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From: B Lehmkuhl <>
Subject: RE: CECIL JOHN RHODES
Date: Tue, 04 Nov 1997 14:15:24 -0800


CJ Rhodes born 1853, died 1902. Born in the English town of Bishop's
Stortford. Son of a minister, the Rev. Francis Rhodes. Educated at the
local school there. At age 17 yrs, sent to Natal because of his weak lungs,
where his brother Herbert Rhodes (born 1850, died 1905 in Cape Town) was
farming in the Umkomaas valley (turned out to be a disaster). In 1871 CJ
moved to the diamond fields in Kimberely. He got involved in digging,
pumping water from claims and manufactoring ice. By the time he was 20 yrs
old, he had enough money to fulfill his ambition to study at Oxford. He
remained in Oxford until 1873 but was forced to return to Kimberley because
of his lung problem. Went back to Oxford in 1876 as a member of Oriel
College and stayed there until 1878. He returned to Kimberley and founded
De Beers Diamond Mining Company in 1880 and was also elected to the Cape
Parliament for Barkly West. He eventually got his Oxford degree in 1881. In
1882 he took part in efforts to control Boer "freebooters" on the frontiers
of Bechuanaland, Stellaland and Goshen. First appointed to Cape Cabinet in
1884, where he was for a short while the Treasurer for the Colony. He led
the proclaimation of British authority over Bechuanaland. In 1887 he
established Goldfields of South Africa. By then he was already amalgamating
the diamond mines in Kimberley. He also obtained finacial backing from the
Rothschild interests in London. In 1888 he sent a partner to secure a
concession for the mineral rights in Matabeleland. In the same year he
established De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. He founded the British South
Africa Company in 1889. In 1890 he was elected Prime Minister of the Cape
Colony. He built a mansion, Groote Schuur, outside Cape Town.In 1895 he
became a Privy Councillor. He resigned as Cape Prime Minister in 1895
because of the Jameson Raid. In 1899 he was in Kimberley, where he remained
during the siege. He died in Muizenburg and was buried in the Matopo Hills
in Rhodesia.

At 10:41 PM 04/11/97, you wrote:
>At 09:06 AM 11/1/97 -0800, you wrote:
>>My first posting to your list - hello from Australia.
>>My query is whether anyone has the family tree of
>>CECIL RHODES. Would be grateful for any assistance.
>>
>>Regards - Helen Mitchell (Melbourne).
>
>Hello from South Africa!
>I can sympathise - I've looked everywhere I can think of for similar info
>but have struck the proverbial blank wall. All I can add, for what it's
>worth, is that C.J. was the son of the vicar of Bishop's Stanford. It seems
>there were about 8 chldren, of varying degrees of health and stamina, some
>of whom attended Eton and one of whom, Our Cecil, came to the Cape Colony
>for his health.
>I'll keep hunting and pass on any more bits and pieces I can trace.
>Kind regards
>Elrine
>
>
>
Anne Lehmkuhl: Genealogist and Publisher of:
1.Generations - monthly South African genealogy newsletter
2. Rainbow Settlers - monthly international newsletter for South African
immigrants/emigrants
Write Stuff Productions, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Home page: http://www.islandnet.com/~lkool/

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