Abe Bailey


Sir Abraham Bailey, 1st Baronet was a South African diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer.

Early years

Married in 1860 in South Africa, Thomas and Ann Bailey had four children, Mary, Abraham, Susannah and Alice, before Ann Bailey's premature death in 1872, when young Abe was only seven years old. Bailey's mother, Ann Drummond McEwan, was Scottish by birth while his father, Thomas Bailey, was from Yorkshire. Abe Bailey was sent to England to be educated, first at Keighley and later at Clewer House.
After the outbreak of the Second Boer War in October 1899, a corps of imperial volunteers from London was formed in late December 1899. The corps included infantry, mounted infantry and artillery divisions and was authorized with the name City of London Imperial Volunteers. It proceeded to South Africa in January 1900, returned in October the same year, and was disbanded in December 1900. Bailey was appointed a lieutenant of the mounted infantry division on 3 January 1900, with the temporary rank of Lieutenant in the Army, but the appointment was later cancelled.

Politics

In October 1902, Bailey stood unopposed as a Progressive Party candidate for the Barkly West constituency of the Cape Colony Legislative Assembly. The constituency had been represented by Cecil Rhodes until his death earlier the same year.

Business

Via his business interests and his ties to Cecil Rhodes, Abe Bailey acquired substantial mining and land properties in the former Rhodesia. By the 1930s he was one of the world's wealthiest men. Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1911, he was created Baronet in 1919, one of a number of "Randlords" knighted for their services to the British Empire.

Cricket

Bailey played three first-class matches for Transvaal. He played an important role in 1912 Triangular Tournament. He first proposed the idea on a trip to England in 1907, stating: "Inter-rivalry within the Empire cannot fail to draw together in closer friendly interest all those many thousands of our kinsmen who regard cricket as our national sport, while secondly it would probably give a direct stimulus to amateurism."
It was immediately embraced by MCC, who were then lords of all they surveyed, and 1909 was the first year designated for it. But the administrators could not agree and by the time 1912 was alighted on, world cricket was in conflict. But infighting and a poor performance from the South African team ensured that the idea of a tri-nation tournament remained a one-off occurrence.

Art collection

These interests, as much as his aspirations to the titles and the lifestyle of the English landed gentry were influential in the formation of his personal art collection. This collection was mostly displayed in his London home and moved for safe-keeping to the north of England during the Second World War. On his death in 1940 the terms of his will placed his collection under the protection of a special trust established in his name and bequeathed it to the South African nation. Bailey was one of the very few South African Randlords to leave a bequest of this nature to South Africa.
At his specific recommendation, this collection was placed under the curatorship of the South African National Gallery in Cape Town, where it first went on display in 1947. Numbering over 400 items, including paintings, prints and drawings, the "Sir Abe Bailey Bequest" is the largest bequest held at the South African National Gallery to this day. It also constitutes one of the largest collections of British sporting art held by any public art museum in the world. The "Sir Abe Bailey Trust" is actively involved in its maintenance, and conservation work on the collection.

Abe Bailey Travel Bursary

Under the terms of his will annual travel bursaries are awarded to outstanding university students and young academics to travel to the UK to widen their experience.

Family

First wife/children by first marriage

  1. Cecil Marguerite Bailey ; married Dr William F Christie.
  2. Sir John Milner Bailey, 2nd Bt. ; married, firstly, Diana Churchill on 12 December 1932 ; married, secondly, Muriel Mullins on 18 October 1939 ; married, lastly, Stella Mary Chiappini on 4 May 1945.

    Second wife/children by second marriage

  1. Mittie Mary Starr Bailey ; married Robin Grant Lawson, son of Sir John Grant Lawson, 1st Bt. on 23 May 1934 ; married, secondly, to William Frederick Lloyd on December 1935 ; married, lastly, George Edward Frederick Rogers in 1947.
  2. Sir Derrick Thomas Louis Bailey, 3rd Bt. ; married, firstly, Katharine Nancy Darling on 18 July 1946 ; married, secondly, Mrs Jean Roscoe in 1980.
  3. Ann Hester Zia Bailey ; married, firstly, Pierce Nicholas Netterville Synnott.
  4. James Richard Abe Bailey ; married, firstly, Gillian Mary Parker in 1958 ; married, secondly, Barbara Louise Epstein on 16 April 1964.
  5. Noreen Helen Rosemary Bailey ; married, firstly, W/Cmdr. Peter Anker Simmons on 27 January 1941; married, secondly, Count Peter Christian Raben-Levetzau, son of Count Siegfried Raben-Levetzau on 8 August 1947.