Johannes Neethling

Johannes Henoch Neethling (1770-1838) was a South African Cape Supreme Court Judge and Grand Master of the Freemasons in South Africa.

"Lord"
Johannes Neethling
Grand Master of Lodge de Goede Hoop (South African Freemasons)
In office
1813–1831
Preceded byde Mist, J.A.U.
Succeeded byvan Breda, M.
Personal details
Born
Johannes Henoch Neethling

(1770-08-01)1 August 1770
Died4 June 1838(1838-06-04) (aged 67)
NationalitySouth African
SpouseAnna Catharina Smuts
ChildrenNone
Alma materLeiden University
Known forSupreme Court judge and Freemasonry

Roots and education

Neethling was born on 1 August 1770 in South Africa. He was the son of Christiaan Ludolph Neethling and Maria Magdalena Neethling Storm. He married Anna Catharina Smuts, daughter of Johannes Coenraad Smuts and Magdalena Elizabeth Wernich. His brothers grandson was named after him. This grandson was a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church and founder of Paul Roos Gymnasium.[1] His school education was in the Netherlands as his father sent him there for a Christian education. He obtained a PhD in law in 1791 at Leiden University.[2]

Career in law

He practised as an advocate.[3] Neethling was a Judge, firstly of the Court of Justice in 1825. Richard Plasket, the Cape Colonial Secretary in 1825, was not satisfied with the existing Court. A commission of inquiry were set up, which was led by J. T. Bigge and W. M. G. Colebrooke. They suggested a new court system. A Supreme Court was established out of the commission’s recommendations in January 1828. As they were looking for academically well qualified judges, Neethling, who had a PhD in law, was appointed as one of the Supreme Court judges.[4][5]

Other activities

Apart from practising law, he was joined by D. G. Reitz and C. J. Brand in founding a newspaper, De Zuid-Afrikaan. He was a merchant and a member of the Council of Justice for the Batavian Republic from 1803 to 1806.[6]

Freemason

He started a Lodge called de Hoop named after his father's farm. He was interested in British Freemasonry. He was Grand Master of Lodge de Goede Hoop from 1813 to 1831.[7][8] He succeeded J. A. U. de Mist as Grand Master, and Michael van Breda succeeded him in 1831.

References
  1. Dictionary of South African Biography, Volume 2. National Council for Social Research. 1972. ISBN 9780624003694.
  2. Erasmus, H.J. (2015). "The beginnings of a mixed system or, advocates at the Cape during the early nineteenth century, 1828-1850". Fundamina. 21 (2): 219–233. doi:10.17159/2411-7870/2015/v21n2a1. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  3. Vos, H.N. and Malherbe, W. (1997). "de Hoop dorpsplaas Stellenbosch, geskiedkundige argeologiese ondersoek" (PDF). Stellenbosch Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Farlam, I. G. (1988). "The origin of the Cape Bar" (PDF). Law Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  5. van de Sandt, B.J. (1835). "Rules, Orders, &c, touching the Forms and Manners of Proceeding in Civil and Original Cases, before the Supreme, Circuit, and Resident Magistrates' Courts, of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope". A. S. Robertson.
  6. van Niekerk, J.P. (2016). "The life and times of Cape advocate Dirk Gysbert Reitz: a biographical note" (PDF). Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  7. Cooper, A.A. (1980). "Freemasonry in South Africa 1772-1876" (PDF). Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  8. "Prominent Persons in history who were freemasons". Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
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