1861–1863
Adam Kok III leads the Griqua trek to Nomansland
Facing pressure after the Orange Free State expanded around Philippolis, Adam Kok III led Griqua followers across the Drakensberg to Nomansland, later centred on Kokstad.
View in timelineBetween 1861 and 1863, Adam Kok III led Griqua followers from Philippolis across the Drakensberg to Nomansland. The migration followed the expansion of Orange Free State authority and the loss of Griqua land and political autonomy around Philippolis. The new settlement, later centred on Kokstad, became the core of an eastern Griqua polity.
Significance
A defining Griqua migration that reshaped Free State and eastern Cape/Natal frontier politics and created a lasting Griqua polity around Kokstad.
Why it matters
A defining Griqua migration that reshaped Free State and eastern Cape/Natal frontier politics and created a lasting Griqua polity around Kokstad, while reflecting the loss of land and autonomy around Philippolis.
Perspective notes
The trek was both a movement away from expanding Free State authority and an effort to preserve Griqua political independence. Nomansland offered space for a new polity but was already part of a wider landscape of African claims, relationships and colonial pressure.