anything else through his work on the suspension issue. He had begun his fourth term by closely toeing the line of the Colonial Office in London, but this became increasingly difficult, as it brought him into conflict with the largest parties in the Cape parliament. His refusal to launch an inquiry into the harsh sentences passed during martial law lost him further support, which he needed if he was to appease the Colonial Office, but he finally took a stand when Alfred Milner ordered him to suspend the Cape constitution, supposedly as a preparation for a future confederation.
Although initially uncertain on the issue, Sprigg eventually opposed the suspension proposal, speaking against it in London and arguably doing more than anyone else to protect the Cape's constitution and to defeat Milner's proposal. Meanwhile, the delicate balancing act that Sprigg needed to perform in order to survive politically became ever more precarious, until a string of defeats in parliament and in the 1904 election toppled his government for the final time. However, his work against suspension came later to be regarded as his greatest deed as a statesman and his strongest claim to political recognition.
Although Sprigg served as prime minister four times— from 1878 to 1881, 1886 to 1890, 1896 to 1898 and 1900 to 1904—he was always appointed, never elected democratically. He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor of the United Kingdom in 1897.
The Dictionary of South African Biography (Vol.II) described him thus:
"Small, determined and conceited, Sprigg well deserved Merriman's appellation of "The little Master". He coveted power and clung to it tenaciously, being content to change his colleagues, as long as he was left undisturbed in office. Moreover, his tremendous patience and mastery of parliamentary procedure gave him great advantages over more inspired but less diligent politicians. On the whole, he was a man of integrity and has a strong claim to be placed high in the ranks of South African statesmen."
He had married Ellen Fleischer in 1862, and had three daughters and a son. He died at his home in Wynberg, Cape Town
on 4 February 1913, and was buried at St. Peter's Cemetery, Mowbray
.
Gordonia in the Northern Cape
was named in his honour.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(1830–1913) was a British administrator
Administrator of the Government
An Administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a Governor or a Governor-General...
, politician and four-time 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
Sprigg was born in IpswichIpswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, England, into a strongly Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
family. His father was a pastor and his strictly conservative up-bringing had a life-long effect on Sprigg's values (until the end of his life, one of Sprigg's proudest claims was that his ancestor had been one of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's chaplains).
He was educated at Ipswich School
Ipswich School
Ipswich School is a co-educational public school for girls and boys aged 3 to 18. Situated in Suffolk, England in the town of Ipswich, it was founded in its current form as The King's School, Ipswich by Thomas Wolsey in 1528....
, as well as a series of other private schools. He started his career in a shipbuilder’s office, and then switched jobs to become a reporter. However, his fragile health caused him to emigrate 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...
in 1858 to recuperate, and here he decided to settle. He bought a farm in what was known at the time as British Kaffraria
British Kaffraria
British Kaffraria was a British colony/subordinate administrative entity in present-day South Africa, consisting of the districts now known as King Williams Town and East London.The term Kaffraria stems from the word "Kaffir"...
(near what is today East London), and began to get involved in local politics.
His newly acquired property lay near the Cape's frontier, and was therefore surrounded by a large population of non-Christian Xhosa people – whom Sprigg regarded with considerable suspicion. This led him to become very concerned about issues of frontier security, and he regularly prioritised such issues in his political career.
Political career
In 1873, he became the member of the Cape Parliament for East London. He notably ran the Commission for Frontier Defense which recommended that the defence of the Cape ColonyCape 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...
be separately administered for the Eastern and Western halves of the Colony and (ominously) that the Cape's defences be racially segregated. Both suggestions were rejected outright by the Prime Minister at the time, 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:...
, a strong advocate of racial and regional unity in the Cape.
Sprigg nonetheless joined Molteno's movement for 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...
, and in June 1875 he added his voice to those of other prominent local politicians (such as Saul Solomon
Saul Solomon
Saul Solomon was an influential liberal politician of the Cape Colony. A tireless defender of racial and religious equality, Saul Solomon was an important member of the movement for responsible government and an opponent of Lord Carnarvon's disastrous Confederation scheme.Saul Solomon was born on...
, 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:...
and Molteno himself) in condemning as impractical 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...
