Gerrit Reynier van Rooyen – Trek leader

By Gina Shepherd

This is the first article in a series about Van Rooyen Voortrekkers.

Published: 19 June 2025
Updated 1 July 2025: Children of Ignatius Michiel van Rooyen and Susanna Elisabeth Kock added.

The emigration of people from the Cape Colony between around 1835 to roughly 1846 was known as the Great Trek. You would usually hear those trekking in the above period referred to as Voortrekkers. This date range is a relatively conservative one, but in reality the emigration went on until about 1854, and those who came later would often be referred to as Natrekkers and Agtertrekkers. The opinions on which people fall into which category has been much discussed by historians but without clear agreement.

The term Voortrekker was applied to this mass emigration retrospectively, and writings by the people themselves, as well as writing referring to them in that time period used the term ‘emigranten’, Dutch for emigrants.

The impression may exist that it was a large co-ordinated movement, but in reality it was not one huge movement, but rather many smaller Treks. There were several official Trek parties under well-known leaders, such as Piet Retief, Gert Maritz, Hendrik Potgieter, Louis Trichardt, Karel Landman, Hans Dons De Lange and others. While there certainly were well co-ordinated and large Trek parties, there were also smaller groups that were formed by families, or from specific areas.

There were several Van Rooyen family groups who trekked into the interior from various parts of the Cape Colony, including Albany, Graaff-Reinet and Uitenhage under different Trek leaders.

Voortrekker vs Trekboer

The Trekboers can be described as semi-nomadic pastoralists who also relied on subsistence farming. During the course of the Eighteenth Century, they gradually pushed beyond the Cape Fold Mountains, continually challenging the official boundaries of the Cape Colony in search of better grazing and water for their flocks, usually sheep. It is not only better grazing that drove them, but they were in a constant quest to move further away from the tentacles of government (initially the VOC, and later the British) whose involvement in their lives they resented. The frontiers of the Cape Colony moved ever further north and east, and this continued into the Nineteenth Century. The Voortrekkers would encounter these Trekboers who had moved across the Orange River (also known as Gariep). The Trekboers still returned to the Cape Colony regularly, often found in baptism registers of border towns, but even further south to where their families were situated. After the Trek a number would settle in what became the Orange Free State.

The Great Trek by contrast was a relatively well-prepared endeavour.

The trekkers were well prepared for their ambitious enterprise. They sent out scouts who returned with the news that large areas of the interior beyond the Orange River were uninhabited. It was Natal in particular that seemed to present excellent prospects.[i]

The events that culminated in the Great Trek are well documented and won’t be discussed in this article.

Gerrit Reynier van Rooyen’s Trek party

Gerrit Reynier van Rooyen (a1b8c6d1) was the second husband of my ancestor Susanna Elisabeth Kock. Susanna’s first husband was Ignatius Michiel van Rooyen (a1b8c1d5), who is my direct line ancestor. The genealogy will be discussed later.

Gerrit was resident in the Uitenhage area, where he owned several farms in the greater district. He resided on the farm ‘Zandvlakte’ near present-day Paterson (established 1879), and just outside the border of Addo Elephant National Park (proclaimed 1931). The co-ordinates of the remainder of the farm today are approximately E25.933 S33.451.

Jan Visagie suggests the departure date of Gerrit Reynier van Rooyen’s party was 17 April 1838. Van Rooyen’s party was relatively small, comprising 29 families. Van Rooyen families (and those married in) known to form part of this party were:

