Treaties Entered Into by Governors of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope and Other British Authorities with Native Chieftains, and Others Beyond the Border of the Colony, Between the Years 1803 and 1854 (1857)
This volume was presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Governor Sir George Grey in April 1857. It serves as a comprehensive legal and historical record of the shifting diplomatic landscape and frontier policies of the Cape Colony during the first half of the 19th century.
The book compiled 36 primary treaties and conventions to document British colonial expansion and formalise relationships with indigenous groups.
It covers agreements made from the Batavian period (1803) through the mid-19th century (1854). Originally printed in Cape Town by Saul Solomon & Co., it includes English translations for any treaties originally drafted in Dutch.
The collection highlights several critical turning points in Southern African history:
1803 (Governor J.W. Janssens and Ngqika): Early agreements from the Batavian era.
1817 & 1819 (Governor Lord Charles Somerset and Ngqika): Established the "Neutral Territory" (Ceded Territory) between the Fish and Keiskamma Rivers.
1834 & 1835 (Governor Sir Benjamin d'Urban): Includes treaties with Waterboer (Griquas), Dingane (Zulus), and various Xhosa chiefs following the Sixth Frontier War.
1836 (Sir Andries Stockenström): Formalized the "Treaty System," which attempted to treat Xhosa chiefs as diplomatic equals and return annexed lands.
1844 (Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland): Abrogated earlier treaties and established more rigid control.
1852 (Sand River Convention): Settled the affairs of the Transvaal Republic, exempting it from British jurisdiction.
1854 (Bloemfontein Convention): Formally transferred the government of the Orange River Territory back to local inhabitants.
While the book was published in 1857, the year itself was marked by significant events under Governor Sir George Grey’s administration that influenced future treaty making:
The Xhosa Cattle-Killing (1856–1857): A massive social and economic crisis triggered by the prophecy of Nongqawuse, which effectively ended Xhosa military resistance and allowed Grey to impose British law and settle the territory more aggressively.
Indian Mutiny: Grey diverted troops and funds from the Cape to help suppress the revolt in India, showing his reach as a key imperial administrator.
Basotho Disputes: Grey mediated border disputes between the Orange Free State and the Sotho kingdom, setting the stage for subsequent boundary treaties.
Foxed.
Modern annotations throughout.
166mm x 262mm
R5,000
