J. Percy FitzPatrick
Born in 1862
Sir James Percy FitzPatrick was a prominent South African author, politician, and businessman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He is best known for writing the children's classic "Jock of the Bushveld" based on his experiences as a transport rider in the Transvaal.
FitzPatrick was also involved in mining finance and pioneered the fruit industry in South Africa.
His legacy includes the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town and motor trails in eastern South Africa that follow his and Jock's travels.
Despite the dated racial attitudes in his writing, FitzPatrick remains an important figure in South African literature and history.
