• General Notes

  Historical facts
  
  27 November 1798
  Birth of the Voortrekker leader AWJ Pretorius on the family estate Pretoriuskloof near Graaff-Reinet.
  
  8 November 1818
  Andries Pretorius Andries Pretorius was married to Christina Petronella de Wit.
  
  17 November 1819
  Marthinus Wessel, the eldest son of Andries and Christina, was born on the family estate.
  
  October 1838
  With his father's party the eighteen year old Marthinus Wessel left the Cape Colony and on 22nd.
  
  November 1838
  Encountered the people of Retief and Maritz near the Tugela.
  
  16 December 1838
  As a nineteen year-old boy, MW Pretorius took part in the Battle of Blood River.
  
  19 December 1841
  MW Pretorius was married to the 23-year old widow Aletta Mag dalena Smit. Only one daughter, Christina Johanna Petronella survived the difficult years. Christiana and Lake Chrissie were named after her.
  
  23 July 1853
  Andries Pretorius died at the age of 55 and left a large part of the Transvaal leaderless. MW Pretorius was elected to succeed his father as Commandant-General.
  
  6 January 1857
  MW Pretorius was sworn in as first President of the South African Republic. The"Vierkleur", the new national flag, was hoisted for the first time on this occasion.
  
  February 1854
  After repeated unsuccessful attempts by MW Pretorius the Free State obtained independence.
  
  1860
  The Transvaal became an independent unified country.
  
  8 February 1860
  Pretorius became president of the Free State. (He now was president of both the Transvaal
  and the Orange Free State.)
  
  1 Oktober 1862
  Upon the failure of his efforts to unite the two Boer Republics MW Pretorius resigned as President of the Free State. However, his services were still urgently needed and he received permission to bring the chaotic conditions in the Transvaal in order.
  
  15 November 1866
  MW Pretorius was elected president of "De Transvaalsche Maatschappy van Landbouw en Veeteelt". (The Transvaal Society of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry).
  
  17 October 1871
  His poor financial policy and the fact that he was accused by the Volksraad of the violation of Article 82 of the Constitution, with regard to arbitration, forced MW Pretorius to apply for his honorable discharge as President.
  
  April 1877
  Transvaal was annexed by Sir T. Shepstone.
  
  5 January 1878
  MW Pretorius was elected chairman of the People's Committee to negotiate with the British authorities for regaining the independence of the Transvaal.
  
  1877 - 1880
  War of Independence
  
  16 December 1880
  The former Government of the South African Republic resumed its activities and the Government of the country was handed to a triumvirate consisting of Paul Kruger, Piet Joubert en MW Pretorius.
  
  26 November 1890
  Pretorius retired from public life and in Potchefstroom married the widow Har togt.
  
  1899 - 1902
  Anglo Boer War
  
  19 May 1901
  MW Pretorius was awakened in the cold nocturnal hours by British soldiers and questioned for more than two hours. This privation so severely tired the system of the 81-year old man that after an illness of a week he died on 19th May 1901.

Details of M's family with Aletta Magdalena Smit