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Nortje, William Francis (1882–1965)

By Godfrey K. Sang

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Godfrey K. Sang is a historical researcher and writer with an interest in Adventist history. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton and a number of qualifications from other universities. He is a published author. He is the co-author of the book On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church Came to Western Kenya. 

First Published: April 8, 2024

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William Francis Nortje was an Afrikaner farmer in Kenya who became a Seventh-day Adventist lay evangelist at the height of colonial rule in Kenya.

Early Life

William F. Nortje was born on January 23, 1882, in Willowmore, Eastern Cape, South Africa.1 He was the son of Johannes Gerhardus Francois Nortje and Mary Ann Sarah Nortje. He was the tenth child of 14 children born to Johannes and Mary. His siblings included Jane Francis de le Harpe, Aletta Maria Clasina Terblanche, Mary Ann Sarah Terblanche, Elizabeth Ellen Strydom, Richard Francis Nortje, and four others.2

Moving to Kenya

William first came to Kenya as a settler in 1908 at the age of 26. He obtained land at the Kedong Valley that was 70 km from Nairobi at the foot of Mt. Suswa. Here he established the Nortbrand Farm (Farm No. 8) in partnership with C. E. Brandon (hence the name Nortbrand). Although he took possession of the land in January 1908, it was not until August of 1909 that his partner C. E. Brandon joined him, coming in from England. The land was irrigated from the Kedong River by means of a furrow that was 300 yards long. The land was 5,000 acres in size, and he grew two maize crops in a year thanks to the irrigation system. He erected his house and outbuildings using sun-dried bricks. He also raised cattle on the farm.

Family Life

William married Petronella Isabella Strijdom on September 23, 1913, in Willowmore, Cape, South Africa.3 Petronella had been born on December 25, 1891.4 She was the daughter of Johan Daniel Wilhelm Strijdom (1861-1908) and Andriessina Cathrina Lourens (1861-1942).5 She was the eldest of six children born to the couple. Together with William, they had three children: Laura Nortje (1915-1976), John Francis Nortje (1921-2005), and Daniel Nortje (1923-2005). By the time William took up the land in British East Africa, he was already a practicing Seventh-day Adventist. Although he was based in Kenya, he sent his children to study in South Africa. His son, Daniel Nortje, was a student in 1941 at Helderberg College.6 Daniel did some important colporteur work in South Africa in 1942 to earn his scholarship.

In 1942, William went to visit his children in Helderberg, a visit which left a lasting impression on him. Upon arrival at Somerset West, he was warmly welcomed by the business manager and was captivated by the institution’s remarkable campus, well-structured daily routines, and the dedication of the students.7 He would then enthusiastically endorse Christian education. He wrote a letter describing his experience in the ten days he spent at the school.

Moving to Eldoret

Sometime in the 1940s, Nortje sold his Kedong Valley ranch and moved to Eldoret in Uasin Gishu, where there were many Afrikaner farmers. Most of the Afrikaner farmers had come in from 1903, although a large wave moved to the area in 1908. Nortje was one of these, although he did not settle in Uasin Gishu as expected, instead at Kedong, which is closer to Nairobi. However, from 1948, when the Nationalist Party came to power in South Africa, a large number of Afrikaner farmers in Kenya returned to South Africa. Many sold their farms quickly, and that is probably why Nortje moved from the drier Kedong Valley to the more verdant Uasin Gishu plateau.

There were already a number of prominent Adventist families in the Uasin Gishu plateau, and they included David Sparrow and his son Herbert V. Sparrow, Christopher Sparrow, William Cuthbert, Hendrik Kruger, and Thuys de Lange.8 All of them except the Cuthberts were originally from South Africa. In light of the increasing numbers of European Adventists, the Highlands Mission was established in 1956.

Evangelism Work

In the week of November 15 to 22, 1952, William Nortje was at the Chebwai Mission where he conducted the Week of Prayer for the combined church as well as the boarding and day school children.9 On the closing Sabbath, W. A. Clark from Uganda joined them. During the week, 36 persons gave their hearts to God for the first time, joining the baptismal class. During that same week, the mission director, K. J. Berry, was out in the outlying churches assisting the evangelists there, and more than 100 joined the baptismal classes as well as those who had fallen back who were reconsecrating their lives to God.10

Nortje returned to South Africa during independence when most of the colonials in Kenya were coming back. He passed away on February 7, 1965, at Utrecht, Natal, South Africa.11 He was survived by his wife Petronella and their children Laura, John, and Daniel. Petronella later passed away in 1975.12

Sources

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9VH6-3FC.

https://www.geni.com/people/William-Francis-Nortje/6000000011061243001. Accessed October 29, 2023.

Le Butt, A. C. “Investiture Service.” The Southern Africa Division Outlook, November 15, 1941.

“Nortje, William Francis.” Europeans in Africa, https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/. Accessed October 29, 2023.

Robison, Milton. “A Parent’s Impressions of Helderberg.” Southern African Division Outlook, January 15, 1943.

Sang, Godfrey K., and Hosea K. Kili. On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya.Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications, 2018.

Watts, R. S. “Reorganization of the Kenya Mission Field.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1953.

Notes

  1. “Nortje, William Francis,” Europeans in Africa, https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/, accessed October 29, 2023.↩

  2. https://www.geni.com/people/William-Francis-Nortje/6000000011061243001, accessed October 29, 2023.↩

  3. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9VH6-3FC, accessed February 27, 2024.↩

  4. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LR35-JZ4, accessed February 27, 2024.↩

  5. Ibid.↩

  6. A. C. Le Butt, “Investiture Service,” The Southern Africa Division Outlook, November 15, 1941, 2.↩

  7. Milton Robison (Helderberg principal), “A Parent’s Impressions of Helderberg,” Southern African Division Outlook 41, no. 1 (January 15, 1943, Sentinel Publishing): 2.↩

  8. Godfrey K. Sang and Hosea K. Kili, On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Western Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya: Gapman Publications, 2018).↩

  9. R. S. Watts, “Reorganization of the Kenya Mission Field,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1953, 4.↩

  10. Ibid.↩

  11. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9VH6-3FC, accessed February 27, 2024.↩

  12. Ibid.↩

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Sang, Godfrey K. "Nortje, William Francis (1882–1965)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 08, 2024. Accessed September 10, 2024. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJNL.

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Sang, Godfrey K. "Nortje, William Francis (1882–1965)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 08, 2024. Date of access September 10, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJNL.

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Sang, Godfrey K. (2024, April 08). Nortje, William Francis (1882–1965). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved September 10, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=CJNL.

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