Cecil John Rhodes 1853 - 1902
Cecil John Rhodes , 5th son. He was a British colonial statesman and financier and helped establish British rule in South Africa. In 1870 he went to live with his brother Herbert in Africa, now known as the Republic of South Africa. He became a diamond prospector and by 19 had amassed a considerable fortune. He returned to England in 1873 to study at Oxford where he took his degree in 1881. He returned to Africa and formed the De Beers Diamond Company, which to this day controls the diamond markets of the world, and also entered the Cape Colony Parliament and became Prime Minister of the Cape in 1890. He founded Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) which was named after him, in 1894. He instigated a raid on the Boers of South Africa for which he was chastised, and the forerunner of the Boer War.
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| Born: Bishop's Stortford, Herts., England 5th Jul 1853 | Baptised:
| | Died: Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa 26th Mar 1902 | Buried:
| | Family: Rhodes |
Timeline
| 5th Jul 1853 | Born (birth) Bishop's Stortford, Herts., England | | 26th Mar 1902 | Died (death) Cape Town, South Africa |
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