Lorenzo (Lennie) Mathews

Lorenzo Mathews , Son of Charles Wheatley and Liza Mathewson was born on the farm Brakkies in the Hopetown district, Cape Province on the 8th day of May 1869. He was named after Lorenzo Boyes who was the Acting Civil Commissioner at Colesberg and was a friend of his father. In 1893 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff for the Lichtenburg Dirstrict, which office he relinquished in 1926, when the diamond digging operations were at their height.

During the Ango-Boer was he served with the forces and took part in the siege of Kimberley. He was always keenly interested in Minerals and was the first

  He was the 3rd youngest son of Charles Wheatley Mathew who, in 1873, moved to Lichtenburg with his family.   On arrival he bought a block of land in Mathew Street, that was named after him.   He also bought Soetmelksvlei where Lorenzo spent much of his younger years until the family moved to the town.   

During the First Freedom War he was at school in Potchefstroom but when his father died, he returned home.

He later entered the Republic State service where he served under Magistrate J H Maartens as his first clerk,

In 1893 he was appointed deputy sheriff of the High Court of the republic and retired in 1926. He was also a deacon in the Nederduits Reform Church under dr Beyers.

He had a thorough knowledge of minerals and was also the first person who discovered diamonds in the district at Tweebuffelsgeskied. In 1921 he was given discovery rights to Tweebuffels. Here the first open mine started. He also discovered a diamond mine in the Pilansberg, Rustenburg.

In 1983 he married Sophia Maria Maartens, the daughter of the Magistrate JJ H Maartens.