Boshof is a farming town in the west of the Free State province,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. The town is 55 km north-east of Kimberley on the R64 road. Established in March 1856 on the farm Vanwyksvlei, which had been named after a

Griqua Griqua may refer to: * Griqua people * Griqua language or Xiri language * Griquas (rugby) Griquas (known as the Windhoek Draught Griquas for sponsorship reasons since April 2022) are a South African rugby union team that participates in the a ...

who sowed his crops on it from time to time. Named in honour of Jacobus Nicolaas Boshof (1808-1881), second President of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

(1855–59) and founder of its civil service. Became a municipality in 1872. The local commando was involved in the

siege of Kimberley The siege of Kimberley took place during the Second Boer War at Kimberley, Cape Colony (present-day South Africa), when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal besieged the diamond mining town. The Boers moved quickly to tr ...

, notably the disruption of the city’s water supply at Riverton. The

Battle of Boshof The Battle of Boshof was a battle fought during the Second Boer War on 5 April 1900 between British forces and mostly French volunteers of the Boer army.Jaques p. 155 Events Background Following the Battle of Paardeberg (18–27 February), th ...

, which resulted in the death of the Comte de Villebois-Mareuil, was fought nearby on 5 April 1900.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in the Tokologo Local Municipality Populated places established in 1856 1856 establishments in the Orange Free State