Cornelius Hermanus Wessels

Sir Cornelius Hermanus Wessels
Member of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State
In office
1885 – October 1899
Member of the Executive Council of the Orange Free State
In office
1894–1896
Vice President of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State
In office
1896–1897
President of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State
In office
1897–1899
Preceded byChristiaan Willem Hendrik Van Der Post
Member of the War Cabinet of the Orange Free State
In office
1899–1900
Member of the Diplomatic Delegation of the Boer Republics to Europe and America
In office
1900–1902
Minister for Mines, Lands, and Public Works of the Orange Free State
In office
1907–1914
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byUnknown
Administrator of the Orange Free State
In office
1915–1924
Preceded byA.E.W. Ramsbottom
Succeeded byE.R. Grobler
Personal details
Born(1851-04-26)26 April 1851
Rietfontein, Winburg,
Orange River Sovereignty
Died1 March 1924(1924-03-01) (aged 72)
Bloemfontein,
Orange Free State, Union of South Africa
Political partyOrangia Unie,
South African Party
Residence(s)Kwagafontein farm, nr. Bloemfontein
ProfessionFarmer, Politician

Sir Cornelius Hermanus Wessels (26 April 1851 Rietfontein, Winburg, Orange River Sovereignty – 1 March 1924 Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa) was a South African statesman.[1]

Wessels stemmed from an important Orange Free State family clan, dedicated to farming and the Boer way of life. Mainly self-educated, he turned to politics in his early thirties. As a member of the Volksraad he developed his skills as a diplomat and mediator, and was involved in many of the important political decisions the Orange Free State had to make in the 1880s and 1890s. In 1897 he was appointed president of the Volksraad.

During the South African War (1899–1902), Wessels was first a member of the war cabinet, and later a member of the Joint Diplomatic Delegation of the Boer Republics sent to Europe and the United States to muster support for the Boer cause. After the war Wessels sided with De Wet and Hertzog and became a cabinet minister in the Free State government. In 1915, the colonial government appointed Wessels as administrator of the Orange Free State. He was awarded a knighthood for his services to the state in the 1920 New Year Honours.

  1. ^ This article is predominantly based on the information derived from Moll, J.C. (1976). "Wessels, Sir Cornelius Hermanus". Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese Woordenboek. Vol. 3. Kaapstad & Johannesburg: Raad vir die Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing. pp. 857–858.