Thomas Frederick Dreyer (1815 - 1889)

Born 18 Nov 1815 in Bruintjieshoogte, Graaff-Reinet, Cape Province, South Africa

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna Jacoba Hendrica Adriana Janse van Rensburg — married 31 Jul 1836 in Beaufort West, Western Cape, South Africa

Husband of Christina Maria (Herman) Booysen — married 29 Aug 1881 in Pretoria, Transvaal, Suid-Afrika

Descendants

Died 5 Jul 1889 at age 73 in Rietfontein, Elandsrivier Swartruggens, Rustenburg

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Biography

Thomas was born in 1815. He was the son of Thomas Dreÿer and Maria Elizabeth Prinsloo. He passed away in 1889.

Thomas Frederick Dreyer, born at Bruintjieshoogte, in the Graaff-Reinet district, on November 18, 1815, the eldest son of Thomas Andries Dreyer and his wife, Maria Elisabeth Prinsloo, took part in the Great Trek, during which, in 1834, he married the fourteen-year-old Susanna Janse van Rensburg; they would have thirteen children. Later, this Thomas Frederick led the Transvaal commando against that of the Orange Free State when an attempt to unite the two republics resulted in an armed confrontation at Renoster [Rhinoceros] River, and he was one of the signatories of the peace treaty concluded on an island in the Vaal River in 1857. Subsequently, he led a Transvaal commando to aid the Free State in the war against the Basuto in 1858. He was very active in the affairs of the Dutch Reformed Church, strongly supporting its segregation into white and kleurling branches, and served as curator of its Theological School.

full name. Theologian, Politician Thomas Frederick Dreyer life span. 1815-00-00 to 1889-00-00 A biography of Theologian, Politician T. . Dreyer. DREYER, THOMAS FREDERICK. Born Graaf-Reinet 1815, died Rustenburg 1889. Growing up in the eastern Cape, Dreyer evinced a strong dislike for the British policy after the 1814 Slagtersnek Rebellion. He took part in the Trek c.1842 and was part of a group who established themselves in the Madikwe (Marico) district in about 1850. He served on the military council of Rustenburg under M.W Pretorius. He then became involved in church and political affairs. Politically, he favoured a peaceful relationship with the Cape and Natal. In religious matters, he backed the demand for an independent Republican church, in other words independent form the Cape Synod, and as such he was instrumental in the formation of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Transvaal. Subsequently, he became involved in wider Transvaal politics and led the Transvaal commando against the Orange Free State, when Pretorius, then the State President of the South African Republic, attempted to unite the two Boer states. He returned to Potchefstroom in 1859 then moved to Rustenburg in 1866 where he became a founder member of the Dutch Reformed Church in the town. In 1866 he became an elder and was an active member of the church council, often representing the Rustenburg congregation at national synods of the Reformed Church in various regions of South Africa. Dreyer was a strong proponent of different churches for black and white congregations, ideas which he put forward forcefully in the church magazine, De Maandebode.

Oosthuizen 2003 indicates his date of birth as 18 Nov 1815 at Bruintjieshoogte, district of Graaff-Reinet. Op 3 Maart 2003word in die Beeld berig oor 'n monument wat vir hierdie Voortrekker, voorsaat van Pik Botha, opgerig is. Volgens die koerantberig was hierdie Thomas Frederik 'n Voortrekker wat in 1840 op die plaas Rietfontein sowat 50km noord van die dorp Swartruggens gevestig het. hy het blykbaar 'n leidende rol gespeel in die daaropvolgende jare in die ou ZAR op kerklike, politieke en militere terrein. So word vermeld dat hy'n mede-stigter van die Gereformeerde Kerk in 1859 was, asook volksraadslid en kommandat-generaal van die ZAR

* They lived in District Colesberg. The departed on the Great Trek about 1842. * He was destined to play a great role in the Transvaal. He rose quickly the the public life and later became Assistant Kommandant General of the Transvaal Republic. * He died in Rietfontein, Rustenburg n 1889.( tans Swartruggens) * Thomas Frederik (geb 22 Des (BIBLIO: 18 Nov 1815) 1815 Bruintjieshoogte, Graaff-Reinet distrik, ged 3 Maart 1816 George, oorl 5 Julie 1889 Rietfontein Elandsrivier Rustenburg = tans Swartruggens). Pionier in die Transvaalse Republiek. Kom uit ’n huis bekend vir sterk anti-Engels en sterk teenstand teen rassegelykheid na Slagtersnek-rebellie van 1814. Trou tydens Groot Trek (i)op 31 Julie 1836 Beaufort-Wes (BIBLIO: in 1834 tydens die groot Trek by die Modderrivier) met Susanna Jacoba Hendrika Adriana JANSE VAN RENSBURG (geb Julie 1820, oorl 1881) - 13 Kinders. Op doopregister van 2 de seun staan dat die ouers toe reeds (1839) “over de grenzen” woon (Heese Familia 1969 nr 3) (ii)Trou in 1881 met Christina Maria HERMAN(N) (geb 1832, oorl 11 Sept 1895, wed van JJ Booysen, bekende ouderling van die Geref Kerk in Pretoria. Geen kinders)

