S.J.P. Kruger and landownership in the Transvaal

Abstract

State President S.J.P. Kruger may be regarded as one of the leading landowners in the Transvaal during the nineteenth century. As one of the early settlers he was entitled to some land free of charge. He also acquired a few farms as compensation for his services as commandant and commandant-general in the early years of the new Transvaal Republic (ZAR). In addition to this, Kruger became a very prominent buyer of farms, as well as erven in some towns – initially in the western half of the Transvaal, but later also in the eastern and northern Transvaal. Kruger sold a large number of his farms for small sums to his sons and sons-in-law, but also sold some at market prices to others. His most lucrative transaction occurred when he and his son-in-law, F.C. Eloff, bought the farm Geduld to the east of Johannesburg in 1886. After the discovery of coal and gold on this farm Kruger was able to sell it for a very large sum and he became a relatively wealthy man.

Staatspresident S.J.P. Kruger kan as een van die prominente grondeienaars in die Transvaal gedurende die negentiende eeu beskou word. Hy was as een van die vroeë setlaars geregtig op ’n beperkte hoeveelheid grond sonder vergoeding. Hy het ook ’n paar plase as kompensasie vir sy dienste as kommandant en kommandant-generaal in die vroeë jare van die nuwe Transvaalse Republiek (ZAR) ontvang. Kruger het daarbenewens ’n baie prominente koper van plase, sowel as erwe in sommige dorpe, geword – aanvanklik in die westelike helfte van die Transvaal, maar later ook in die oostelike en noordelike Transvaal. Kruger het ’n groot aantal van sy plase vir klein bedrae aan sy seuns en skoonseuns verkoop, maar later van sy ander plase teen markpryse aan andere. Sy mees winsgewende transaksie was toe hy en sy skoonseun, F.C. Eloff, die plaas Geduld, oos van Johannesburg, in 1886 gekoop het. Na die ontdekking van steenkool en goud op hierdie plaas was Kruger in staat om die grond vir ’n baie groot bedrag te verkoop. As gevolg hiervan het hy ’n relatiewe ryk persoon geword.