Abraham Fischer

Abraham Fischer (9 April 1850 – 16 November 1913)[3] was a South African statesman. He was the sole Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony in South Africa,[4] and when that ceased to exist joined the cabinet of the newly formed Union of South Africa.

Abraham Fischer
Abraham Fischer in 1900
1st Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony
In office
27 November 1907 – 31 May 1910
MonarchsEdward VII
George V
GovernorSir Hamilton John Goold-Adams
Preceded bySir Hamilton John Goold-Adams
As Governor of the Orange River Colony
Succeeded byLouis Botha
As Prime Minister of South Africa
2nd Minister of the Interior of South Africa
In office
1912 – 6 October 1913
MonarchGeorge V
Governor-GeneralThe Viscount Gladstone
Prime MinisterLouis Botha
Preceded byJan Christiaan Smuts
Succeeded byHendrik Schalk Theron
Personal details
Born
Abraham Fischer

(1850-09-04)4 September 1850
Green Point, Cape Town
Cape Colony
Died16 November 1913(1913-11-16) (aged 63)
Cape Town, Cape Province
South Africa
Resting placeWoltemade Cemetery, Cape Town
Political partyOrangia Unie
Other political
affiliations		South African Party
SpouseAda Robertson[1]
ChildrenHarry Fischer, Percy Fischer[2]
ProfessionAttorney, Politician

Early life

Fischer was born on 9 April 1850 in Green Point, Cape Town[5] in to Johannes Jacobus George Fischer, formerly of the Dutch East India Company, and Catherina Anna Margertha Brink.[6][7]

Biography

He was educated at the South African College, and became a lawyer in Cape Colony, joining the bar in 1875.[8] In 1873 he married Ana Robertson (1851-1927), the daughter of Scottish immigrants to the Free State.[1] He became interested in the politics of the Orange Free State, and in 1878 became a member of the Orange Free State's Volksraad.[8] He became vice-president of the Volksraad in 1893, a member of the executive council in 1896, and took part in many colonial and interstate conferences.[8] He headed a joint deputation from Transvaal and Orange Free State to Europe and America during the Boer War[9] to solicit support for the Boers, returning in 1903 to practice law in the newly formed Orange River Colony.[8]

Continuing to promote the Boer cause, he helped form the Orangia Unie party in May 1906 and became its chairman; the party won the majority of seats in the colony's first elections that were held in November 1907.[8] On 27 November, he was chosen as Prime Minister, and stayed in that position until it ceased to exist with the union of 31 May 1910.[8] He then joined the cabinet of the Union of South Africa as Minister of Lands. He was made Privy Councillor in 1911 and became Minister of the Interior and Lands in 1912.[9][8]

He was the father of Percy Fischer, a Judge President of the Orange Free State.[8] He was the grandfather of Bram Fischer, a noted anti-apartheid activist.[8]

References
  1. Clingman, Stephen (1998). Bram Fischer: Afrikaner revolutionary. David Philip Publishers. p. 8. ISBN 0-86486-677-1.
  2. Clingman, Stephen (1998). Bram Fischer: Afrikaner revolutionary. David Philip Publishers. p. 9. ISBN 0-86486-677-1.
  3. Rulers and Governments of the World, vol. 3- 1930 to 1975, Charles G. Allen, Bowker, 1977, p. 481
  4. Clingman, Stephen (1998). Bram Fischer: Afrikaner revolutionary. David Philip Publishers. ISBN 0-86486-677-1.
  5. Wessels, André (2006). "Fischer, Abraham (1850–1913), politician and lawyer in the Orange Free State". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/94551. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 13 July 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. The Amazing Mr Fischer, Gerard Ludi and Blaar Grobbelaar, Nasionale Boekhandel, 1966, p. 1
  7. Braam Fischer: The Man with Two Faces, Afrikaanse Pers, Chris Vermaak, 1963
  8. Standard encyclopaedia of Southern Africa / 4 Dev - For. Internet Archive. Cape Town : Nasou. 1971. p. 541. ISBN 978-0-625-00320-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Fischer, Abraham" . Encyclopedia Americana.
External image
image icon Gravestone of Abraham and his wife Ada in Woltemade Cemetery, Cape Town.
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