Edward Philip Solomon

Sir Edward Phillip Solomon KCMG (1845 – 20 November 1914) was a successful lawyer and politician of the Transvaal Colony and the Union of South Africa.

The Honourable

Sir Edward Philip Solomon

KCMG
Senator for the Transvaal
In office
15 November 1910 – 20 November 1914
Transvaal Minister of Public Works
In office
4 March 1907 – 31 May 1910
Prime MinisterLouis Botha
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of the Transvaal Parliament
for Fordsburg
In office
20 February 1907 – 31 May 1910
Preceded byNew district
Succeeded byParliament abolished
Personal details
Born1845
Died20 November 1914 (age 69)
Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa

Early life

Edward Solomon was born in 1845, studied to be an attorney, and based himself in Johannesburg. He was involved in politics from early on, strongly identifying with the cause of the "Uitlanders" (English resident in the Boer republics). He even became a prominent member of the Reform Committee which sponsored the Jameson Raid in 1895, which led to his brief imprisonment in Pretoria.

Solomon was a member of a large and influential Cape family, of St Helenan Jewish descent. Members of the Solomon family were heavily involved in Southern African politics: Cape Colony politician Saul Solomon was his uncle, and his brothers were the Attorney General Sir Richard Solomon and future Chief Justice Sir William Henry Solomon.[1]

Political career

He became the first Chairman of the Transvaal Colony Responsible Government Association, and in 1906 was elected as the President of the Transvaal National Association, a political party based on South African Union, equity of the races, and opposing Chinese mine labourers.[2][3][4]

With Transvaal having been granted responsible self-government by letters patent on 6 December 1906, in early 1907 Solomon was elected to the Transvaal Legislative Assembly at its first election on 20 February 1907 for the seat of Fordsburg.[5][6] With his brother Richard successfully negotiating with the Het Volk Party led by Louis Botha and Jan Smuts, to have a coalition cabinet despite the Het Volk majority in the Legislative Assembly, Solomon was subsequently appointed to the first Transvaal Cabinet by Prime Minister Louis Botha as Minister of Public Works.[7][8][9]

Following the creation of the Union of South Africa, on 15 November 1910 Solomon was elected to the Senate of South Africa.[10] Having been granted the use of the title "The Honourable" for life, in the 1911 New Year Honours, Solomon was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).[11] Solomon died age 69 at his residence in Parktown, Johannesburg on 20 November 1914.[12]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-04-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "TRANSVAAL". The West Australian. Western Australia. 1 October 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 11 April 2020 – via Trove.
  3. "TRANSVAAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 1 October 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 11 April 2020 – via Trove.
  4. "TRANSVAAL CONSTITUTION". The Mercury. Tasmania, Australia. 29 September 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 11 April 2020 – via Trove.
  5. "TRANSVAAL ELECTION". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 16 January 1907. p. 9. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  6. "THE TRANSVAAL ELECTIONS". Daily Mercury. Queensland, Australia. 22 February 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2020 – via Trove.
  7. "TRANSVAAL MINISTRY". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 26 February 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 11 April 2020 – via Trove.
  8. "TRANSVAAL CABINET". The Register (Adelaide). South Australia. 5 March 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  9. "TRANSVAAL MINISTRY". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 5 March 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 10 April 2020 – via Trove.
  10. A.A. Mawby: The Political Behaviour of the British Population of the Transvaal 1902-1907. South Africa: UWits. 1969.
  11. "No. 12317". The Edinburgh Gazette. 3 January 1911. p. 3.
  12. "Obituary - Senator Sir E. P. Solomon". Natal Witness. 21 November 1914. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
Assembly seats
New seat Member of Parliament for Fordsburg
1907–1910		 Transvaal merged into South Africa
Political offices
New title Minister of Public Works
1907–1910		 Transvaal merged into South Africa
Party political offices
New title President of the Transvaal National Association
1906–1910		 Merged into South African Party
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