Johannes (Hans) Henry De Meillon, b6

His DN only lists 4 children.

Below is exact text (witn typos and few insertion in parentheses by me) from a typewritten account of De Meillon family history by the late Dr. Jasper De Meillon Vink, dated 26 Oct 1992. Frederick Albertus "was pro-British in his politics unlike his brother, Hans, who was a violently partisan Transvaal Republican. It was said Hans used to sit on the "stoep" (verandah) of his house near the site· of the present University of the Witwatersrand, and take pot-shots at the British flag flying outside the offices of the British Consul with his rifle. He was said to have been a tyrant at home to his large family . One of his sons (Eugene) was killed as a teenager at the battle of Elandslaagte in the early days of the Anglo-Bסer war. Eugene received his name apparently at the request of the Empress Eugenie, widow of Napoleon III. She paid a visit to S.A. to view the site where her son, The Prince Imperial, had been killed in the Zulu war. It seems that Hans used his claim as a "Count of the French Empire" to gain entry to this lady. Kepler, the oldest son, was a great friend of my parents, and served in the Boer Commandos for the duration of the Boer war. He refused to stay in S.A. under British rule after the war, and lived in the then "German West Africa" till 1914 when the First World .War broke out joining the forces led by his old commander , Louis Botha, when they invaded the German Colony . Botha apparently used Kepler as a scout (possibly as a spy) for his invading army making use of Kepler's local knowledge of the terrain. Due to some mishap Kepler was captured b y the Germans and shot out of hand as a traitor to his adopted country! Hans 's other sons were also vivid characters . One was one of the leaders of a revolutionary miners Trade Union in the early 1920's which for a period of some days defied the Smuts government, and were alleged to have been heavily influenced by the Soviet International! Another brother was a race horse owner in Johannesburg in the nineteen twenties and for a period made a lot of money; loosing it all a little later. My uncle, Botha (Mimi's father), a student in those days, remembers the boxes of expensive cigars donated to him by his cousin who he visited from time to time . Botha also remembers the purchase of an entire exhibit, at a fair in Brazil, of every size of cigar then made. These were solemnly smoked over the next several months. I do not know what happened to the daughters; one suspect they too were vivid personalities. Hans and Frederic had at least one sister - my mother (Matje Barbara) had cousins who lived in Johannesburg - daughters of this lady, and whom I can remember visiting us at Mafeking."