 Birth Notes:
http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
Death Notes:
http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
Sources of information or noted events in his life were:
• Children. They had 7 children. Details are at http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
• General Comment. Gilbert Kotzé
Sir John Gilbert Kotzé was born 5 November 1849 at "La Belle Alliance", Leeuwenhof the
family estate in the bowl of Table Mountain; baptised 23 December 1849 in Darling and
named Johannes Gybertus Blanckenberg Kotzé. He schooled at Tot Nut van het Algeneem in
New Street later Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town; South African College until 1868;
matriculated at London University in December 1869 and was accepted as a student in
the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London, graduating from the University of
London in December 1872. He was called to the Bar 30 April 1874. He travelled to
England aboard the Union Company mailboat "Norseman" leaving 4 April 1869 and returned
to Cape Town aboard the "Syria" with wife and daughter 17 July 1874. He was Chief
Justice of the High Court under President Burgers and Paul Kruger, Presidents of the
Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal Republic) at the outbreak of the South African
War 1899-1902. He, together with the rest of the High Court, was unceremoniously
dismissed by Kruger following a dispute. He later sat as Judge-President of the
Eastern Districts Court of the Cape of Good Hope, Judge-President of the Cape
Provincial Division of the Supreme Court and progressed to Justice of the Appellate
Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa. He married Mary Amelia Bell on 17 April
1872 in Holy Trinity Church, Clapham and in 1933 Margaretha Jeldina Doornbos of
Groningen. He died in 1940.
JGK wrote his memoirs - an autobiography with rather sketchy family detail - in a
tediously written two-volume, "Biographical Memoirs and Reminiscences", the last
volume edited and published postumously. Unfortunately, he never wrote about his then
living family, made little mention of his wives and nothing at all of any of his
children.
A delightful story recounted in "This was a Man" (the story of Beauclerk Upington:
Benjamin Bennet. Howard Timmins, Cape Town. 1958) recalls Sir John in his declining
years when he had become very deaf. I quote: Members of the Bar could never be quite
sure whether he heard all the evidence and their argument. In one case Upington's
witness gave his name as Stephanus Johannes Engelbrecht. Kotzé looked at him first
with surprise and them with kindly interest.
"Engelbrecht? Engelbrecht?" he said. "Are you perhaps, any relation to the
Stephanus Johannes Engelbrecht who used to live in Pretoria in 1893?"
"Yes" the witness said proudly. "He was my father."
"How interesting" Kotzé beamed. "Your father was my election agent when I stood
for Presidency of the Transvaal."
"Yes, my lord," the witness said gratified at the judge's gracious recollection
of his father. "I know. He told me about you, too."
"And how is your father now?" Kotzé was solicitous.
"I'm afraid he died ten years ago, my lord."
"Oh," said Kotzé, evidently not having heard the new, "I am so glad to hear it.
Please give him my kind regards when next you see him."
• General Comment. At http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf there is a comprehensive record of the Kotze family going back to 1654.
• Web Based Info. http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
Johannes married Mary Aurelia Bell on 17 Apr 1872 in Clapham, London, London, England. (Mary Aurelia Bell was born in 1841 in London, Middlesex, England and died in 1931.)
Sources of information or n events in their marriage were:
• Web Based Info. http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
Johannes next married Margaretha Jeldina Doornbos on 17 Apr 1872 in Clapham, London, London, England.
Sources of information or n events in their marriage were:
• Web Based Info. http://www.pelteret.co.za/pdf/genealogy/kotze_family_tree_-_composite.pdf
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