Christoffel Brand

Sir Christoffel Joseph Brand (21 June 1797 Cape Town – 19 May 1875 Cape Town) was a Cape jurist, politician, statesman and first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cape Colony.

Early life and education Christoffel Brand was born in 1797, during the twilight years of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch Cape Colony. Brand came from a long line of Dutch colonial administrators: both his father and grandfather (Christoffel Brand) had been officials with the Dutch East India Company. He was the godson of Joseph Banks, the noted British naturalist, whom his grandfather had worked with.

Sir Christoffel was a South African Freemason and Deputy Grand Master National of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands (Het Groot Oosten der Nederlanden) in The Cape from 1847 to 1874.

Family

Christoffel Brand was married to Catharina Fredrica Küchler. His son was Sir Johannes Brand who became 4th State President of the Orange Free State. His second name "Joseph" was after the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, a close friend of Christoffel's grandfather. His great-nephew was the architect Norman Eaton.