OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20191, 31 August 1927, Page 10

OBITUARY

SIB CHARLES COGHLAN. (Frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) CAPETOWN, August 29. Sir Charles Coghlan, Premier of Southern Rhodesia, died suddenly after a seizure while on his way home from church.—A. and N.Z. Cable. Sir Charles P. J. Coghlan, Kt., the first Premier of the first Parliament of Southern Rhodesia, was born in Kingwilliamstown, British Kaffraria, in 1863. His father, Mr James Coghlan, went to Africa in 1851, and carried on business in Kingwilliamstown, afterwards in the Wodehouse division of the Cape, and subsequently migrated to the Free State. He had a business at Clocolan. The son Charles was educated at St. Aiden’s College, Grahamstown, and later was at the South African College, Capetown. He joined his oldest brother, Mr J. J. Coghlan, then practising as an attorney in Kimberley. In 1886 he was admitted an attorney of the Supreme Court of tho Capo of Good Hope, practised with his brother in Kimberley for a time, and went to Rhodesia in 1900. A knighthood was conferred on Mr Coghlan in 1010, after he had attended the South African Convention as one of the delegates of Rhodesia, being a nominee of his elected colleagues in the Legislative Council. Sir Charles practised his profession in Bulawayo, and was elected to the Legislative Council for tho Bulawayo division m 1908, and was still the member for the same constituency, now known as Bulawayo North. The crucial election was the ' one of 1920. A majority of the whole House was necessary to change the system, but the Council as then constituted had six nominated members only, as against 19 Government members; 12 out of the 15 seats were captured by the Responsible Government Party. In 1921 a delegation, of which Sir Charles was the head, went to London and negotiated a Constitution for Southern Rhodesia with the Colonial Secretary—the draft Constitution which was submitted to a referendum of the electors. Jhe result, as is known, was in favour of Responsible Government, rather than the alternative of joining the Union, a point which Mr Churchill had insisted upon being submitted to the people. A general election look place within six months, and upon the Governor (Sir John Chancellor) going out to South Africa Sir Charles was asked to form the first Ministry. During his residence in Kimberley and since that time Sir Charles Coghlan had always taken an active part in politics. He was a strong supporter of the policy of the Eight Hon. Cecil J. Rhodes, and was a member of the executive of the South African League. During the siege of Kimberley Sir Charles was a captain of the Town Guard, and received the Queen’s medal and clasp for his services.