Willem Eduard Bok

Infobox Officeholder
name=Willem Eduard Bok


order=State Secretary of the South African Republic
term_start= 1880
term_end= 1889
predecessor=New office
successor=W.J. Leyds
order2=Government Commissioner at Johannesburg
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=New office
successor2=
birth_date=birth date|1846|06|28|df=y
birth_place=Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands
death_date=death date and age|1904|11|01|1846|06|28
death_place=Johannesburg, Transvaal Colony
spouse1=Martina Gerardina Johanna Eekhout
occupation=merchant, civil servant
religion=Dutch Reformed

Willem Eduard Bok, also known as W. Eduard Bok (Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands, 28 June 1846 – Johannesburg, Transvaal Colony, 1 November 1904) was a Dutch-born South African Boer politician and civil servant, who served as first State Secretary of the South African Republic (Transvaal) from 1880 to 1889.

Biography

Career

Bok started his career as sales-agent in Zaandam, Netherlands. In 1876 he moved to Pretoria, where he gained the confidence of Paul Kruger and Piet Joubert, and acted as their secretary during negotiations about the position of the Transvaal in 1877/'78. At the declaration of independence he became the first State Secretary of the South African Republic, a position he would hold for almost a decade. Afterwards he was appointed Government Commissioner in Johannesburg. [cite journal|title=Bok | pages = 33]

In his capacity as State Secretary Bok registered the gold claims in the East Rand area of the Transvaal.Keller, Bill. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0D81531F93AA2575AC0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 Boksburg's Goofy White Smiles.] "New York Times" September 19, 1993.] The town of Boksburg outside Johannesburg was named after him.Room, Adrian. "Placenames of the World." McFarland & Company, 2006. ISBN 0786422483]

Bok was decorated by the French Republic with a knighthood in the Legion of Honour and by the Portuguese government with a knighthood in the Order of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa.

Family

Bok married Pretoria 23 December 1878 with Martina Gerardina Johanna Eekhout (1856-1910), with whom he had five children. His eldest son and namesake Willem Eduard Bok, Jr. studied law and became a justice in the Supreme Court of the Union of South Africa. [cite journal|title=Bok | pages = 34]

References

Notes

Literature

*cite journal|title=Bok (Paesens, Oostdongeradeel)|journal = Nederland's Patriciaat|volume = 64| pages = 10-37| publisher = Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie| location = Den Haag| date = 1978

Persondata
NAME = Bok, Willem Eduard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Dutch-born South African politician and statesman
DATE OF BIRTH = 28 June 1846
PLACE OF BIRTH = Den Burg, Texel, Netherlands
DATE OF DEATH = 1 November 1904
PLACE OF DEATH = Johannesburg, South African Republic