The Couronians and The West Indies The First Settlements

Author(s): Edgar Anderson

Source: Caribbean Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 4 (June, 1959), pp. 264-271
Published by: University of the West Indies and Caribbean Quarterly
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40652728 .
Accessed: 14/01/2014 16:49

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

University of the West Indies and Caribbean Quarterly are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to Caribbean Quarterly.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 The Couroniansand The West Indies
The First Settlements
Edgar Anderson

I
The complicatedhistoryof the Caribbean area stilloffersmany opportunities
in the 17thand 18thcenturies.
forstudyto the historianparticularlyinterested
Among the countrieswhichmade theirappearances in Caribbean annals one
may also mentionthe Duchy of Courland.
The area of the Duchy of Courland comprised10,500 square miles and
consistedof two westernprovincesof Latvia situated on the Peninsula of
Courland (Kurzeme) and the Plains of Zemgale betweenthe Baltic Sea and
the Gulf of Riga. The Duchy was inhabitedby approximatelyhalf a million
inhabitants.The majorityof the people were Latvians, but Germansformed
the most influentialminority.The chief occupations of the people were
agriculture,deep-seafishing,navigation,and handicraftindustry.The country
producedforexports:rye, flax,oats, timberproducts,cppperware,glassware,
ironware,meat, beer, brandyand aquavit, wool and linen textiles,tar, pitch,
rope, sailingequipment,leathergoods, ships, guns and amber jewellery.The
dukes possessed considerablenavy which was larger than those of many
great powers of Europe Duke Jacobus, e.g., possessed at different times a
total of 44 armed and 15 unarmedmen-of-war, 60 big merchantships and a
considerablenumberof smallervessels. These ships sailed undera flagwhich
had a black crayfishon a red field.1
The Duchy of Courlandwas establishedas a fiefof the United Kingdom
of Poland and Lithuania in 1562 by Gothard von Kettler,the last Grand
Masterof the Livonian Orderof Knights. It was practicallyindependentand
neutral duringmost of the time of its history.In 1795 it was absorbed by
Russia and was liberatedonly in 1918. The capital of the countrywas Jelgava
(Mitau), the principalports were Ventspils (Windau) and Liepaja (Libau).
The most importantruler of the Duchy was Duke Jacobus (James,
1642-1681). He studiedeconomics,shipbuilding,geographyand navigationin
Germany,France and the Netherlands.Presumablyin 1634 he made a secret
agreementwiththe Dutch bankerMarséliswho promisedjtofinanceJacobus's
colonisingenterpriseswestward.2In 1642 Prince Jacobus became the duke
and in 1645 he marriedthe sisterof the Grand Elector of Brandenburg.The
Duchess Louise Charlottehad a considerableshare in the Dutch West India

Arnold Spekke, History of Latvia (Stockholm: M. Goppers, 1951), p. 249;

Hugo Vitols, Im mer Baltique et les Etats Baltes (Paris: Domat-Montchrètien,
1935),
pp. 194-95.
*State Archives of Latvia, Archives of the Duchy of Courland, Riga, Latvia
(furthercited as LVA), 311/2052.

264

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Company.3In his economicpolicy Duke Jacobus was mercantilistHe sought
to develop his duchy as a maritimepower. His shipyardsbuilt ships not only
fordomesticuse, but also forFrance, England, and Spain. He had diplomatic
representativesin all importantcentresof Europe, a naval stationat Flekeroe
and miningcentresat Eidsvold and Kongsbergin Norway, and colonies in
Gambia (in West Africa) and Tobago (in America).4
The Kettlerfamilyhad very close relationswith the Stuart dynastyof
England. Duke Jacobus was godson of James I of England. The English
diplomats,particularlySir Thomas Roe, protectedCourland against Sweden
and Poland. James I and Charles I paid pensionsto Duke Wilhelm,Jacobus's
father.During the Civil War of England Jacobus supportedthe Stuartswith
ships and considerableshipmentsof food, arms and ammunitionthe total
value of which in 1649 reached 380,000 Rixthalers.Jacobus also supported
Charles IIs
Both England and the Netherlandshad close economicrelationswiththe
Duchy. The duke's ministerin Holland and France, Jean de Wicquefort,
greatlyextendedthe influenceof Courland in those countries.The dukes also
had friendlyrelationswith the Orange familyof the Netherlandsand the
Danish royal family.As early as 1643, the Duchy of Courland had treaties
of friendshipand commercewith France, Sweden, and Venetia, and in 1643
similartreatywithPortugalwas signedand friendlyrelationswere established
withSpain.
II
The Couronians appeared in the West Indies quite early, immediately
afterthe English,Frenchand Dutch made theirappearances there.They were
particularlyinterestedin Tobago, which was inhabitedby the Caribs at the
time when Europeans discoveredit. Some English adventurersvisited the
island as early as 1594. In 1614 Joannes Roderigo founded a short-lived

