Adam Kok I is remembered as the founding father of the Griqua people and the first in a lineage of influential leaders who played a crucial role in South African history. While multiple narratives surround his origins, some verifiable facts provide insight into his life and legacy. These facts come from oral traditions, interviews, and colonial records, and they collectively sketch the life of a man who emerged from slavery and marginalisation to become a respected leader.
Early Life and Origins
One widely accepted account, recorded in 1835 by Dr. Andrew Smith during an interview with Adam Kok II, suggests that Adam Kok I’s father was enslaved in the early Cape Colony. He may have later been emancipated, meaning that Adam Kok, I might have been born free. Another version holds that he was the son of Cornelius Jacobz, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) employee, and an enslaved woman who named him “Adam” about the Cape’s Eden-like landscape. The surname “Kok” may have originated from his occupation as a cook (kok in Dutch), a practical role that may have marked his earliest social identity.
By the early 1740s, Adam Kok I was working as a Free Black labourer, or knecht, for a free burgher named Nicolaas Laubser on the farm Selderyrivier. He left this post in 1743 and took up elephant hunting, a lucrative occupation on the colonial frontier. It was through this work that he formed ties with the Xarixuriqua (also known as Gariguriqua) Khoe people near Piketberg. His hunting success earned him cattle and land, which enhanced his status, and he was appointed chief by Xarixuriqua leader Koos Kleinman before the latter’s death.
Formation of a Community
Adam Kok I’s rise was solidified through his partnership with Klaas Barends, another Free Black elephant hunter. The two men shared similar experiences and ambitions, and their families eventually united through marriage. This alliance laid the groundwork for the Bergenaar Baster community — a mixed-race group formed from Khoe, slave, and settler ancestry. These beginnings would later evolve into the Griqua people, a name and identity that would become formalised in the next generation.
In 1751, Adam Kok I secured a loan farm and grazing rights from the VOC at Stinkfontein near Piketberg. He held this land until 1771, when it was seized by the authorities and granted to a white settler, despite Adam’s documented ownership. At the age of 61, Kok, his family, and followers were forced to leave. They trekked north through the harsh Knersvlakte and eventually settled in Kammieskroon and later at Pella.
Conflict and Resistance
During this period of displacement, Adam Kok I and his community became entangled in growing tensions between the VOC and the Orlam Afrikaner clan, led by Oude Ram Afrikaner. These black Afrikaners were accused of inciting rebellion against white settlers in the frontier districts. VOC official Van Schoor viewed them as a threat and arrested some family members, although Oude Ram and his son Klaas were released. After Oude Ram’s death, his sons, including the infamous Jager Afrikaner, built a mobile force of mounted fighters who operated along the Gariep (Orange) River.
With the Orlam threat subsiding, another danger emerged. Trekboers — nomadic white farmers — began moving onto Adam Kok’s land. A family from Helpmakaar, the Venters, raided the Kok settlement, killed a herder, and stole cattle. Adam appealed to the colonial authorities in Cape Town for justice, but his complaints were ignored. Instead, the same farm — Stinkwater — was formally granted to the Venters.
Social Leadership and Legacy
Despite such injustices, Adam Kok I provided leadership and refuge. He had married Donna, daughter of the Xarixuriqua chief, further strengthening his legitimacy. At Stinkwater, he gave sanctuary to Khoe youth fleeing forced labour, as well as to drosters — runaway slaves and soldiers. A community flourished under his guidance, but when the farm was lost, they followed him north into Little Namaqualand. By the time of his death in 1795, near the Kai! Gariep (Orange River), Adam Kok, I had established a resilient, mobile community rooted in kinship, resistance, and cultural survival...
The Rise of the Griqua
Adam Kok I was succeeded by his son, Cornelius Kok I, who became the leader of the Baster community. In 1805, leadership passed to Adam Kok II, his grandson, who would play a key role in shaping the identity of the Griqua people. In 1813, under the guidance of Scottish missionary Reverend John Campbell, the community decided to reject the name “Baster” — seen as derogatory — and adopt the name “Griqua” instead.
This change was not merely symbolic. Under Adam Kok II, the Griqua established a constitution, laws, courts, and a governing council. Their settlement, previously known as Klaarwater, was renamed Griqua Town (Griquastad). The Griqua nation, born of hardship and survival, emerged with a distinct identity — a product of frontier resistance, strategic alliances, and visionary leadership.
Conclusion
Adam Kok I’s life tells a story of transformation: from possible enslavement to community leadership, from colonial dispossession to the founding of a new nation. His descendants, particularly through the line of Adam Kok II and III, would carry forward the legacy he began — a legacy that reflects resilience, adaptability, and the struggle for dignity and autonomy. The story of Adam Kok I and the early Griqua continues to resonate as part of South Africa’s diverse and complex heritage.
