Origins & Early Life

Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey (Afrikaans pronunciation: [jaˈkuəbɵs hærkyˈlɑːs də la ˈrɛi]) (22 October 1847 – 15 September 1914), better known as Koos de la Rey, a South African military officer, served as a Transvaal Boer general during the Second Boer War of 1899 to 1902. De la Rey also had a political career and was one of the leading advocates of Boer independence. His death at the hands of the South African Police under controversial circumstances had a major role in sparking the Maritz rebellion of 1914 to 1915. Born on Doornfontein Farm in the Winburg District of the Orange Free State, Koos was the son of Adrianus Johannes Gijsbertus de la Rey and Adriana Wilhelmina van Rooyen.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

De la Rey was a Boer of French Huguenot, Spanish and Dutch descent. His grandfather, a school teacher and the patriarch of the De la Rey family in South Africa, came from Utrecht, Netherlands. After the Battle of Boomplaats, the family farm was confiscated by the British and the family trekked into the Transvaal and settled in Lichtenburg. As a child De la Rey received very little formal education. The De la Rey family moved, this time to Kimberley after the discovery of diamonds.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As a...

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