He was born on 15 July 1879 in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
He passed the intermediate exam of the University of Good Hope in Cape Town.
After the local war in South Africa he studied with a bursary at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
[7] In 1913 he studied further in Classical language in the Netherlands and obtained his PhD with the title:” De Numine Devino quid senserit Vergilius".
[10] An honoury PhD, Doctor Educationis honoris was awarded to him by the University of South Africa.