Sources

• Dictionary of SA Biographies Vol 3

Dreyer, Thomas Frederik (b5c1d1e2) (*Bruintjieshoogte, Graaff-Reinet dist., C.C., 18.11.1815 - †Rietfontein 1927, Elands River ward, Rustenburg (now Swartruggens) dist., 5.7.1889), pioneer in the T.R., was the eldest son of Thomas Andries Dreyer and his wife, Maria Elisabeth Prinsloo. D. grew up in a family where anti-British feeling was uppermost; this was coupled with strong opposition to racial equality after the Slagtersnek Rebellion of 1814. As a young man he took part in the Great Trek, later (from 1850) serving on the military council headed by J.A. Enslin,<javascript:void%20(0);> commandant of Marico, and (1852) on the military council of Rustenburg under M.W. Pretorius.<javascript:void%20(0);> In church and political matters he co-operated closely with Field-Cornet S.J.P. Kruger<javascript:void%20(0);> and Commandant P.J.W. Schutte.<javascript:void%20(0);> He was also involved in the movement which sought an orderly, constitutional solution to such questions as the relationship to the British colonies, the demand for an independent, republican church, the acquisition of a constitution, and proper executive, political authority for the Transvaal. When the Rev. D. van der Hoff<javascript:void%20(0);> arrived in May 1853, D. declared that he was strongly opposed to any bond with the Cape Synod and did his utmost to bring about the establishment of the N.H. Kerk in the Transvaal. In 1856 D. was even more prominently in the public eye when he travelled all over the Transvaal with M.W. Pretorius and, at public meetings, tested opinion on the relationship of the N.H. Kerk to the Cape Synod of the N.G. Kerk and the desirability of a constitution for the Transvaal, in which provision would be made for a proper executive authority. When M.W. Pretorius was sworn in as State President on 6.1.1857 the Executive Council appointed D. Acting Commandant-General on 13.3.1857, since Commandant-General S. Schoeman<javascript:void%20(0);> of Soutpansberg would not recognize the constitution of 1857. D. behaved with remarkable restraint in the difficulties and tensions which arose at this time. He led the Transvaal Commando against that of the Orange Free State when the policy of Pretorius, which attempted to unite the two republics, led to an armed confrontation at Renoster River. D. was consequently one of the signatories of the peace treaty concluded on an island in the Vaal River on 1.6.1857. During President J.N. Boshoff's<javascript:void%20(0);> term of office, D. led a Transvaal commando which went to the aid of the Free State in the war against the Basuto in 1858. He represented his district in the Volksraad of the Transvaal Republic from 1871 to 1874 and encouraged the Rev. N.J.R. Swart<javascript:void%20(0);> to stand as Secretary of State in 1871. After T. Shepstone's<javascript:void%20(0);> annexation of the Transvaal in 1877, D., Kruger and P.J. Joubert<javascript:void%20(0);> addressed public meetings in 1878 to convince fiery burghers, who wanted to fight to regain their independence, that calm, purposeful and constitutional procedure was wisest. On 10.2.1859 D. and his wife joined the Geref. Kerk in Rustenburg as founder-members under the guidance of the Rev. D. Postma (10.1.1818-28.12.1890). In 1866 D. became an elder of the congregation and as such played a prominent part on the church council until his death. From 1876 to 1888 he regularly represented the congregation at the Synods of the Geref. Kerk in South Africa, and played an important role in formulating decisions. He strongly supported the principle that ministers of White and Non-White congregations should perform their duties separately and promulgated this point of view in the church magazine De Maandbode. He also served on occasion as curator of the Theological School of the Geref. Kerk, which was a signal distinction for an ordinary farmer like himself. D. was a naturally gifted pioneer who, without any formal schooling, took a leading part in the political and ecclesiastical consolidation of the Transvaal. A balanced person with firm convictions, he had considerable influence on his countrymen and enjoyed their confidence. In 1834, during the Great Trek, he married Susanna Jacoba Hendrika Adriana Janse van Rensburg (*July, 1820) and they had thirteen children. She died in 1881, in which year he married Christina Maria Herman(n) (1832-11.9.1895), widow of J.J. Booysen, a well-known elder of the Geref. Kerk in Pretoria. They had no children.