Abraham Chiron

Abraham Chiron was a German-born book-keeper and banker who played a key role in the establishment of Freemasonry in South Africa and served as the country's first Masonic Grand Master. He also played a significant role in the early European settlement of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Abraham Chiron
Grand master of Lodge de Goede Hoop (South African Freemasons)
In office
1772–1776
Preceded byOrganization started in South Africa
Succeeded byGie, J.C.
In office
1776–1784
Preceded byGie, J.C.
Succeeded byDuminy, F.R.
Personal details
Born1746
Frankfurt, Germany
Died1822
Frankfurt, Germany
NationalityGerman
Spouse(s)Marie Philippine Roger
Children4 daughters
Known forFreemasonry, bookkeeping\banking

Family

Chiron was born in 1746 in Frankfurt, Germany to Charles Chiron and Susanna Schuler. He married Marie Philippine Roger from Sedan, France.[1] Once settled in South Africa, the couple raised four daughters: Susanna Maria (1771), Marie Charlotte (1774), Jeane Marianne (1775), and Antoinette Caroline (1778).[2]

Career

Chiron joined the Dutch East India Company in 1768 on a five year contract and arrived the next year in Cape Town, South Africa on the ship Grosvenor . As a contracted employee, Chiron was allocated to the Company’s Department of Secretary for Justice in 1775.[1] In 1782, he became responsible for the accounts of supplying ships and general book keeping duties.[3] After The Grosvenor, a ship of the Dutch East India Company, was wrecked in August 1782 on the Pondoland Coast of South Africa, Chiron helped uncover the cause by facilitating the gathering of evidence from the survivors as he was able to speak English.[4][5] Chiron communicated frequently with Joachim van Plettenberg , the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope regarding Dutch East India Company employees matters.[6] He acted as coordinator between deceased Dutch members and their families in the Netherlands regarding their bequests.[7][8]

Freemasonry

Chiron joined the Zur Einigkeit Freemason Lodge in Germany in 1765.[9][1] In Cape Town, he met Captain Abraham van der Weijden and a division of the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands was established in 1772.[10] The founding members were Jacobus Alexander le Febre, Johann Coenraad Gie, Christoffel Brand, Jan Adriaan van Schoor, Olof Godlieb de Wet and Petrus Johan de Wit. Chiron served as the first Grand Master until 1776, and again from 1776 until 1781 following a brief absence.[11][12]

Later life

After Chiron resigned from the Dutch East India Company, he and his family returned to the Netherlands in 1784.[13] They settled again in Frankfurt, Germany where Chiron was a bank manager until his death in 1822.

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References
  1. Cooper, A.A (January 1980). "The origins and growth of Freemasonry in South Africa 1772-1876" (PDF). open.uct.ac.za. University of Cape Town. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  2. "South Africa Dutch Reformed Church Register (Cape Town Archives) 1660-1970". Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. Worden, N. (2012). "Book- Cape Town Between East and West: Social Identities in a Dutch Colonial Town, page 42". Jacana Media. ISBN 9781431402922.
  4. Carter, C. (1927). "Book -The Wreck of the Grosvenor: Containing A Narrative of the Loss of the Grosvenor, East Indiaman, Wrecked on the Coast of Caffraria, 1782(edited by Botha, C.G),page vi". Van Riebeeck Society. ISBN 9780958513456.
  5. Shakespeare, N. (16 February 2004). "A history of the Grosvenor shipwreck". The Telegraph newspaper. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  6. de Hullu, J (1914). "Inventaris van het archief van mr. J. baron van Plettenberg [levensjaren 1739-1793], 1763-1788" (PDF). Nationaal Archief, Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenscap. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. "Elisabeth van Spijk". Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  8. "Rare document from Cook's third and last voyage(no 14)". Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  9. "Freimaurerloge Zur Einigkeit Nr.11". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  10. "The Deputy Grand Masters of the Netherlands". Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  11. "The first Settler at the cape Hans Conrad Guy (J.C. Gie)" (PDF). Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  12. "Proceedings: Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada, 1983 (Fraternal correspondence 47 A)". Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  13. "Abraham Chiron". www.openarch.nl. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
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