burgher senate, noun phrase

Forms:
Also with initial capitals.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more Translation of South African Dutch burghersenaat, burgher see burgher sense 1 a and 2 + senaat senate.
historical
a. A council of up to seven citizens responsible for civic affairs, instituted by the Dutch East India Company at the Cape and dissolved in 1827; Burgerraad sense 1. Also attributive. See also burgher sense 1.
1796 J.H. Craig in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1897) I. 402A letter I wrote to the Burgher Senate and to the Landrosts in the country districts.
1801 H.H. Smith in Afr. Court CalendarBurgher Senate, A. Fleck Esqre President, H.A. Truter Esqre, P.L. Cloete Esqre, O.U. Bergh Esqre, I.F. van Reenen Esqre, I.I. Vos Esqre, Mr D.P. Haupt — Secretary.
1807 H.H. Smith in Afr. Court CalendarA Town-house, in which the Burgher Senate, or the Council of Burghers meet for transacting business relative to the interior police of the town.
1819 H.H. Smith in Afr. Court Calendar 65Wardmasters shall take care..that there are no gambling, nor any other houses, inconsistent with morality and good order; and on discovering such to exist they shall report this same to the Fiscal and to the President of the Burgher Senate.
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 73The Stadhuis, or Burgher Senate-house, is a large, handsome building, appropriated to the transacting of public business of a civic nature.
1827 Reports of Commissioners upon Finances at Cape of G.H. I. 48The burger senate originated in the appointment of two persons by the Commissioner Van Goens in the year 1657, to deliberate in criminal matters.
1861 P.B. Borcherds Auto-Biog. Mem. 1The widow of Petrus Johannes de Wit, formerly a member of the court of matrimonial and petty civil cases, orphan board, and burgher senate.
1960 M. Muller Art Past & Present 112The Michaelis Gallery in Greenmarket Square was the old Burgher Watch House, built in 1755. Later it became the meeting-place of the Burgher Senate.
1965 A. Gordon-Brown S. Afr. Heritage I. 14It housed the watch until 1796 when it became the council chamber of the Burgher Senate.
b. transferred sense The building in which this council met.
1920 R. Juta Tavern 20Georgiana, who had stopped behind at the Cape at her express desire, had come down to the Burgher Senate.
1951 L.G. Green Grow Lovely 65Cape Town has often had to defend its Parade vigorously against encroachments. The Burgher Senate was busy resisting building schemes two and a half centuries ago.
A council of up to seven citizens responsible for civic affairs, instituted by the Dutch East India Company at the Cape and dissolved in 1827; Burgerraad sense 1. Also attributive.
The building in which this council met.
Derivatives:
Hence burgher senator  noun phrase, a member of this senate; burgher councillor, see burgher sense 1 b.
1796 J.H. Craig in S.D. Naudé Kaapse Plakkaatboek Deel V 24The Burgher Senators shall employ such a number of watchmen as the extension of the town and necessity requires.
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burgher senator

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