Jameson, Sir Leander Starr Jameson, 1st Baronet 1853-1917
South African politician

Born in Edinburgh, he studied medicine there and at London, and began to practise at Kimberley in 1878. Through Cecil Rhodes, 'Dr Jim', as he was called, engaged in pioneer work, was in 1891 made administrator for the South Africa Company at Fort Salisbury, and became very among the whites. During the troubles at Johannesburg between the Uitlanders and the Boer government, Jameson, who by order of Rhodes had concentrated the military forces of Rhodesia at Mafeking on the Transvaal frontier, started with 500 troopers to support the Uitlanders (The Jameson Raid, 29 December 1895). At Krugersdorp they were overpowered by an overwhelming force of Boers and, sleepless and starving, were after a sharp fight compelled to surrender (2 January 1896). Handed over to the British authorities, Dr Jameson was in July condemned in London to 15 months' imprisonment, but was released in December. In 1900 he was elected to the Cape Legislative Assembly, and in 1904-08 was (Progressive) premier of Cape Colony. He retired from politics in 1912.

Bibliography: I D Colvin, The Life of Jameson (2 vols, 1922)