*Ernst Seraphim, Eine Schwester dest Grossen Kurfürsten Luise Charlotte.

Markgräfinvon Brandenburg,Herzogin von Kurland, 1617-1676(Berlin: Verlag von
AlexanderDuncker, 1901), p. 2 Iff.;Otto Heinz Mattiesen,Die Kolonial- und Ubersee-
politik der kurländischenHerzöge im 17 und 18. Jhd. (Berlin & Stuttgart:
Kohlhammer,1940), p. 410.
4Spekke, op. cit., p. 249; Mattiesen, op. cit., pp. 28, 37; Jêkabs Juskevics,
Hercoga Jêkaba laikmets Kurzeme (Riga: Valstspapïru spiestuves izdevums, 1931).
pp. 164-82,265, 586, 637; Walter Eckert, Kurland unter dem Einfluss des Merkan-
tilismus(Riga: VerlegG. Löffler,1937), p. 137.
*LVA, 110/613, ff. 39-41, 49, 52; 110/614; 107/601, f. 38b; 112/612, ff. 1, 5;
131/862; 35/240; Juskevics,op. cit., p. 13; AlfredBilmanis, A History of Latvia
(Princeton: PrincetonUniversityPress, 1951), pp. 186-87;Great Britain,Public Record
Office,State Papers, DomesticSeries [furthercited as PRO, SP], 16/174; GreatBritain,
Public Record Office, Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the Reign of
Charles I [furthercited as Cal. Dom.], I, 537; IV, 314, 308, 326; Scottish History
SocietyMiscellanyof the ScottishHistorySociety (Edinburgh: T. A. Constable, 1893),
XV, 145. 155. 189-90,209-11.
%LVA,35/240, ff. 3, 26; 50/708, f. 47; 55/704; 65/707, i. 41; 107/601, ff. 1-2.
9-11, 32; 108/639; 450/460; Eckert, op. cit., pp. 54-55, 147, 154, 167; Juskevics,
op. cit., pp. 26, 164-65,177, 182, 265, 275, 586, 637; Otto von Mirbach,Briefeaus und
nach Gurlandwährendder Regierungsjahredes Herzogs Jacob (Mitsm: Reyfcer,1844),
I, 309-15.

265

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Spanish settlement on Tobago. In 1626 Sir Thomas Warnertook possessionof
all the Caribbean islands in the name of King Charles I. From 1628 to 1630
and from1633 to 1636 the Dutch had establishedtheircolonieson the island,
but the plantersof Barbados made occasional visitsto Tobago to securewood
and timbersupplies.
The CouronianPrinceJacobus probablyreceivedsome information about
Tobago from the English diplomat, Sir Thomas Roe, who defended the
Couronian interestsin 1629-30 and had seen both Trinidad and Tobago in
1611. In 1627, the founderof the Dutch and Swedish West India Companies,
WilliamUsselinx,visitedthe Duke of Courlandin orderto get him interested
in the colonial enterprises.A Couronianofficer, JoachimDenigervon Olinda,
fought on the Dutch side in Brazil in 1630. Prince Jacobus studiedin Holland
shipbuilding,geography and economics from 1634 to 1636 and probablyheard
about thefailureof the Dutch on Tobago. He spentmuchof his timein Zealand
where the Tobago colonistscame from and contacted banker Marsélis in
Amsterdam, who promised to finance Couronian colonising expeditions
westward.7
Some sources (Colonel John Scott, &c.) mentionedthe firstCouronian
colony on Tobago as establishedin 1634, but other sources do not confirm
theirstatements.8Some othersources (Anderson,Praetorius) placed the first
Couronian settlementsin 1637 or even in 1640.· Scott mentionedthat 212
Couroniansperishedon theislandin 1634. Mostof his statementsare confirmed
by later researchstudies. Thereforehis manuscriptshould not be entirely
ignored.If the duke reallyhad a settlement on Tobago in 1634 or a fewyears
laterhe had all reasonsto be silentabout it (fearof competitionand jealousy,
experiencedfailure,dubiousnatureofthecolony,&c).
On July2, 1627, James Hay, Earl of Carlisle,receiveda grantof all the
Caribbean Islands fromthe King of England, Charles I. Philip Herbert,Earl
of Pembrokeand Montgomery, intervenedand receiveda grantof Trinidad,
Tobago and two otherislands on February 25, 1628. Afteran unsuccessful
attemptto settleTobago in August,1638,the son of the Earl of Pembrokesold
his patentto Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick,who organisedtwo expeditions
to Tobago, one under Captain Robert Marsham in 1639, and anotherone,
underCaptain Marshall,in 1642. The coloniesestablishedby these men lasted
fora fewmonthseach. AfteranotherunsuccessfulattempttheEarl of Warwick
offeredthe island forsale on August 12, 1647. Nothingmorewas heard of the
Pembroke- Warwickpatent.