• Cornelis Johannes (Susanna’s son) (b8c1d5e5) married to Susanna Maria Francina Lotter
• Cornelis Johannes (son) (b8c6d1e7) married to Elsie Magdalena Potgieter
• Elemans Joachim (b8c3d1e9) married to Johanna Elizabeth van Rooyen (daughter)
• Gerrit Hilgard (b8c1d3e4) married to Christina Jacomina van Rooyen (Susanna’s daughter) (b8c1d5e5)
• Gerrit Thomas (b8c3d1) married to Susanna Elizabeth Minnie.(my 5 x great grandparents)
• Gerrit Thomas (b8c3d1e3) married to Maria Elizabeth van Rooyen (Susanna’s daughter) (b8c1d5e3) (my 4 x great grandparents)
• Ignatius Marthinus (b8c3d1e7) married to Johanna Christina Pretorius
• Petrus Hendrik (b8c3d1e4) married to Maria Jacoba Fourina Buchner
• Petrus Hendrik (b8c6d1e8) married to Elizabeth Francina Nel
• Roelof Johannes Jurgen (b8c3d1e5) married to Elizabeth Johanna Adriana le Roux
• Stephanus Christian (son) (b8c6d1e6) married to Susanna Helena Bruwer
• Theodorus Cornelis (b8c3d1e2) married Martha Maria Botha
• Hermanus Johannes Pieterse married to Martha Magdalena van Rooyen (Susanna’s daughter) (b8c1d5e4)
• Marthinus Johannes van Staden married to Susanna Jacoba van Rooyen (Susanna’s daughter) (b8c1d5e2)

The exact route followed is uncertain, but it could be reasonably assumed they would have followed a similar path to that of Petrus Lafras Uys who had embarked in April 1837.

Many Trek groups spent a period of rest at Thaba ‘Nchu. The Trekkers had forged a good relationship with Moshoeshoe and the Basotho, and they enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship against the common enemy, Mzilikazi, who was terrorising the Basotho and Barolong. Barolong chief, Moroka, also had an excellent relationship with the Voortrekkers, and came to their aid after Mzilikazi had plundered the Voortrekker oxen after Vegkop.

Given that most of the families in the party of Gerrit Reynier van Rooyen settled in what would become Natal, it is reasonable to assume they joined up with Gerrit Maritz. What remained of Piet Retief’s party was also absorbed into that of Maritz after Retief’s death 6 February 1838. Given GR van Rooyen’s party left the Uitenhage area in April 1838 they would not have been able to join Retief as he died in February 1838. There were Van Rooyens who had left earlier and formed part of Retief’s Trek.

Retief and Maritz did not get along, and Maritz was largely overshadowed by the more charismatic Retief, who did not heed the former’s warnings about Zulu king, Dingane.

A number of the Van Rooyens above are listed as having been present at the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838, so we can be reasonably sure they were in Natal by this point.

In The Voortrekkers, Johannes Meintjes makes mention of a Gert van Rooyen in an action that took place around 26 December 1838 in retaliation for Blood River. It is possible this refers to GR, but the other candidates who may be the person mentioned were part of his trek party, namely: Gerrit Hilgard (b8c1d3e4), Gerrit Thomas (b8c3d1) or this man’s son also Gerrit Thomas (b8c3d1e3). It would thus be reasonable to assume that members of the GR van Rooyen party were part of this action:

They were cut off from the laager. To make a stand and fight would mean suicide. The Zulus obviously expected them to retire back into the kloof, and they were taken by surprise when, after a quick consultation between Landman and Hans Dons, the 300 men suddenly raced for the river, away from the laager, shooting from the saddle They managed to get through, swimming their horses at the deepest part Gert van Rooyen got stuck in quicksand, and as a warrior stabbed his horse, he grabbed the tail of Izak van Niekerk’s mount and got through to a spare one. The men charged down on the Zulus in front of them, firing as they went, and gained the Ulundi plain. Fortunately the whizzing assegais missed them at the speed they were going.[ii]

History has often painted the Voortrekkers as being in co-operation all the time and of one mind. This could not be further from the truth. Bickering between individuals, groups and Trek leaders was fairly constant. They certainly did co-operate when it was necessary, but even in conflict there were differences of opinion. Gerrit Maritz, on hearing his sister, Susanna, and her husband planned to join up with Retief, promptly took back the wagon he had lent the couple in disgust. It is known that Hendrik Potgieter was not very keen on going into Natal after the killing of Piet Retief’s delegation and the massacre at Blaauwkrantz (Weenen), but did so reluctantly. It is far more interesting to study these ancestors with a better idea of who they really were, rather than the mythologised image that came about during the Nationalist period in South Africa.

