Follow Us
Like Us
Historical records matching General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit
view all 30
Immediate Family
-
-
-
-
-
-
daughter -
daughter
-
daughter
-
-
mother
-
father
-
mother
About General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit
SK: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4N-9BPJ?i=680&cc...
General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit [1837-1896], commander of the Boer forces at the battles of Ingogo and Majuba.
He enjoyed great loyalty among his own men. With his strong personality they were eager to follow him on the battlefield. As member of the Volksraad [Parliament] he was chosen vice-president in 1887.
Smit was a brilliant military officer and within a few weeks he became world famous for this and honoured.
Prussia made him Knight of the Red Eagle while the Netherlands gave him their highest award as Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion. Portugal also gave him the highest award of their country.
Born at Doornbos, Graaff-Reinet district, on 30th May 1837, died in Pretoria 4th April 1896.
Courtesy http://www.battlefields.co.za/
- He was the eldest child of Nicolaas Jacobus Smit, (decendent of Jan Smit and Adriana Tol) and Elizabeth Magdalena van der Merwe, (decendent of Willem Schalk van der Merwe and Elsie Cloete) all progenitors from the Netherlands, arriving at the Cape prior to 1688.
- Married Hendrika Stephina Pretorius at Rustenburg on 1st April 1861, she bore him three sons and two daughters, and died 18th August 1894. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPR8-NWNX
- Married Susanna Maria Preller, nee Bruwer on 30th May 1895.
- We now have clear details of his line to Jan Smit. Thanks to Lynn MacLeod, Izak Smit, Lesley Smit and Alwyn Smit. Their assistance is appreciated.
- http://www.e-family.co.za/families/jan_smit/f29.htm
- Children Nicolaas Jacobus {M} [P81] = Hendrika Stephina PRETORIUS {F} [P82] > Family [F30]
Married Monday 1 April 1861, Rustenburg
- Nicolaas Jacobus: Born Tuesday 30 May 1837, Doornbos, Graaff-Reinet district Christened Sunday 23 July 1837, Graaff Reinet7 Died Saturday 4 April 1896, Pretoria8 Buried Church Street Cemetary, Pretoria9 General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit, commander of the Boer forces at the battles of Ingogo and Majuba. Prussia made him Knight of the Red Eagle while the Netherlands gave him their highest award as Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion. Portugal also gave him the highest award of their country. In 1886 he became Vice-President of the ZAR.
- Hendrika Stephina: Born Saturday 4 December 1841 Christened Sunday 6 February 1842, Weenan10 Died Saturday 18 August 1894, Pretoria11 Buried Church Street Cemetary, Pretoria12 Daughter of Hendrik Stephanus PRETORIUS and Rachel Jacoba LIEBENBERG
Susanna Maria Salomina PRELLER13 {F} [P83] > Family [F31]
Married Thursday 30 May 1895, Rustenburg
Susanna Maria Salomina: Born Friday 3 April 1863, Lydenburg, TVL DN O/17379 Makes reference to Susanna Maria SMIT born BOSMAN (predeceased wife's estate 9268) Barend Jacobus {M} [P144]
- Born Monday 22 April 1839 Christened Sunday 4 August 1839, Graaff Reinet14 Abraham Johannes {M} [P145]
- Born Friday 30 July 184115 Anna Elisabeth {F} [P146] = Lukas Johannes MEYER {M} [P56442] > Family [F11954] Anna Elisabeth: Born Friday 18 August 1843 Christened Sunday 29 October 1843, Weenan Jacobus Stephanus {M} [P147] = Maria Christina Francina MEYER16 {F} [P149] > Family [F61]
Married Rustenburg
- Jacobus Stephanus: Born Tuesday 09 September 1845 Christened Saturday 04 October 1845, Pietermaritzburg17 Died Sunday 03 April 1904, Pretoria Buried Pretoria Cemetery18 Occupation: Landdros en kommissaris van spoorwee
- Maria Christina Francina: Alias Maria Christina Francina SMIT Born Thursday 03 July 1856 Died Sunday 09 June 1918 Buried Pretoria Cemetery19
http://www.e-family.co.za/families/general_nicolaas_jacobus_smit.htm
http://www.e-family.co.za/families/jan_smit/f31.htm
- Nicolaas Jacobus Smit - Wikipedia.org
- Early years
The son of Nicolaas Jacobus Smit (1811-1887) and Elizabeth Magdalena Van der Merwe (1815-1892), the young Nicolaas was born at Doornbos, near Graaf Reinet. The family was descended from the first Dutch Calvinist immigrants, who, having arrived at the Cape before 1688, were among the first white settlers on the continent. At age 25 he moved to Natal with his parents. They lived at Durban for a while, but disliked English society. Smit decided to join the army and eventually entered the veldt with a group of comrades.