'LVA, 321/1057, £. 4; J. Franklin Jameson,Willem Usselinx, Founder of the

Dutch and Swedish West India Companies(New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1887).
p. 124; J[ohann] C[hristoph]P[raetorius], Tobago Insulae Caraibicaein AmericaSitae
Fatum .... (Groningae: Spikes, 1727), pp. 19-20.
•BritishMuseum. Departmentof Manuscripts[furthercited as BM], Sloane MSS.
3662, ff.47v.-48r.;JohnFowler, A SummaryAccountof the PresentFlourishingState
of the Respectable Colony of Tobago (London: [n.p.], 1774), p.8.
•Adam Anderson,An Historical and ChronologicalDeduction of the Origin of
Commercefromthe Earliest Accounts,Containingan Historyof the Great Commercial
Interestsof the BritishEmpire (London: A. Millar, 1764), II, 377; Praetorius,
op. cit., p. 23 and In textu corrigenda.

266

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Duke Jacobus (James, born 1610, died 1681) was the founderof the
Colonial Power of the Duchy of Courland.
The museumof Provinceof Courlandat Jelgava, Lativa

1 9

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Ship Die Pax (46 guns) reached Tobago in
The Line-of-Battle
September,1656 with 120 Latvian Colonistson Board.

- Painting of F. Baurs.

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 The Couroniansclaimed that they had bought Warwick's patent, withthe
knowledgeof Jacobus's friend,Charles I, who receivedconsiderablesupport
fromthe Couronian duke during the Civil War. Warwick, however,joined
the side of the Parliamentagainstthe King. Nobody knowswhen and how the
island was purchased by the Duke of Courland. In May, 1658, there were
stillsome unsettledaccountsto be dealt with betweenthe Duke and the Earl
of Warwick.In 1660, however,the second son of the Earl did not presenthis
claims to the island. It seems that no documentwas issued to confirmthe
businesstransactionsforsecurityreasons, but Charles I, who probablyknew
about it, died in 1649. Tobago archivesat London wereburntin 1668.10
Scottand the anonymousauthorof Tobago mentionedanotherCouronian
settlement on Tobago from1642 to 1650. They mentiona group of smugglers
fromZealand, a total of 310, underCaptain Caroon, fromBrazil, who settled
the island under the protectionof the Duke of Courland. The Caribs had
exterminated theircolony.There are manyevidenceswhichprovetheexistence
of thiscolony.The duke's correspondence, however,did not mentionCaroon's
(or Caron's) settlement,but later some CornellsCaron presentedhis claim to
a separatesettlement on Tobago. His reputationwas bad and in 1666 he was
arrestedand triedforsomeold crimes.11
Most of the authors claim that the Couronian ships had never been in
the West Indies before 1654. Their statementswere not correct. Several
Dutch, English, and Danish documentsclearlyindicatedthe presenceof the
Couronian ships in the West Indies in 1642, 1645, 1649, and 1653. They
were slave traders,but they also carriedgrain and elephanttusks. A banker
fromDanzig, Israel Jaski, congratulatedDuke Jacobus on October 9, 1649,
forhis profitable"India trade".12

