The origin of towns in the Eastern Cape Midlands.

• Opsomming: Die ontstaan van stedelike sentra hou verband met nedersettingsgeskiedenis en die behoeftes van die plaaslike bevolking. Aangesien van die oudste binnelandse dorpe in Suid-Afrika in die Oos-Kaapse Middellande aangelê is, teen die streek hom uitstekend vir 'n studie van dorpstigting. Drie duidelike periodes van dorpstigting kan onderskei word. Politieke of administratiewe oorwegings was gedurende die eerste periode van belang, terwyl die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk gedurende die tweede periode vir die stigting van dorpe verantwoordelik was. Geen bepaalde rede vir dorpstigting kan vir die derde periode aangedui word nie, behalwe miskien die behoefte aan 'n sentrale dorp.• Summary: The origin of urban centres is related to settlement history and the needs of the local population. Since some of the oldest inland towns in South Africa were founded in the Eastern Cape Midlands, this region lends itself to the study of the origin of towns. Three distinct periods of township formation are distinguishable: during the first, political or administrative considerations were of major importance; in the second, towns were established by the Dutch Reformed Church; no one common factor can be indicated for towns founded during the third period except probably the need in most instances for a central place