BIRRELL, Ernest James (1877-1960)

A NATIVE of Scotland, Mr.·ERNEST JAMES BIRRELL was born in Dundee in the year 1877, and is the second son of the late Andrew Birrell, Esq., of Forfarshire, Scotland. His primary education was conducted at the High School, Dundee, and subsequently at Tupton Bank, St. Andrew's. His schooling days over, he commenced to study for the law with the intention of taking it up as a profession, but later he changed his intentions and decided to come out to the Sunny South and try his luck in the new country. Landing at Cape Town in the year 1896, he soon afterwards joined the African Banking Corporation, and remained there for the following two years, when he took a trip to Rhodesia.

On the outbreak of the late Anglo-Boer War he joined the British South Africa Police in Bulawayo, and was attached to Colonel Plumer, and corning down, was present at the Relief of Mafeking. He was then unfortunate enough to be invalided home, and was given his discharge. Taking the opportunity, he visited his native land, but did not remain long, returning to South Africa in 1902. On landing, he proceeded to Johannesburg, where he remained for twelve months before coming down to Kroonstad and setting up in business with his brother as mineral water manufacturers.

He has been a member of the Town Council for the past two years, and a member of the Kroonstad Club. He is an ardent Mason, and his lodge is "Die Morgenstern."

In the year 1903 he married Amy, youngest daughter of the late J. P. Osborne, E sq., of Daventry.

Note: His first wife, Amy, died before 1926 and he remarried Bessie Blanche Jourdan on the 5^th of May 1926 in Johannesburg. They were later divorced but remarried again on 5 Nov 1954. He died on th 18^th of March 1960 at the Wentworth Hospital in Durban.

Source: Men of the Times, published by The Transvaal Publishing Company, Johannesburg, Cape Town & London, printed by Eyre and Spottiswood, His Majesty’s Printers, 1906, p.531