Later life and military career
Smit settled on a Sheepmoor farm with his family in 1873. He also acquired the lease of a head of cattle in the Ngwenya Hills, north-west of Forbes Reef. By this time he had been promoted to lieutenant-general and seen action alongside the Pedi under Chief Sekhukane, who had been sent to ally with the Boer Republic. He proved to be an adept commander of mobile units. At the Battle of Ingogo Heights, he and 200 soldiers managed to hold off an opposing force three times as strong in atrocious weather conditions. At the Battle of Majuba Hill, Smit showed bold and courageous leadership, directing his unit to move uphill in the teeth of enemy fire while using the contours of the land for protection. Their khaki uniforms, which blended into the background, and their knowledge of the country prevented the British from seeing their targets. The British had failed to dig in or protect their lines by trenches and had not brought artillery with their baggage trains, making defence of a hilltop position difficult. Unable to hold the line, they broke after the Boers captured their right flank position at Gordon's Knoll. General Smit's victory brought the Transvaal War to a swift conclusion. It enabled the Boer Republic to be established at the Pretoria Convention, which went unchallenged until the Second Boer War. The London Convention (1884), which superseded the Pretoria Convention and to which Smit was a signatory, ceded suzerainty to the Boers for all time. For his courage and presence of mind on the battlefield, Smit was elected to political office in 1888, serving as Vice State President of the South African Republic. He did not live to see the declaration of independence by President Kruger.
- GENERAAL EN VISE-PRESIDENT VAN TRANSVAAL
- http://www.e-family.co.za/families/jan_smit/f31.htm
Onder president van ZAR (In 1886 he became Vice-President of the ZAR.)
Nicolaas Jacobus SMIT {M} [P81] = Susanna Maria Salomina PRELLER1 {F} [P83]
Married Thursday 30 May 1895, Rustenburg
Nicolaas Jacobus:
Born Tuesday 30 May 1837, Doornbos, Graaff-Reinet district
Christened Sunday 23 July 1837, Graaff Reinet2
Died Saturday 4 April 1896, Pretoria3
Buried Church Street Cemetary, Pretoria4
- General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit, commander of the Boer forces at the battles of Ingogo and Majuba.
Prussia made him Knight of the Red Eagle while the Netherlands gave him their highest award as Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion. Portugal also gave him the highest award of their country.
In 1886 he became Vice-President of the ZAR
- Note: Need again to make sure what all his wife's names were and also their corresponding children. There is work to be done here!
- A bit of confusion maybe between Susanna Maria (Sannie) Preller and a Susanna Maria Salomina Preller. Are they the same person or not? Currently this wife's name is only Susanna Maria (Sannie) Preller on Geni. Ongoing research. Weirdly enough on ancestry it says she had 15 children? Ongoing research.
- I also think here is a duplicate of this profile: General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit
- https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10826-1648666-/nicolas-s...
view all 13
General Nicolaas Jacobus Smit's Timeline
| 1837 |
May 30, 1837
|
Doornbos, Graaff Reinet, Cape, South Africa
|
|
|
July 23, 1837
|
Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape, South Africa
|
||
| 1860 |
January 1860
|
Cape Colony, South Africa
|
|
| 1862 |
June 15, 1862
|
Rustenburg, South Africa
|
|
| 1863 |
December 26, 1863
|
Kaap.
|
|
| 1868 |
November 22, 1868
|
Ermelo, South Africa
|
|
| 1896 |
April 4, 1896
Age 58
|
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
|