Stellaland (1882 to 1885)
David Massouw ruled over the Koranna, a semi Griqua tribe of Hottentots at 'Mamusa' on the Harts river within the claimed limits of the Transvaal. For years there had been trouble with Mankoroane, chief of the Batlapin of Taungs. In October 1881 Mankoroane, assisted by some Europeans attacked Mamusa. David Massouw raised a force of 400 Transvaal Boers, with promises of a farm (and half the loot).
Mankoroane sued for peace in July 1882. The volunteers formed camp on the Losasa and the town of Vryburg was decided upon. A three man commission (Bosman, van der Berg and Dennison) marked out the town and farm plots, and the plots were allocated by lottery. Plots were 40 by 60 Morgen. A Morgen is the distance travelled by a walking horse in a minute. Making them about 4000 by 6000 yards.
One bright fresh evening, after the start of the rainy season, a group of a dozen Boers were lounging around in blankets. When the question of picking a name for the country arose, one of the party, gazing at the stars, suggested Stellaland, and this was unanimously adopted (so they say...)
Are there any stamps
Stellaland issued five stamps for postal use (one of which was later surcharged) and nine stamps for revenue purposes. When the British took over in 1885 there were both postal and revenue stamps stocks. The remaining postal stamps where sold to stamp dealers, but the revenue stamps remained in use for British Bechuanaland revenue usage until 1887
What about other philately
Covers are very rare. A couple of handfuls at most.
On the way to Vryburg Sir Charles Warren and his force of 5000 laid a telegraph system as they went north from the Cape of Good Hope. Correspondence from soldiers back to Britain, and letters out are sought after as are the Military Telegraph stamps and telegrams.
When the British took over they organised a Land Commission (which sat in 1886) to check the validity of land claims. This neccessitated people bring forward any documentation, paying for translations from Old Dutch (language of Stellaland) to English. Many of these documents and translations relating to land sales and purchases where kept - as they proved legal ownership if claims where upheld - and have survived. Numbers are thought to be under a hundred.