BLIGNAUT, Pieter Jeremias (1841-1909)

GENERALLY admitted to be one of the best officials of the late Free State Government, Mr. PIETER JEREMIAS BLIGNAUT deserves a prominent place in history, and it is deeply to be regretted that it is impossible to give him the credit to which he is entitled in this short sketch. Born at the Paarl, Cape Colony, in 1841, educated at the Paarl Gymnasium, and enjoying private study under the late Dr. Innes, Mr. Blignaut passed the Civil Service Examination in 1861. Owing to ill-health he accepted a clerkship under the Free State Government in 1862, and in 1868 was appointed to the position of Landdrost; from 1879 to the outbreak of the war he filled with credit the position of State Secretary, on several occasions fill ed the office of Acting President, often at critical times, and served in various capacities under Presidents Pretorius, Brand, Reitz, and Steyn. On the 12th March 1899 he left the capital with President Steyn, and did all he could in the interests of his country at Brandford, Kroonstad, Lindley, Heilbron, Frankfort, Vrede, Reitz, Bethlehem.

In politics Mr. Blignaut may be classed as a Moderate and during his long and honourable official career has not made a single enemy, but many friends. Mr. Blignaut enjoys the confidence of the present Government, and has served on several important Commissions, among others to report on the Concentration Camps, the Roads Commission, and, with Sir John George Fraser, Mr. Style and Colonel Mc Laughlin, to consider the claims of the people for assistance on the central repatriation board.

In connection with this sketch it may be interesting to give a little history with regard to this Colony. When Mr. Blignaut first came to the Orange Free State there were only six districts, and the annual revenue from all sources only amounted to about £ 15,000. Now there are twenty-three districts, and the revenue is over £1,000,000. In 1862 there were but few schools in the State, and it was only after 1870 that Government was in a position to give substantial aid towards education, but from that time schools were built and education of the young encouraged as far as the means of the State would allow.

Mr. Blignaut has been a Freemason since 1866, and has passed the Chair several times, was one of the foundation members of the Bloemfontein Club, and is also a member of the Civil Service Club.

Mr. Blignaut is married to the eldest sister of ex-President Steyn, and resides on his farm near Bloemfontein, although he is almost daily to be seen in the city.

Note: Mr Blignaut was first married to Caroline Erskine, in 1871. She died on 11 Feb 1883 after which he remarried Cecilia Johanna Steyn.

Source: Men of the Times, published by The Transvaal Publishing Company, Johannesburg, Cape Town & London, printed by Eyre and Spottiswood, His Majesty’s Printers, 1906

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Jeremias_Blignaut