Nicolai Esmit
Encyclopedia
Nicolai Esmit was governor
of St. Thomas
in the Danish West Indies
from 4 July 1680 - November 1682. He was born in Holstein
. His younger brother Adolph Esmit
succeeded him as governor of St. Thomas.
on Jamaica
after finishing school. In 1678, he and his brother were issued deeds for land they owned in St. Thomas. Esmit was the only applicant to the position of governor after Jørgen Iversen Dyppel
's wish for retirement on 9 September 1679 and was instated on the latter's official retirement on 4 July 1680.
The island was characterized by a lack of manpower at the time, and Christian V bought slaves from the Africa
n king of the Akan people
for the colony.
However, Esmit appeared to Danish West India Company
to be subverting the work of Dyppel, and in 1682 they were sending Dyppel back. However, Dyppel died en route due to a mutiny, and before a new governor could be named to succeed Esmit, his brother Adolph led a revolution that overthrew his authority in 1682.
After managing to escape to Copenhagen
, Esmit was put on trial, but was declared insane. The court awarded him damages of 20000 rigsdaler
from his brother, but he refused to comply.
Admiralitetsraad Jens Lassen saw to it that Esmit was paid a small pension until his death.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
in the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
from 4 July 1680 - November 1682. He was born in Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
. His younger brother Adolph Esmit
Adolph Esmit
Adolph Esmit was governor of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies from 1683 to 1684, and again from 1687 to 1688. He was born in Holstein. His older brother Nicolai Esmit preceded him as governor of St. Thomas.-Biography:...
succeeded him as governor of St. Thomas.
Biography
According to Dansk Biografisk Lexikon, Esmit served under EnglandGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
on Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
after finishing school. In 1678, he and his brother were issued deeds for land they owned in St. Thomas. Esmit was the only applicant to the position of governor after Jørgen Iversen Dyppel
Jørgen Iversen Dyppel
Jørgen Iversen Dyppel , also called George Iversen or Ifversen, or sometimes Doppel in Knox, was the first governor of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, from 1672 to 1680...
's wish for retirement on 9 September 1679 and was instated on the latter's official retirement on 4 July 1680.
The island was characterized by a lack of manpower at the time, and Christian V bought slaves from the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n king of the Akan people
Akan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
for the colony.
However, Esmit appeared to Danish West India Company
Danish West India Company
The Danish West India Company or Danish West India-Guinea Company was a Danish chartered company that exploited colonies in the Danish West Indies. It was founded as the Danish Africa Company in 1659 in Glückstadt by a German Hendrik Carloff and two Dutchmen Isaac Coymans and Nicolaes Pancras....
to be subverting the work of Dyppel, and in 1682 they were sending Dyppel back. However, Dyppel died en route due to a mutiny, and before a new governor could be named to succeed Esmit, his brother Adolph led a revolution that overthrew his authority in 1682.
After managing to escape to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Esmit was put on trial, but was declared insane. The court awarded him damages of 20000 rigsdaler
Rigsdaler
Rigsdaler is a unit of currency.Rigsdaler may refer to:* Danish rigsdaler* Danish West Indian rigsdaler* Greenlandic rigsdaler* Norwegian rigsdalerSee also* Swedish riksdaler...
from his brother, but he refused to comply.
Admiralitetsraad Jens Lassen saw to it that Esmit was paid a small pension until his death.