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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 2003-07 > 1057448848
From: "David Morris" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] Info required on Albania settlers
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2003 01:47:28 +0200
References: <NFBBLDMCILHJJCBCPOHEKECFDAAA.dlaing@rti-ddsp.org.za><010301c342f5$44ee6240$a32719c4@fred> <001701c34358$195cc8c0$4af95118@cr189617a>
Dear Listers - Russell, Bernie, Deborah, Craig, Marion, Sarah, Sharon and
any others I might
have left out or who may be interested...
Further to the Albania Settlement - with my current reference being:
Arnot, D. & Orpen, F.H.S. 1875. The land question of Griqualand West: an
enquiry into the various claims to land in that territory; together with a
brief history of the Griqua nation. Cape Town: Saul Solomon & Co.
Authors: David Arnot and Francis H.S. Orpen - both principal players in the
setting up of the settlement of Albania.
On 4 Sep 1867 there was read and discussed at Mr Caldecott's Store, Graham's
Town, the Draft of the Albania Constitution Act, which defined the proposed
settlement as: "that portion of the Griqua territory lying to the eastward
of the Vaal and the Hart Rivers, and between those rivers and the western
boundary of the Orange Free State [which] shall henceforth be called and
known as, and is hereby named, 'The Province of Albania'". This province was
to be "leased out in farms to British settlers exclusively". A township was
envisaged some place near Backhouse, to be called "Waterford". The flag for
the province would be the "red standard of England with a small Union in the
middle". Waterboer, Chief of the Griqua, bound himself in terms of the draft
Act "to remove all his Griqua or other native subjects out of the province
in such manner and at such time as will prevent their interfering with the
settlement of the country by British settlers exclusively".
The terms later approved by Nicholas Waterboer at Griqua Town, 7 Oct 1867,
deviated interestingly from the above: Albania was proposed as being
"situate between the Orange and Vaal Rivers...[no longer stretching so far
north as to be east of the Harts River] to be erected into a settlement or
colony...under the name of 'The British Settlement of Albania, in the
territory of Griqualand West' ...[for] persons of European descent [no
longer so "exclusively" British]".
The earlier proposal would have resulted in a British 'buffer' - a "wall of
flesh" - see my previous email [below] - the full length of the eastern
borderland between Griqualand West and the OFS. In practice what eventuated
of the Albania province barely reached northward as far as the Riet River.
The diamond rush to what would become Kimberley, a few years later, resulted
in the whole of Griqualand West being annexed as a Crown Colony and
eventually as part of the Cape Colony.
The role of Thomas Holden Bowker is interesting. He was evidently in the
running to head the community of settlers - but "deserted the...scheme in a
huff" (as Arnot and Orpen put it) on the pretext that the name of the
principal township - which was to have been "Waterford" but which he
evidently thought ought ot have been called "Bowker's Town" - was in the
event fixed as "Douglas" in honour of Sir Percy Douglas, Bart., Lt Gov of
the Cape Colony. (That there was more to it than the name of a town is
suggested by Arnot and Orpen - who thought it was because Bowker was unhappy
at being granted less than "sole management" of the settlement. Arnot and
Orpen also remark that "early in 1868, he [Bowker] was a candidate for the
Presidency of the Free State, when he received some votes. He thus seems to
have placed himself between two stools, with the usual result").
On the matter of place names, there were interesting name changes at this
period, as there often are amidst changing land ownership. Already a stratum
of earlier Khoisan names had been replaced by Dutch-speaking Griqua settlers
(although names such as Gannahoek and Schutsekamma retained echoes of
these). Mager was the Griqua owner of what is still called Magers Kuilen
(and, also, Magersfontein). But, in turn, many Griqua place names in Albania
(later, Herbert District) were superceded by English ones: Courasie's Pan =
Leinster; Uithaaldersfontein = Belmont; Jantjes Dam = Ottawa; Slypsteen =
Summerhill.
In the coming week I shall try to summarise the major points from: Kurtz,
J.M. 1988. The Albania Settlement of Griqualand West, 1866-1878. Masters
Thesis, Rhodes University.
Regards
David Morris
----- Original Message -----
From: "Russell and Olivia" <>
To: "David Morris" <>
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 2:46 AM
Subject: Re: [ZA] Info required on Albania settlers
> Dear David
>
> I'd be grateful if you could let me know which ORPEN was the co-author of
> the publication mentioned below.
>
> Many thanks
>
> Russell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Morris" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 5:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [ZA] Info required on Albania settlers
>
>
> > Hi Listers
> > I shall try to expand the following summary in the next few days once I
> hace
> > access to the relevant references. But for the interim, this will have
to
> > suffice:
> >
> > In 1868 the Griqua captain, Nicholas Waterboer (of Griqualand West,
based
> in
> > Griquatown), advised by the government agent, David Arnot, leased farms
in
> > the south-eastern section of his territory to British colonists from the
> > Eastern Cape. The British settlement, known as Albania, was intended to
> > prevent the encroachment of Free State interests into Griqua territory.
> >
> > Albania was situated north of the Orange and south of the Riet Rivers,
in
> > what was later named the Herbert District (mainly north and north-west
of
> > Hopetown).
> >
> > Arnot paved the way for the British annexation of Griqualand West and
the
> > diamond fields a few years later.
> >
> > The scheme originated in 1866 [this was before the mineral wealth of the
> > region had dawned on anyone] when Waterboer was persuaded "to attempt
the
> > formation of a 'wall of flesh' between himself and the Boers by inducing
> > British settlers, whose honesty and fairness he believed in, to accept
> from
> > him a portion of his country bordering on the Free State; and Mr Arnot,
> > partly with this object in view, undertook a journey to Graham's Town in
> the
> > winter of that year, wishing to consult with Mr Orpen on the subject and
> > obtain his assistance in sounding the opinions of Albany men as the
> > descendants of the British settlers of 1820." (Arnot & Orpen 1875 The
> land
> > question of Griqualand West p 80).
> >
> > Regards
> > David Morris
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Deborah" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 12:54 PM
> > Subject: [ZA] Info required on Albania settlers
> >
> >
> > > Hi Listers,
> > > Does anybody out there have references for me regarding this group of
> > > settlers? Is there anything documented on whether they travelled as
> > groups,
> > > etc? This would be quite useful in researching my husband's line.
> > > Thanks
> > > Deborah.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Patricia Frykberg [mailto:]
> > > Sent: 04 July, 2003 10:49 AM
> > > To:
> > > Subject: Re: [ZA] Re: Albania settlers
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi Sarah. Did that info from Botha's book ever reach you?
> > > Pat
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Sarah <>
> > > To: <>
> > > Date: Friday, 4 July 2003 08:34 PM
> > > Subject: [ZA] Re: Albania settlers
> > >
> > >
> > > >Dear David
> > > >Is there any record of those who moved up to Hopetown and surrounds.
> > > >Did this include the settlements like Hanover? How large was the
area?
> > > >Where would I find out more about this please.
> > > >Sarah
> > > >Christchurch, NZ
> > > >
> > > >No, not Albania (Central Europe)- they were English families from the
> > > >Albany District (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape, who moved up to
the
> > > >Northern Cape near Hopetown, and were dubbed the Albania Settlers.
> They
> > > >were mostly descendants of the 1820 Settlers.
> > > >Regards
> > > >David
> > > >
> > > >
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