Abstract:
John Murray (1826-1882) is in more than one respect primus inter pares: in a
historic sense, he was the first professor designated at Stellenbosch. He furthermore
also served as the first chairperson on the management of “Het Stellenbosch
Gymnasium” from which the university would later develop. Apart from being the
first professor, his biggest contribution was that of pedagogue. In addition to his
part in the establishment of the Stellenbosch Gymnasium a special spin-off from his
teaching career was his written work. In his short life he would personally produce
25 books – probably more, because in humility he always wrote under a pseudonym.
Apart from religious matters, he also dealt skilfully with a wide variety of other
subjects. The fact that he had an appreciative readership is clear from the frequent
reprints of his publications, even into the 20th century.