"ArthurParcival Newton, The ColonisingActivitiesof the English Puritans (New

Haven: Yale UniversityPress, 1914), pp. 121-23, 197; BriefveDeduction par laquelle
il est clairementmontréue l'isle de Tobago apprartientà Monsigneurle Duc en
Livonie et en Courland.... [furthercited as Briefve deduction] (Mitav: Michel
Karaall, 1668, pp. 3, 6, 5; LVA. 118/622, f.l; 47/241, f. 55; Public Record Office,
State Papers, Colonial Series [furthercited as PRO, CO], 1/62; 29/3; 29/7; Public
Record Office, Calender of State Papers and Manuscripts Relating to English Affa:rs.
Existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice .... [further cited as Venetian],
XXXI, 192; Mattiesen,op., cit., pp. 445-45.
ι
llBM, Sloane MSS, 2662, f. 48r; Praetorius, op cit. pp. 22-23; LAnonymous.
a
Tobago; or, GeographicalDescription, Natural and Civil History . . . [furthercited
as Tobago] (London: W. Reeves, [1750?], pp. 2-3; Rev. George Edmundson,, "The
Dutch in WesternGuiana," EnglishHistoricalReview, XVI (October,1901,pp. 645-46;
W. R. Menkman, De West-IndischeCompagnie (Amsterdam: P. Ν. van Kampen
& Zoon, 1947), p. 91; The GeneralState Archives,[furthercited as ARA] Archivesof
the old West India Company [furthercited as OWIC, The Hague, The Netherlands,
"Secrete Kas," Westindische Compagnie, Inv. 10.
»ARA Archivesof the States General [furthercited as St. Gen.], Liassen West
Indie, Inv. No. 5774; LVA, 112/606, ft".16-17; 107/601, ff. 32-36; 52/748; 55/704;
von Afrika
HeinrichDiederichs,Herzog Jakobsvon Kurland Kolonienan der Westküste
· 14-16; Thurloe State Papers. A Collectionof the
(Mitau J Stefienhagen,1890), pp. of th·
(London: Printed for the Executor
State Papers of John Thurloe,Esq.;
111,410.
late Mr. FletcherGyles, Thomas Woodward, and Charles Davis, 1742),

267

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Ill
In the decade from1649, the Duchy of Courland experiencedconsider-
able prosperityand rapid industrialdevelopment.The Duke had a powerful
navy and a considerablemerchantfleet.In 1645, he was made a Prince of
the Holy Roman Empire and his internationalprestige was greatly
strengthened.He approached the Lord Protector,Oliver Cromwell, and
receiveda letterof safe-conductand neutralityfromhim on August28, 1654.
On July 17, 1657, a treatyof commerceand navigationwas signedbetween
the Commonwealthand the Duchy of Courland. The Dutch refusedto sign a
similartreaty,but they signed, at least, a treatyof neutrality,in December
1653,withthe Duchy of Courland. The Duke appointeda richmerchantfrom
Amsterdam,Henryk Momber,as the directorof shippingand commerceof
Courland.13
In 1654, the Duke offeredto the Dutch 6,000 soldiers under Colonel
JoachimDenigervon Olinda to help themto conquer Brazil. On August21,
1651,he offered to the Pope InnocentX 40 men-of-war and 24,000 sailorsand
soldiersin orderto conquernew lands in Australia.The Lutheranduke would
have the commercialprofitsof this venture,while the Pope would provide
financialbacking and would reap a harvest of spiritual dividends in the
missionaryline. In 1655 thisprojectwas dropped.14
The Duke refused to participate in a joint Brandenburg-Courland
Company,but developeda plan, on June 4, 1651, to promotevigorousslave
trade withthe Spanish colonies. The Spaniards did not answer. In January,
1652, the Duke demanded several Spanish islands in the West Indies as a
compensationfor captured Couronian ships. The Duke's interestswere
defended by the Spanish statesmanand admiral Don Francesco Maura y
Corte Real, Marquis de Castel Rodrigo. On February 15, 1656, a treatyof
commerceand navigation was signed between Spain and the Duchy of
Courland. Already on January 16, 1650 an agreementwas signed between
the Duke of Courland and the PortugueseGeneral Company of Brazil. The
Duke promisedto participatein the Portuguesetrade withBrazil.15
On October25, 1651, the Couroniansestablishedthemselvesin Gambia,
in West Africa.They sent to Gambia metalware, glassware,pottery,and toys

