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Bisset Berry

Sir William Bisset Berry KC
4th Speaker of the Cape House of Assembly
In office 1899–1907
Monarchs	Queen Victoria Edward VII
Prime Minister	William Philip Schreiner John Gordon Sprigg
Preceded by	Henry Juta
Succeeded by	James Molteno
Personal details
Born	26 July 1839 Aberdeen, Scotland
Died	8 June 1922 Queenstown, Eastern Cape, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Nationality	British citizenship
Occupation	Politician Surgeon
Profession	Surgeon

Sir William Bisset Berry KC (26 July 1839 – 8 June 1922) was a Scots-born South African politician and the fourth Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cape Colony.

Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, he was the son of James Berry. He graduated M.A. at Marischal College in 1858, and M.D. in 1861.^[1][2] Bisset Berry came to the Cape Colony in 1864 as a ship's surgeon and settled in Queenstown, Eastern Cape. His engagement to Agnes Baden-Powell was announced in The Illustrated London News of 27 April 1901, but they never married.^[1]

He later became Queenstown's mayor and was elected as its representative in the Cape Parliament in 1894.^{[citation needed]}

Although he hated publicity, Berry was an engaging public speaker and a skilled debater. When there was a vacancy for the position of Speaker of Parliament, he was elected unopposed in 1898,^[1] even though he had only 4 years of parliamentary experience and his command of the Afrikaans language was small. He lamented his inexperience and lack of qualifications, but showed himself to be decisive and firm when necessary. He presided over the votes of no confidence in Sprigg's government and the application of martial law in the Cape Colony. In 1902, he distinguished himself with his strong opposition to the attempt by the British Colonial Office to suspend the Cape constitution.

Berry sought re-election in 1908, but was not returned to office (only being re-elected as an ordinary member in the 1910 election). The young James Molteno was elected to replace him as Speaker.^[3]

• Speaker of the South African National Assembly

• Royal Commonwealth Society: Proceedings Vol.29. London: Royal Colonial Institute, 1898.