Berbice
Encyclopedia
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River
in Guyana
, which was between 1627 and 1815 a colony of the Netherlands
. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom
in the latter year, it was merged with Essequibo
and Demerara
to form the colony of British Guiana
in 1831. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as Guyana
.
After being a hereditary fief in the possession of the Van Peere family, the colony was governed by the Society of Berbice
in the second half of the colonial period, akin to the neighbouring colony of Suriname, which was governed by the Society of Suriname
. The capital of Berbice was at Fort Nassau
until 1790. In that year, the town of New Amsterdam
, which grew around Fort Sint Andries, was made the new capital of the colony.
from Flushing, Netherlands
, under the suzerainty of the Dutch West India Company
. Until 1714, the colony remained the personal possession of Van Peere and his descendants. Little is known about the early years of the colony, other than that it succeeded in repelling an English attack in 1665 in the Second Anglo-Dutch War
.
Apparently some disputes arose between the Second Dutch West India Company
, which was founded to succeed the First Dutch West India Company that went bankrupt in 1674, and the Van Peere family. This was resolved when on 14 September 1678 a charter was signed which established Berbice as a hereditary fief of the Dutch West India Company, in the possession of the Van Peere family.
In November 1712, Berbice was briefly occupied by the French under Jacques Cassard
, as part of the War of the Spanish Succession
. The Van Peere family did not want to pay a ransom to the French to free the colony, and in order to not let the colony cede to the French, the brothers Nicolaas and Hendrik van Hoorn, Arnold Dix, Pieter Schuurmans, and Cornelis van Peere, paid the ransom on 24 October 1714, thereby acquiring the colony.
In 1720, the five owners of the colony founded a Society of Berbice
, akin to the Society of Suriname
which governed the neighbouring colony, to raise more capital for the colony. In the years following, Berbice's economic situation improved, consisting of 12 plantations owned by the society, 93 private plantation along the Berbice River
, and 20 plantations along the Canje River
.
In 1733, village which had sprung up around Fort Nassau
was named New Amsterdam (Dutch
: Nieuw Amsterdam). The fort and the village were abandoned in 1785 in favour of Fort Sint Andries, situated more downstream, at the confluence of the Canje River
. The new village was again named New Amsterdam
, and is still known by that name in contemporary Guyana.
The relatively sound economic situation of the colony was dealt a severe blow when a slave uprising broke out
under the leadership of Cuffy
in February 1763. The uprising went on until well into 1764, with Cuffy naming himself governor of Berbice. Only with the use of brute force was governor Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim able to finally suppress the uprising, and restore the colony to Dutch rule.
, Essequibo
as part of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
, but in January 1782, the colonies were recaptured by the French
, who were allied with the Dutch, and who subsequently restored the colonies to Dutch rule with the Treaty of Paris of 1783. The colony was on 22 April 1796 again captured by Britain, however who now remained in possession of the colony until 27 March 1802, when Berbice was restored to the Batavian Republic
under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens
. In September 1803 the British occupied the territory again, this time for good. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
, the colony was formally ceded to the United Kingdom, and with the ratification of this treaty by the Netherlands on 20 November 1815, all Dutch legal claims to the colony were rescinded.
As part of the reforms of the newly acquired colonies on the South American mainland, the British merged Berbice with Essequibo and Demerara on 21 July 1831, forming the new crown colony
of British Guiana
.
, a Dutch creole language based on the lexicon and grammar of the West African language Ijo, was spoken until well into the 20th century.
Berbice River
The Berbice River, located in eastern Guyana, rises in the highlands of the Rupununi region. The Berbice flows northward for 370 miles through dense forests to the coastal plain...
in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, which was between 1627 and 1815 a colony of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the latter year, it was merged with Essequibo
Essequibo (colony)
Essequibo was from 1616 to 1814 a Dutch colony in the region of the Essequibo river on the north coast of South America. The colony formed a part of the colonies that are known under the collective name of Dutch Guyana.- History :...
and Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
to form the colony of British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
in 1831. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
.
After being a hereditary fief in the possession of the Van Peere family, the colony was governed by the Society of Berbice
Society of Berbice
The Society of Berbice was founded on 24 October 1720 by the owners of the colony of Berbice. These owners, brothers Nicolaas and Hendrik van Hoorn, Arnold Dix, Pieter Schuurmans, and Cornelis van Peere, had acquired the colony from the French on 24 October 1714, who in turn had occupied the...
in the second half of the colonial period, akin to the neighbouring colony of Suriname, which was governed by the Society of Suriname
Society of Suriname
The Society of Suriname was a Dutch private company, modelled on the ideas of Jean-Baptiste Colbert and set up on 21 May 1683 to profit from the management and defence of the Dutch Republic's colony of Suriname...
