Jan Willem Spruyt

Soon after his arrival he was also quickly enrolled in the administration of the Orange Free State, and attained a powerful position as government secretary.

In the third quarter of the nineteenth century several many Afrikaner politicians and government officials served in both Boer republics.

Lauts was one of a group of Dutchmen, interested in the development of good education in the new Boer settlements in South Africa.

Smellekamp as supercargo – he later became a well-known figure in South Africa – and his two travel companions and fellow migrants, Hendrik van der Linden and W.P.J.

[4] Although general opinion had it that Spruyt was a man of lesser qualities, on his resignation he was praised by State President Pretorius as very loyal and accurate in his work.

Spruyt was also sensitive to good labour relations within the state apparatus, and propagated a rise in the officials' salaries.

[6] After his resignation he established himself as law agent (wetsagent) in Bloemfontein, and acted as publisher of the Dutch language weekly paper De Tijd.

[7] His insolvency kept following him, however, and as late as 1871 some of his possessions, including a building complex in Rustenburg, were publicly sold for a minute sum of money.

[7] Efforts to regain a public position in the Orange Free State failed, and in 1888 Spruyt once more returned to the South African Republic.

[6] Spruyt married in Bloemfontein on 31 December 1856 with Elizabeth Emma Hanger (1826–1918), originating from Peddie in the Cape Colony.

The couple had five sons and five daughters, Emma, William, Gerard, Victor, Henrietta, George, Rudolf, Alicia, Elizabeth and Catherine.