In the article below, Oscar Norwich, Johannesburg historian and collector, tells the story of Henry Charles Hull, the original owner of the historic stately mansion Emoyeni, situated at the top of Jubilee Road, Parktown. Thank you to the Norwich family for their kind permission to publish this article.
Henry Charles Hull was a distinguished colonial, born at Caledon, Cape Colony, on November 20, 1860. In 1879 he received a Civil Service appointment at Kimberley. He did not, however, stay long in this position but continued to qualify for the Cape Bar and, on being admitted, practised at Kimberley for several years. In 1889 he moved to Johannesburg where he continued to practise law until the troublesome time that preceded the ill-fated Jameson Raid. He threw in his lot with the Reform Committee and the result of his participation was a sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of £1,000 or, in default, an additional 12 months in jail, to be followed by three years’ banishment. He served a short term of imprisonment and then, with his co-members of the Committee, had his sentence remitted except for the fine, on his undertaking not to interfere with the internal politics of the country.
Henry Charles Hull
This pledge he kept although in 1899 he was present at the Bloemfontein Conference, where he rendered valuable service to His Excellency the High Commissioner.
At...