My husband, Matthew, and I love road trips, and a regular stomping ground of ours has been scouring the area where these Voortrekkers would have moved through, favourites being the Oliviershoek Pass from where you can visit Kerkenberg, a magnificent rock formation where Piet Retief’s party waited while he and about 70 men formed a delegation to Dingane, which led to their demise. Not far away is Retief Pass, and the Kaalvoetvrou Monument (Barefoot Woman Monument) commemorating Susanna Smit (born Maritz), sister of Gerrit Maritz and wife of the Voortrekker lay preacher, Erasmus Smit. Susanna famously stated that she would walk barefoot across the mountains rather than live under the yoke of British oppression. The statue shows her defiantly turning her back on Natal and walking up the Drakensberg. Given that Susanna died in Pietermaritzburg, this did not happen, but she remains a symbol of the determination of Voortrekker women. The views from the monument over KwaZulu-Natal are too magnificent to be missed.

Photographs © Gina Shepherd

Genealogy

Children of Gerrit Reynier

Please see the database for detailed sources.

Gerrit Reynier VAN ROOYEN (a1b8c6d1) ≈Land van Waveren 02.03.1788 (in Cape Town register) s.o. Petrus Hendrik VAN ROOYEN and Johanna Elizabeth SCHUTTE (my 6 x great grandparents) x Cape Town 08.02.1807 Adriana Maria KOK ≈Cape Town 12.10.1788 d.o. Johannes Jacobus KOCK and Adriana Maria FERREIRA xx Susanna Elisabeth KOCK ≈Cape Town 23.11.1788 †’Rooikoppe’, dist. 03.05.1874 d.o. Christiaan KOCK and Sara Johanna SCHEEPERS and widow of Ignatius Michiel VAN ROOYEN (see below for their genealogical information).

Gerrit’s brother, Christiaan Stephanus van Rooyen (1791–1839) and his wife Hester Germina Rautenbach (1795–ca 1831) are my 5 x great grandparents. Gerrit is thus my 5 x great-uncle.

First marriage to Adriana Maria KOK

E1           Petrus Hendrik *12.01.1808 ≈Swellendam 20.03.1808, died young

E2           Adriana Maria *20.04.1809 ≈Swellendam 19.11.1809 †Kimberley 24.04.1879 x Uitenhage 04.06.1831 Hermanus Johannes Wessels ≈Cape Town 27.02.1803 s.o. Hermanus WESSELS and Maria Petronella KEMP

E3           Johannes Jacobus *13.11.1811 ≈Swellendam 12.09.1812 †’Toorfontein’, dist. Fauresmith 15.10.1888 x Colesberg 04.05.1846 Maria Susanna VAN DEN HEEVER *06.10.1815 ≈Graaff-Reinet 27.10.1816 †’Toorfontein’, dist. Fauresmith 13.09.1877

E4           Gerrit Reynier *01.10.1813 ≈Caledon 13.02.1814, died young

E5           Gerrit Reynier *03.05.1816 ≈Graaff-Reinet 15.02.1817 x Uitenhage 23.02.1837 Martha Maria VOGEL *dist. Alexandria 14.12.1821 ≈Uitenhage 31.01.1822 †Natal 14.12.1842 d.o. Johannes Abraham VOGEL and Johanna Magdalena LANDMAN xx Uitenhage 28.06.1847 Cornelia Maria Sebastina CROUS *04.1827 ≈Swellendam 29.07.1827 †Alexandria 24.02.1916 d.o. Petrus Arnoldus CROUS and Sara Elisabeth DELPORT

E6           Stephanus Christiaan *16.09.1819 ≈Uitenhage 16.04.1820 †’Overvloed’, dist. Umvoti 13.10.1893 x Pietermaritzburg 15.09.1845 Susanna Helena BRUWER *Swellendam 29.01.1826 ≈Swellendam 27.03.1826 †’Potspruit’, dist. Kranskop 30.10.1910 d.o. Johannes Hendrik BRUWER and Martha Maria MOLLER