's ill-fated scheme to confederate southern Africa. Lord Carnarvon nevertheless pushed ahead and replaced the Cape governor with his own political ally 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...
with the intent of forcing the region into confederation, and Sprigg, along with fellow parliamentarian John Paterson
John Paterson (Cape politician)
John Paterson was a prominent politician and successful businessman of the Cape Colony, and had a great influence on the development of Port Elizabeth where he was based. He ran newspapers, established the Grey Institute and founded South Africa’s Standard Bank...
, prudently re-aligned themselves as pro-federalists.
First Ministry
As a close ally of the new governor and the British colonial authorities, Sprigg was appointed as Colonial SecretaryChief 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...
and Prime Minister in 1878 when Frere dissolved the elected Cape government and assumed direct control of the Colony. Frere had appointed Sprigg on condition that he supported confederation, so Sprigg dutifully began making arrangements for a "Federal Conference" in June 1880. However, local Cape opposition to it was so strong and widespread that Sprigg had to give up on the idea. Elsewhere in southern Africa, Frere's attempts to enforce confederation were sparking wars with the Xhosa, the Zulu Kingdom
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...
, the Pedi
Pedi people
Pedi, , has been a cultural/linguistic term. It was previously used to describe the entire set of people speaking various dialects of the Sotho language who live in the northern Transvaal of South Africa...
and the Transvaal Republic. A consequence of this was that Sprigg was Prime Minister during the disastrous 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:...
(1880–1881). This period also saw massive spending on defence and the accumulation of a large government debt.
When war broke out with the Xhosa in 1877–78, Sprigg and 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...
decided to disarm all Africans in the Cape Colony. Accordingly, Sprigg passed the Peace Preservation Act in 1878 which required that all Black Africans (even Cape citizens) were to be disarmed. Against the advice of many in parliament, Sprigg went ahead with applying the act in Basutoland – at the time administered by the Cape. The resulting Basuto Gun War, together with continued conflict with the Xhosa, saw the Cape government dragged towards bankruptcy. In fact, colonial instigation and mis-management of the Basuto Gun War is one of the main reasons why Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
is now an independent country, and not part of modern South Africa.
In spite of his good relationship with the British Colonial Office, Sprigg had little support locally, and when Frere was recalled to London to face charges of misconduct, his government fell. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by locally-born Thomas Charles 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...
.
Sprigg's subsequent terms as Prime Minister came at a time of increased tension between the colonists of British origin and the Afrikaners, tension that was sharply exacerbated by the Confederation attempt and the subsequent rise 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...
. These disagreements eventually culminated in 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...
. This era also saw the origin of the South African Customs Union, and a slow but steady erosion of the rights of the Cape's Black citizens.
Second Ministry
Sprigg got an opportunity for a second term as Prime Minister when Thomas UpingtonThomas Upington
Thomas Upington , born in Cork, Ireland, was a British administrator in South Africa. He was premier of Cape Colony between 1884 and 1886. The town of Upington in South Africa is named after him....
resigned due to ill-health. His second term was dominated by two major issues: the voting rights of Black African citizens of the Cape, and the issue of railways. The Cape constitution guaranteed equal voting rights for citizens of all races, however Sprigg was concerned about the large and growing African population beginning to form a considerable voting block, especially in the Eastern Cape
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...
where he resided. He circumvented this with his Registration Bill in 1887, which excluded communal land-owners from voting and thus effectively disenfranchised a large proportion of the Cape's Black African citizens.
He was much less successful in his railway policy. His attempts to extend the Cape's railways to 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...
and the Transvaal Republic failed due to the continued tensions remaining from the earlier confederation scheme and its resultant wars. In addition, his 1889 railway proposals were massively impractical and expensive. The costs came to 7,500,000 pounds and caused his second ministry to fall on 16 July 1890.
Third Ministry
A few years later, in 1893, the "Logan scandal" caused the Prime Minister at the time, Cecil John RhodesCecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
, to lose much of his parliamentary support. Sprigg made himself available to Rhodes for a cabinet position and in the power vacuum he successfully re-secured the position of treasurer. Sprigg went on to become one of the most vocal and loyal of Rhodes's supporters. When 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...
forced Rhodes to resign in 1896, Sprigg was once again the best stop-gap candidate for Premier.