. The capital of Berbice was at Fort Nassau
Fort Nassau (Guyana)
Fort Nassau was the capital of the colony of Berbice. It was situated approximately 88 kilometres upstream the Berbice River from New Amsterdam.The original fort was burnt by the French when they attacked Berbice in 1712...
until 1790. In that year, the town of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam, Guyana
New Amsterdam , located in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, 62 miles from the capital, Georgetown, is one of the largest towns in Guyana. It is located four miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean mouth of the Berbice River, on its eastern bank, immediately south of the Canje River...
, which grew around Fort Sint Andries, was made the new capital of the colony.
History
Berbice was settled in 1627 by the businessman Abraham van PeereAbraham van Peere
Abraham van Peere was a Dutch merchant from Flushing in the County of Zeeland. In 1602, a charter was given by the States General of the Dutch Republic to his father Jan van Peere to found a colony on the Berbice River on the coast of Guyana...
from Flushing, Netherlands
Flushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
, under the suzerainty of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
. Until 1714, the colony remained the personal possession of Van Peere and his descendants. Little is known about the early years of the colony, other than that it succeeded in repelling an English attack in 1665 in the Second Anglo-Dutch War
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
.
Apparently some disputes arose between the Second Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
, which was founded to succeed the First Dutch West India Company that went bankrupt in 1674, and the Van Peere family. This was resolved when on 14 September 1678 a charter was signed which established Berbice as a hereditary fief of the Dutch West India Company, in the possession of the Van Peere family.
In November 1712, Berbice was briefly occupied by the French under Jacques Cassard
Jacques Cassard
Jacques Cassard was a French naval officer and privateer.- Biography :Born on 30 September 1679 to a family of merchants of Nantes, Cassard began a career as a sailor at age 14 on the merchantmen owned by his family. In January 1697, he joined the French Navy on bombship Éclatante.In 1700,...
, as part of the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. The Van Peere family did not want to pay a ransom to the French to free the colony, and in order to not let the colony cede to the French, the brothers Nicolaas and Hendrik van Hoorn, Arnold Dix, Pieter Schuurmans, and Cornelis van Peere, paid the ransom on 24 October 1714, thereby acquiring the colony.
In 1720, the five owners of the colony founded a Society of Berbice
Society of Berbice
The Society of Berbice was founded on 24 October 1720 by the owners of the colony of Berbice. These owners, brothers Nicolaas and Hendrik van Hoorn, Arnold Dix, Pieter Schuurmans, and Cornelis van Peere, had acquired the colony from the French on 24 October 1714, who in turn had occupied the...
, akin to the Society of Suriname
Society of Suriname
The Society of Suriname was a Dutch private company, modelled on the ideas of Jean-Baptiste Colbert and set up on 21 May 1683 to profit from the management and defence of the Dutch Republic's colony of Suriname...
which governed the neighbouring colony, to raise more capital for the colony. In the years following, Berbice's economic situation improved, consisting of 12 plantations owned by the society, 93 private plantation along the Berbice River
Berbice River
The Berbice River, located in eastern Guyana, rises in the highlands of the Rupununi region. The Berbice flows northward for 370 miles through dense forests to the coastal plain...
, and 20 plantations along the Canje River
Canje River
The Canje River, located in northeastern Guyana, is the main tributary of the Berbice River. It runs roughly parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast....
.
In 1733, village which had sprung up around Fort Nassau
Fort Nassau (Guyana)
Fort Nassau was the capital of the colony of Berbice. It was situated approximately 88 kilometres upstream the Berbice River from New Amsterdam.The original fort was burnt by the French when they attacked Berbice in 1712...
was named New Amsterdam (Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Nieuw Amsterdam). The fort and the village were abandoned in 1785 in favour of Fort Sint Andries, situated more downstream, at the confluence of the Canje River
Canje River
The Canje River, located in northeastern Guyana, is the main tributary of the Berbice River. It runs roughly parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast....
. The new village was again named New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam, Guyana
New Amsterdam , located in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region, 62 miles from the capital, Georgetown, is one of the largest towns in Guyana. It is located four miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean mouth of the Berbice River, on its eastern bank, immediately south of the Canje River...
, and is still known by that name in contemporary Guyana.