E7           Cornelis Johannes *22.06.1821 ≈Uitenhage 30.09.1821 †’Geluk’, dist. Paulpietersburg 15.03.1904 x Pietermaritzburg 28.10.1846 Elsje Magdalena POTGIETER *20.09.1830 ≈Uitenhage 16.01.1831 †’Geluk’, dist. Paulpietersburg 15.10.1910 d.o. Matthys Gerhardus POTGIETER and Elsje Magdalena (Adriana) BREITENBACH

E8           Petrus Hendrik *09.11.1824 ≈Uitenhage 16.01.1825 †’Middelburg’, dist. Weenen 12.06.1900 x Pietermaritzburg 29.10.1849 Elizabeth Francina NEL *29.10.1831 ≈Somerset East 22.01.1832 †’Middelburg’, dist. Weenen 12.10.1916 d.o. Johannes Petrus NEL and Susanna Maria NEL

Second marriage to Susanna Elisabeth KOCK

E9           Johanna Elizabeth *16.10.1827 ≈Uitenhage 09.12.1827 †’Waaihoek’, dist. Utrecht 26.03.1907 x Pietermaritzburg 11.12.1847 Elemans Joachim VAN ROOYEN *Uitenhage 22.07.1821 ≈Uitenhage 05.08.1821 †’Waaihoek’, dist. Utrecht 21.08.1890 s.o. Gerrit Thomas VAN ROOYEN and Susanna Elisabeth MINNIE

E10        Salomina Adriana *31.03.1829 ≈Uitenhage 24.05.1829 †’The Level’, dist. Harrismith x Pietermaritzburg 01.12.1846 Louis BOTHA *Somerset East 26.03.1827 ≈Somerset East 11.11.1827 †Vrede 05.10.1882 s.o. Philip Rudolph BOTHA and Anna Johanna NEL

                Salomina and Louis were the parents of Louis Botha, Boer War general and first prime minister of the Union of South Africa.

E11        Christiaan *Uitenhage 17.11.1830 ≈Uitenhage 12.12.1830 †’Berlin’, dist. Harrismith 31.03.1910 x Pietermaritzburg 05.10.1857 Elizabeth Lauretta LOTTER *13.12.1832 ≈Somerset East 27.01.1833 †Weenen 27.04.1901 d.o. Christoffel Petrus Francois LOTTER and Isabella Margrita NEL

Children of Susanna Elisabeth KOCK’s first marriage

Please see the database for detailed sources.

Susanna Elisabeth KOCK’s first husband was Ignatius Michiel VAN ROOYEN and they are my 5 x great grandparents. Their children are listed below. Gerrit and Ignatius were first cousins, their fathers having been brothers.

Ignatius Michiel VAN ROOYEN (a1b8c1d5) ≈Land van Waveren 06.05.1787 (Cape Town register) s.o. Cornelis Johannes VAN ROOYEN and Johanna Catharina VAN VUUREN x Cape Town 16.10.1808 Susanna Elisabeth KOCK (details above)

e1           Susara Johanna Catharina *25.07.1809 ≈Graaff-Reinet 06.11.1809 †’Steenkopjes’, dist. Rustenburg 19.05.1892 x Uitenhage 05.03.1826 Jacobus Stephanus VERMAAK *Tsitsikamma 07.08.1805 ≈Swellendam 11.08.1806 †Pietermaritzburg 08.05.1841 s.o. Salomon VERMAAK en Anna Jacoba VAN VUUREN

e2           Susanna Jacoba *Uitenhage 23.06.1811 ≈Graaff-Reinet 16.08.1812 †’Rietpoort’, dist. Potchefstroom 16.07.1875 x Uitenhage 23.12.1827 Marthinus Johannes VAN STADEN *08.02.1807 ≈Swellendam 28.05.1807 s.o. Petrus VAN STADEN and Hester Antoinetta SCHEEPERS

e3           Maria Elizabeth *11.11.1813 ≈Graaff-Reinet 17.03.1814 †’Grootvaley’, dist. Utrecht 06.10.1890 x Uitenhage 31.03.1834 Gerrit Thomas VAN ROOYEN *07.12.1809 ≈Swellendam 02.12.1810 †’Grootvaley’, dist. Utrecht 25.06.1885 s.o. Gerrit Thomas VAN ROOYEN and Susanna Elisabeth MINNIE

