Sarel Cilliers

Sarel Arnoldus Cilliers (* September 7, 1801; † October 4, 1871 ) was a leader of the Voortrekkers and preacher.

With Andries Pretorius, he led the Boers to a victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838.

He was a prominent member of the Gereformeerde Kerk (Reformed Church ), an offshoot of the Dutch Reformed Church.

It describes him as a small, stout man, of whom it is believed that he was very religious. At the age of 35 he joined the Great Trek.

Aftermath

In Kroonstad Sarel Cilliers are the museum and Cilliers statue at the Dutch Reformed Church. Numerous roads and trails in Kroonstad, South Africa and other places bear his name.

The name Cillier

An ancestor named Cillier in the region was a French Huguenot refugee, Josué Cellier of Orléans, who arrived at the Cape in 1700. Other variations of the name are: Celliers, Cillie, Celliers and Sellier.