Harold Abrahamson^[1]

1873 - 1949  (76 years)

• Name	Harold Abrahamson
  Born	19 Jan 1873	Colesberg, Northern Cape, South Africa
  Gender	Male
  1820 Lineage	Yes
  Died	9 Aug 1949	Mooi River, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
  Person ID	I53935	master
  Last Modified	25 Jul 2021

  
  

  Father	Louis Abrahamson,   b. 4 Oct 1845, Flatow, West Prussia Now Poland ,   d. 22 Feb 1914, Olyvenhout farm, Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Ella Elizabeth Anne Hudson,   b. 13 Apr 1849, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa ,   d. 1920  (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F27280	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Helen Elizabeth Gordon Woodroofe,   b. Est 1885
  Married	22 Aug 1927  [1]
  Children	1. Helen Noel Abrahamson,   b. 1900   2. Ella Selina Marion Abrahamson,   b. 1903 + 3. Louis Henry Woodrooffe Abrahamson,   b. 1 Jan 1905, 'Oatlands', Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa ,   d. 19 Jun 1954, Holderness farm, Barkly East, Eastern Cape, South Africa  (Age 49 years) + 4. Boris Hougham Abrahamson,   b. 1908   5. Hilary Joy Abrahamson,   b. 1913,   d. 1976  (Age 63 years)
  Last Modified	7 Jun 2015
  Family ID	F19413	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

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  Born - 19 Jan 1873 - Colesberg, Northern Cape, South Africa Died - 9 Aug 1949 - Mooi River, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Settler Photos

  Abrahamson Woodroofe wedding Keywords: Picture

  
  

• Notes

  Harold * 19.1.1873, Colesburg † 9.8.1949, Mooi River X Helen Elizabeth Gordon Woodroffe XX Alice Mary Fraundorfer Harold was described as a soldier, farmer, businessman and politician. He was the son of the one-time member of the Cape Colony Legislative Assembly, Louis Abrahamson. His mother was Ella Elizabeth Hudson. Harold was educated at Gill College in Somerset East and then onto St Andrew’s College at Grahamstown. He then went on to study in the United Kingdom; there he qualified as an engineer. Harold returned to South Africa in 1892 and served with Bettington’s Horse during the Jameson Raid in 1895 to 1896. In 1896 he formed part of the relief force in the Matebele rebellion with H.C.O Plumber. Harold had always interested in farming and in 1897 he went into breeding ostriches in Somerset West. This was not successful and so he concentrated on Friesland cattle. During his farming enrolled for duty in the Second Anglo-Boer War from 1899 to 1902. During the First World War 1914 to 1918 he was in the officer’s reserve. While involved with the Friesland breeding he became on of the movers towards a South African studbook, which was basically intended to add fresh names to a list of stud stock. In 1911 he was again instrumental in forming the Friesland Cattle Breeder’s Association of South Africa; he later became president for the 1918 to 1920 and again in 1942 to 1944. Harold became secretary of the Association in 1926 to 1929. He exhibited his prize stock all over South Africa and won numerous prizes and trophies. In 1922 he took an active part in dispatching eighty-five thoroughbred South African Frieslands to the United Kingdom. It was in 1919 that Harold amalgamated his interests with those his brother, W. Abrahamson and the Golden Valley Citrus Estates at Muden. Harold had managed the Eastern Cape Harlen Estates which cultivated, unsuccessfully as it turned out, 300 000 deciduous fruit trees in the area. After this setback he came to Mooi River and the Greytown district to farm his favourite stock. He made several contributions, particularly articles, to farming journals in South Africa and was much interested after the First World War (1914-18) in settling ex-servicemen at the Muden irrigation settlement. It would appear that he was largely responsible for writing and compiling The South African Friesland: its background and history. It was only when he came to Natal that he became interested in the political aspect of farming and served in the Union House of Assembly for the Weenen constituency from 1929 to 1943 and then for the Drakensberg constituency from 1943 to the time of his death. During these years he successfully fought five elections against strong opposition. In the House of Assembly he was chairman of parliamentary select committees dealing with matters of farming interest and also chairman of the 'dairy cattle group' of the United Party. In the House he also led the parliamentary 'citrus group' of approximately sixteen members. Whether the moment was opportune or not he brought to the fore in the House a host of matters affecting the interests of South African farmers as a whole. At the time of his death he was the only Natal frontbencher in the Union House of Assembly. He had two sons and three daughters of his marriage to Helen Elizabeth Gordon Woodroffe. Later he married Alice Mary Fraundorfer. A photograph of him appears in the South African Who's Who of 1933 ABRAHAMSON, Mr. & Mrs. Harold "Birth, - at Grahamstown on December 24th, of a Son" Grahamstown Journal 28.1.1908 p2 c5

  
  

• Sources

  [S348] WHITTAL Family GEDCOM, Whittal, Vernon, (See list of further references below in the note).