e4           Martha Magdalena *06.01.1814 ≈George 12.11.1815 †’Brakhoek’, dist. Newcastle x Uitenhage 23.02.1833 Hermanus Johannes PIETERSE ≈Cape Town 06.04.1798 †’Brakhoek’, dist. Newcastle 03.04.1882 s.o. Hermanus Johannes PIETERSE and Johanna Catharina LANDMAN

e5           Christina Jacomina *26.12.1816 ≈Uitenhage 15.02.1817 †’Weltevreden’, dist. Utrecht 04.05.1903 x Uitenhage 18.09.1834 Gerrit Hilgard VAN ROOYEN *17.04.1813 ≈Graaff-Reinet 17.07.1814 s.o. Lucas Marthinus VAN ROOYEN and Jacomina Aletta MULLER

e6           Cornelis Johannes *12.11.1818 ≈Uitenhage 18.04.1819 x Pietermaritzburg 16.04.1843 Susanna Maria Francina LOTTER *03.07.1825 ≈Cradock 08.08.1825 †24.05.1893 d.o. Christoffel Petrus Francois LOTTER and Isabella Margrita NEL

e7           Hester Antoinetta *22.11.1820 ≈Uitenhage 17.12.1820 †’Halberton’, dist. Utrecht 16.04.1890 x Uitenhage 12.03.1838 Christiaan Stephanus VAN ROOYEN *22.05.1817 ≈George 10.08.1817 †’Halberton’, dist. Paulpietersburg s.o. Christiaan Stephanus VAN ROOYEN and Hester Germina RAUTENBACH

e8           Ingenasina Michaellina *24.09.1823 ≈Uitenhage 18.01.1824, possibly died young.

   

Sources and suggested reading:

1. Visagie, Jan C. 2011. Voortrekkerstamouers 1835–1845. Second edition. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis.
2. Giliomee, Hermann. 2020. The Afrikaners: A Concise History. Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers Ltd.
3. Giliomee, Hermann. 2004. Die Afrikaners: ‘n Biografie. Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers Ltd.
4. Meintjes, Johannes. 1973. The Voortrekkers: The story of the Great Trek and the making of South Africa. London: Cassell & Company Ltd.
5. Giliomee, Hermann. 2020. Maverick Africans: The shaping of the Afrikaners. Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers Ltd. Kindle Edition.
6. Bishop, S. 1987. Early years at Thaba Nchu and friendship between the Rolong and the Voortrekkers. Bloemfontein: National Museum. Available via Sabinet African Journals https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10162275_85 [accessed 8 June 2025].

Sources for maps and images:

1. Figure 1: Wikimedia Commons. Map of Trek routes: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Trek_map_full.png [accessed 18 June 2025].
2. Figure 2 and 3: Map showing Uitenhage district within Cape of Good Hope: https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/maps/b945443e-81f2-5a52-9d52-69081e40659d?gid=24cd5be0-43ce-52cf-ba67-4686ba301b8a&year=1848#position=6.8521/-31.708/22.922/-1.24&year=1848 [accessed 18 June 2025].
3. Figure 4: Wikimedia Commons: Voortrekker scene from the book South Africa by Ian Duncan Colvin, 1909 digistised by Smithsonian Libraries. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_Africa_(1909)_(14784211175).jpg [accessed 18 June 2025].
4. Figure 5: Wikimedia Commons: Voortrekker Monument marble relief panel showing everyday life: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014-11-19_Marmorrelief_Voortrekker_Monument_Pretoria_01_anagoria.JPG [accessed 18 June 2025].
5. Figure 6: Wikimedia Commons: Voortrekker Monument marble relief panel of Voortrekkers driving sheep https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uittog,_panele_1_%26_2,_Voortrekkermonument.jpg [accessed 18 June 2025].

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[i] Giliomee, Hermann. 2020. The Afrikaners: A Concise History. pp. 70-71.

[ii] Meintjes, Johannes. 1973. The Voortrekkers: The story of the Great Trek and the making of South Africa. pp. 143–144.