The major theme of his third ministry was his increasing disagreement with the powerful 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...
party, caused partly by his continued political assistance to Rhodes. He lost a vote of no confidence that was initiated by William Philip 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:...
in May 1898, but fought to keep his position through the resultant general election, which he lost after an acrimonious campaign; his ministry finally fell to a second motion of no confidence later in the year. Schreiner succeeded him as Premier, just in time to bear the brunt of the crisis of the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Fourth Ministry
Schreiner was forced to resign in June 1900 because of his anti-war stance. and Sprigg, who was seen in London as an acceptably pro-imperialist candidate, unlike Molteno, Schreiner and Merriman, with their perceived pro-Boer sympathies, became prime minister for the fourth and last timeSprigg's final ministry coincided with 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...
(1899–1902), during which the supplying of the army in the field caused a massive artificial inflation of trade in Southern Africa. This, together with his policy of heavy expenditure, severely damaged the finances 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...
.
However, in his final term in office, Sprigg distinguished himself more than anything else through his work on the suspension issue. He had begun his fourth term by closely toeing the line of the Colonial Office in London, but this became increasingly difficult, as it brought him into conflict with the largest parties in the Cape parliament. His refusal to launch an inquiry into the harsh sentences passed during martial law lost him further support, which he needed if he was to appease the Colonial Office, but he finally took a stand when Alfred Milner ordered him to suspend the Cape constitution, supposedly as a preparation for a future confederation.
Although initially uncertain on the issue, Sprigg eventually opposed the suspension proposal, speaking against it in London and arguably doing more than anyone else to protect the Cape's constitution and to defeat Milner's proposal. Meanwhile, the delicate balancing act that Sprigg needed to perform in order to survive politically became ever more precarious, until a string of defeats in parliament and in the 1904 election toppled his government for the final time. However, his work against suspension came later to be regarded as his greatest deed as a statesman and his strongest claim to political recognition.
Although Sprigg served as prime minister four times— from 1878 to 1881, 1886 to 1890, 1896 to 1898 and 1900 to 1904—he was always appointed, never elected democratically. He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor of the United Kingdom in 1897.
The Dictionary of South African Biography (Vol.II) described him thus:
"Small, determined and conceited, Sprigg well deserved Merriman's appellation of "The little Master". He coveted power and clung to it tenaciously, being content to change his colleagues, as long as he was left undisturbed in office. Moreover, his tremendous patience and mastery of parliamentary procedure gave him great advantages over more inspired but less diligent politicians. On the whole, he was a man of integrity and has a strong claim to be placed high in the ranks of South African statesmen."
Later life
Sprigg retired from politics after 1904, although he reappeared briefly in 1908. In his later life he received an impressive array of awards and honours for his work for the British government, such as KCMG and GCMG, as well as honorary doctorates from Oxford and Edinburgh Universities.He had married Ellen Fleischer in 1862, and had three daughters and a son. He died at his home in Wynberg, Cape Town
Wynberg, Cape Town
Wynberg is a southern suburb of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape, South Africa. It is situated between Plumstead and Kenilworth, and is a main transport hub for the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.- Geography :...
on 4 February 1913, and was buried at St. Peter's Cemetery, Mowbray
Mowbray, Cape Town
Mowbray is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. Its original name was Driekoppen .-Geography:Mowbray is bounded on the west by the M3 freeway, beyond which lies Devil's Peak, and on the north by the N2 freeway, beyond which lies the suburb of Observatory...
.
Gordonia in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
was named in his honour.
See also
- 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...
- Saul SolomonSaul SolomonSaul Solomon was an influential liberal politician of the Cape Colony. A tireless defender of racial and religious equality, Saul Solomon was an important member of the movement for responsible government and an opponent of Lord Carnarvon's disastrous Confederation scheme.Saul Solomon was born on...
- John PatersonJohn Paterson (Cape politician)John Paterson was a prominent politician and successful businessman of the Cape Colony, and had a great influence on the development of Port Elizabeth where he was based. He ran newspapers, established the Grey Institute and founded South Africa’s Standard Bank...
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...
- R. Kent Rasmussen:Dictionary of African historical biography. University of California Press, 1989. ISBN 0520066111
- P. A. Molteno: The life and times of Sir John Charles Molteno, Comprising a History of Representative Institutions and Responsible Government at the Cape. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1900