   sir thomas upington kcmg (1844â1898), born in cork, ireland, was an administrator and politician of the cape colony. he was briefly prime minister of the cape colony, between 1884 and 1886, during a period of extreme turbulence in the cape's history. the town of upington in the northern cape is named after him, as was the short-lived boer republic of upingtonia. ==early life== upington was born in rathnee, near mallow, county cork, on 28 october 1844. he was educated at cloyne diocesan school, mallow, and at trinity college, dublin, where in 1863 he obtained mathematical honours in the hilary term examinations. he was called to the irish bar in 1867. in 1868 he became secretary to thomas o'hagan, 1st baron o'hagan, lord chancellor of ireland, and in january 1870 he appeared as registrar to the court in dr macswiney's appeal to the visitors of the king and queen's college of physicians against his ejection from a fellowship. ==political career== upington emigrated to the cape colony in 1874, due to his fragile health, from which he suffered throughout his life. he was elected to the cape legislature in 1878. ===service as attorney general=== he was appointed attorney general in 1879, by prime minister gordon sprigg. during this time, he was active in the war on the northern border, although in a civil capacity (he did not hold any military command
1844_births 1898_deaths 19th-century_South_African_people Alumni_of_Trinity_College,_Dublin Attorneys_General_of_the_Cape_Colony British_colonial_army_officers British_military_personnel_of_the_9th_Cape_Frontier_War Companions_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George Irish_barristers Irish_emigrants_to_South_Africa People_from_County_Cork Prime_Ministers_of_the_Cape_Colony