ORIGINAL LETTER DATED 1845 - by the later President of the Orange Free State

Am album gifted to South African Louis William Glaeser who finished his medical studies in 1845 at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Fellow students compiled the album as a farewell gift and a keepsake of the time together in Europe. They wrote messages, memories, tokens of appreciation, and wishes for the future.

Among his fellow students were JH Brand and JF Reitz. Both these two wrote a one page message, signed and dated it. 

Glaeser settled in Worcester, Cape Province, where he died 7 June 1883. His father, Dr. Glaeser, also practised medicine and  was the district surgeon present at the Slagtersnek execution in 1816. His role was to oversee the medical aspects of the hanging and to certify death after the rebels were executed.

Johannes Henricus Brand

Brand was educated at the South African College, the precursor to the University of Cape Town. He continued his tertiary studies in the Netherlands, also at Leiden University, where he studied law, and completed the degree of D.C.L. in 1845. He was called to the English Bar from the Inner Temple in 1849, and practised as an advocate in the Supreme Court of the Cape of Good Hope from that year until 1863.

Brand was asked to become president of the Orange Free State in 1863 after the death of Marthinus Pretorius, and he officially took power on 2 February 1864 to become the fourth president of the colony. He was subsequently re-elected, serving four successive terms from 1869, 1874, 1879 and 1884. https://sahistory.org.za/people/johannes-henricus-brand

This collection enclose the following:

1. Album with 31 letters from fellow students, all signed and dated.

2. Two original pencil sketches.

3. A written invitation to a wedding ceremony to Mrs van der Merwe & Family dated 1874.

4. Four framed pictures, taken from this album. (framed separately)

5. Later genealogical documents / confirmation of some of the descendants

6. One of the letters from a J.F. Reitz