Cornelis Johannes Bodenstein (4 November 1826 - 26 June 1885) was a former member of the executive council and

Vice State President of the South African Republic The Vice State President of the South African Republic () was the second highest political position in the South African Republic. The vice president was chosen by the Volksraad among the members of the Executive Council (''Uitvoerende Raad'') ...

and president of the parliament,

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa * Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) * Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia ...

. He was born in

Beaufort West Beaufort West (Afrikaans: ''Beaufort-Wes''; Xhosa: ''eBhobhofolo'') is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and is known as the "Capital of the Karoo". It forms part of the ...

on 4 November 1826. He was a son of Johannes Bodenstein who emigrated from Germany. In Natal, he became secretary to the Volksraad of

Natalia Republic The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. The area was previously named ''Natália'' by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christm ...

, and later served as magistrate. In 1845 his family emigrated from

Colony of Natal The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies t ...

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

. He had a career in public service. In 1858, he was assistant commandant in the campaign against Moshweshwe and later became commandant until he resigned in 1861. In 1863, he became a member of the court which tried certain cases out of the

Transvaal civil war The Transvaal Civil War was a series of skirmishes during the early 1860s in the South African Republic, or Transvaal, in the area now comprising the Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces of South Africa. It began after the B ...

. From 1869 until British annexation in 1877 Boddenstein was a member of

for

Potchefstroom Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...

. He was elected as the president of the

in 1875. After restoration of the

South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...

independence in 1881 he was elected again as the president of

. He was re-elected as chairman until the end of 1884, when he resigned upon appointment as

. He was appointed to succeed

Piet Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (20 January 1831 – 28 March 1900), better known as Piet Joubert (''Slim Piet'', Smart Pete), was a South African politician who served as the commandant–general of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He als ...

who had resigned. However, Bodenstein was no longer in good health, and died on 26 June 1885.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodenstein, Cornelis Johannes 1826 births 1885 deaths Vice presidents of the South African Republic Members of the Volksraad of the South African Republic Military personnel from the Western Cape People from Beaufort West South African judges