The First Magistrates of Potchefstroom

Although the history of Potchefstroom has been studied extensively already, not much is known about the early judicial officials appointed there. This contribution in honour of Professor Willemien du Plessis upon her retirement attempts to remedy this by taking a closer look at the various individuals appointed as the magistrates for Potchefstroom in chronological order from 1839 to 1862. The scope of this contribution does not allow for an in-depth discussion of each magistrate. Instead, the focus of this study is to determine who the first appointees were and to establish the starting and ending dates of each magistrate's term in office. Where possible, the discussion also includes some personal information and anecdotes about each individual magistrate in order to distinguish them from their predecessors and successors to give the reader a better idea of the personality behind the name. Important judicial (or political) events that took place during each individual's term in office are also highlighted.