Henry Bernard Isaac Vels

Henry Bernard Isaac Vels travelled with his friend, Martinus Theunis Steyn, a future State President of the Orange Free State, in May 1877 on the Dunrobin Castle from Port Elizabeth to Europe. They did preparatory studies at the Gymnasium in Deventer. In September 1879 they would have written their admission exams for the Leiden University, but decided to move to England as they needed an English certificate and training to be allowed to practice law in South Africa. Henry was a student of the Inner Temple in London where he wrote his admission exam on 09.04.1880 (then aged 22). He was called to the bar on 26.01.1883. The eldest son of Cornelus Johan Vels, Attorney-General, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State.