Griqua Records, the Philippolis Captaincy, 1825-1861

Compiled and edited by Karel Schoeman

Karel Schoeman is a well-known South African novelist and historian. His historical works, written mainly in Afrikaans, include: Bloemfontein: die ontstaan van ‘n stad, 1846-1946 and Olive Schreiner: ‘n lewe in Suid-Afrika, 1855-1891. B

Early in the nineteenth century there were four small semi-independent Griqua states in the Trans-Orange, each reigned over by its own ‘Head’ or ‘Kaptyn’. They were of the greatest importance to British authority in the Cape, as well as to the London Missionary Society. This volume contains a collection of official and semi-official documents concerning the Captaincy in Phillipolis, in the later Free State, from 1826 to 1861, when it was transferred to Kokstad in Griqualand East. The documents give a detailed picture of a poorly documented aspect of our history. The Griqua Captaincy of Phillipolis had no flag or national emblem. The lion shown here, obviously a block from a local printer, was used at the head of printed land grant forms issued by the Captaincy of Kokstad as early as 1867, and clearly seems to have been intended as an emblem.

70. Adam Kok III to John Montagu: Answers to an official questionnaire (1845)

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Answers to questions proposed to the Chief Adam Kok, in a letter from the Colonial Secretary, April18, 1845~

1st. The territory claimed by my people is bounded on the south and southwest by the Orange River; on the north and north-east by the Modder River; on the east by the country of Lepui; and on the west by that of Waterboer.

The tribes in my neighbourhood are those of Waterboer, Moroko, Moshesh and Lepui, all of whom are independent of me.¹

No written agreement respecting boundary lines has been entered into with any neighbouring Chief except Waterboer,² but I have no dispute respecting territory with any of the above mentioned Chiefs.

I know of no lands in my immediate neighbourhood unclaimed or unoccupied, and there is no tract of country which I occupy in common with any neighbouring Chief.

2nd. My subjects are not all of one tribe, and consist of Grikwas, Bechuanas and Bushmen. Of these the last mentioned were the original possessors of the country, and the Bechuanas consist chiefly of such persons as sought refuge amongst us from the wars of the interior. Some are, however, the subjects of shesh2 and are subject to my laws only as long as they reside in my country. ere are also some Korannas living in my territory under a subordinate Chief named Piet Wstvoet.⁴ None of the other tribes are under a subordinate Chief, but live immediately under my rule.

The people under my rule amount in number to about six thousand, of whom rather more than three thousand are Grikwas, and the remainder consists of the tribes mentioned above.

3rd. My people were formerly wholly a pastoral people, but they at present o cultivate the ground. They sow wheat, barley and other grain, and also ant vegetables and fruit trees; but I am not able to say to what amount. Last r many thousands of muids of wheat and barley were reaped by my people. We have also commenced the breeding of wool sheep.

Individual right of property is recognized by our laws, but no lands can be hired or sold among my own people without my consent, and it is contrary to our laws to sell land to any person not being a Grikwa subject.

I should not be able to alienate any portion of my territory without the consent of all my people, as such an act would require the change of one of our fundamental laws.

4th. The more civilized part of my subjects reside with their families at separate farms; others who do not possess fountains live together in what e called ‘werfs’ or ‘kraals'. Of these the principal are Kalkfontein and Ramah, each containing about two hundred inhabitants living in reed huts. Our principal village, Philippolis, contains about fifty families as permanent residents, most of whom live in houses of European structure.