The letter from Kouka

19 November 1838 · local · Prince Albert

Pieter Johannes Swanepoel writes to magistrate Jacobus Meintjes about the case of "H. Oostuijsen en van de permanente hottentotte". Khoi families - he names Piet Stuurman, a second Piet Stuurman, Kobus Stuurman, Oranje and Dikkop - had settled on his commonage at Whaai Kraal and would not leave; Oosthuizen was sent to drive them off and the matter went to court. The letter says plainly that if Oosthuizen is fined "dan siet weij inwoonders van Beaufort bebliek dat hier voor de burgers geen reg meer ben, maar alleenlijk voor de swarte", and threatens to trek. It is a grievance document of the Great Trek years, written from the farm next door to ours, and it names five Khoi people who appear in no other record. KAB: 1/BW 9/61.

Who was there: 7 people

• 1799 Pieter Johannes Swanepoel (b6c5d7)
• · Dikkop
• · H. Oosthuizen (1838 case)
• · Kobus Stuurman
• · Oranje
• · Piet Stuurman
• · Piet Stuurman (the second)

Everyone the record names at this occasion. Who stood together is the clearest surviving evidence of which families were close to which, if you know of others who were here, this is the page they belong on.

Sources

• 'n Tak van die Swanepoel-familie in Suid-Afrika, 1699 tot 1999: 'n genealogiese en kultuurhistoriese studie MA thesis, Departement Geskiedenis; studieleier Dr M Burden; April 2003; handle 10019.1/53526