The relatively sound economic situation of the colony was dealt a severe blow when a slave uprising broke out
Berbice Slave Uprising
The Berbice Slave Uprising was a slave revolt in Guyana. It began in February 1763 and lasted into 1764.The uprising began on Plantation Magdalenenberg on the Canje River in Berbice. The slaves rebelled, protesting harsh and inhumane treatment, and took control of the region. As plantation after...
under the leadership of Cuffy
Cuffy (person)
Cuffy, or Kofi , was an Akan person who was captured in his native West Africa and sold into slavery to work in the plantations of the Dutch colony of Berbice in present-day Guyana. He became famous because in 1763 he led a revolt of more than 2,500 slaves against the colony regime...
in February 1763. The uprising went on until well into 1764, with Cuffy naming himself governor of Berbice. Only with the use of brute force was governor Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim able to finally suppress the uprising, and restore the colony to Dutch rule.
Capture by Britain and subsequent merging into British Guiana
On 27 February 1781, British forces occupied Berbice and neighbouring DemeraraDemerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
, Essequibo
Essequibo (colony)
Essequibo was from 1616 to 1814 a Dutch colony in the region of the Essequibo river on the north coast of South America. The colony formed a part of the colonies that are known under the collective name of Dutch Guyana.- History :...
as part of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo–Dutch War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, tangentially related to the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that...
, but in January 1782, the colonies were recaptured by the French
Recapture of Demerara and Essequibo
The Capture of Demerara and Essequibo was a French military expedition sent in January 1782 as part of the American Revolutionary War. In 1781, the Dutch colonies of Essequibo and Demerara were captured by a British squadron of Admiral Lord Rodney's fleet; the French took possession of these...
, who were allied with the Dutch, and who subsequently restored the colonies to Dutch rule with the Treaty of Paris of 1783. The colony was on 22 April 1796 again captured by Britain, however who now remained in possession of the colony until 27 March 1802, when Berbice was restored to the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
. In September 1803 the British occupied the territory again, this time for good. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands in London on August 13, 1814...
, the colony was formally ceded to the United Kingdom, and with the ratification of this treaty by the Netherlands on 20 November 1815, all Dutch legal claims to the colony were rescinded.
As part of the reforms of the newly acquired colonies on the South American mainland, the British merged Berbice with Essequibo and Demerara on 21 July 1831, forming the new crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
of British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
.
Legacy
Berbice Creole DutchBerbice Creole Dutch
Berbice Dutch Creole is a now extinct Dutch-based creole language. It had a lexicon partly based on a dialect of the West African language of Ijaw...
, a Dutch creole language based on the lexicon and grammar of the West African language Ijo, was spoken until well into the 20th century.
Commander of Berbice
- Matthijs Bergenaar (1666–1671)
- Cornelis Marinus (1671–1683)
- Gideon Bourse (1683–1684)
- Lucas Coudrie (1684–1687)
- Matthijs de Feer (1687–1712)
- Steven de Waterman (1712–1714)
- Anthony Tierens (1714–1733)
Governor of Berbice
- Bernhardt Waterman (1733–1740)
- Jan Andries Lossner (1740–1749)
- Jan Frederik Colier (1749–1755)
- Hendrik Jan van Rijswijck (1755–1759)
- Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim (1760–1764)
- Johan Heijlinger (1764–1767)
- Stephen Hendrik de la Sabloniere (1768–1773)
- Johan Christoffel de Winter (1773–1774)
- Isaac Kaecks (1774–1777)
- Peter Hendrik Koppiers (1e maal) (1778 - 27 feb. 1781)
- Robert Kingston (27 feb. 1781 - 1782)
- Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (1782)
- Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, count of Kersaint (1782)
- Georges Manganon de la Perrière (1783–1784)
- Peter Hendrik Koppiers (2e maal) (1784–1789)
- Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van BatenburgAbraham Jacob van Imbijze van BatenburgAbraham Jacob van Imbyze van Batenburg was a Dutch governor of Berbice and Essequibo during the period 1789-1806.-His life:...
(first term, acting until 1794) (1789–1796) - J.C.W. Herlin en G. Kobus (acting) (27 March 1802 - September 1803)
- Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van Batenburg (second term) (June 1804 - 1806)
Lieutenant Governor of Berbice
- Robert Nicholson (1803–1807)
- James Montgomery (1807–1809)
- William Woodly (1809–1810)
- Samuel Dalrymple (1810)
- Robert Gordon (1st time) (1810–1812)
- John Murry (1812–1813)
- Robert Gordon (2nd time) (1813)
- Grant (acting) (1813–1814)
- Henry William Bentinck (1814–1820)
- Thistlewayte (acting) (1820–1821)
- J. Cameron (acting) (1821)
- Henry Beard (1821 - 21 Jul 1831)