"Cal. Dom., 1653-54,VI, LXVI; 1654, pp. 487, 516; 1656-57,pp. 300-01; 1657-58.
p. 27; Venetian, XXIX, 247, XXI, 90-91; Thurloe Papers, II, 374; LVA 47/241,
f. 193f; 61/712, f. 1; 116/624; 448/1056, f. 43; Mattiesen,op. cit., pp. 97-98, 108,
116, 392-93, 400, 402, 405, 419-421; Dierderichs,op. cit., 19-20; Eckert, op. cit..
pp. 167, 169; Menkman,op. cit., p. 138; Lieuwe van Aitzema, Sahen van Staet en
Orlogh. . . ('s-Graven-Haghe : John Veely, Johan Tongerloo, Jasper Doll, 1669),
III, 679-81.
"Juskevics, op. cit., p. 211; Eckert, op. cit., pp. 181-82; Bilmanis, op. cit..
p. 189; Diederichs,op cit., pp. 17-18; Mattiesen,op. cit., p. 110.
"LVA, 315/625,fi. 1, 21a, 21b, 40; 56/727; 437/623,f. 34; 65/709; 65/707, f. 41;
116/624, f. 2b; August Seraphim, "Die Beziehungen Herzogs Jacob zu Spanien"
[furthercited as Seraphim,Beziehungen],Sitzungsberichte der KurländischenGesell-
schaft für Literatur und Kunst nebst Veröffentlichungen des kurländischen
Provinzial-Museums, aus dem.Jahre1890,pp. 44-45;Mattiesen,op. cit., pp. 112, 337-38,
66-67, 71-73, 242.

268

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Three Couronianships at some West Indian islands- A Drawing
Dating Back to the SeventeenthCentury.

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
forthe Negroes. They importedfromGambia gold, ivory,wax, fur,pepper,
oil and fruitsof palm trees, and slaves. Duke Jacobus also organizedNegro
militiaand used intelligentNegroes in his services. He bought his colonies
fromNegro kingsand engaged in missionaryactivities.Therefore,he differed
frommany othercolonizerswho were only interestedin profits.1·
In late 1652 a squadron consistingof threeCouronianships leftVentspils
for Brazil under the orders of Admiral Wilhelm Mollens Sen. and the
ir
commercialdirectorCroynf anger. The expeditionwas very successful. On
May 20, 1654, the firstregularCouronian colony was planted on Tobago by
WillemMollens,Jun., who sailed to the West Indies on board the Das Wappen
der Herzogin von Kurland. For Jacobus (James) were erectedon the north-
westernshoreof the island and a town, called Jacobusstadt,developed in the
neighbourhoodof the fort(presentday Plymouth). Eightyfamiliescomposed
of different nationalities (German, Latvian, Dutch, French, and English)
settledaround the town. The garrisonof 124 soldiersalso receivedlands for
privateuse. The minimumunitof an individualsettlement comprised63 acres,
but the maximumunitwas 10 timeslarger.Even the serfsreceivedlands and
became freemen. The firstthreeyears were duty-free.Afterwards the settlers
wereto pay the "customary"dues and buy slaves fromthe Duke. Foreigners
were permittedto settlein Tobago if they were willingto acknowledgethe
supremacyof the Duke of Courland. The firstGovernorwas Willem Mollens.
In July and August, Matthias Beck, an influentialDutch Brazilian official
visited the island and left an interestingreporton the developmentof the
island. The Couronian documentaryevidence concerningthe developmentof
Tobago is scarce, and more informationcould be found in the Dutch and
Germanarchives. The colonistswere oftenattacked by the Caribs, notwith-
standing the Couronian struggleto maintain friendlyrelations with them.
There was a Couronian Lutheran mission and five Carib settlementson the
the island.18
The Lampsins's familyfromFlushingand Middelburgwantedto continue
the colonizingexperimentsstartedby Jan de Moor in Tobago, in 1628. In
September, 1654, the settlersof these rich merchantsunder the orders of
PieterBecquard reachedthe island, had some clasheswiththe Couroniansand
finallymade an agreementwith the Couronian Governoraccordingto which
theyrecognizedthe supremacyof the Duke of Courland and promisedto pay
him an annual tribute.The Dutch Government,being exhausted by the war
withEngland (1652-54), was not in a positionto help the Lampsins, but the
Dutch West India Company was paralysed afterthe heavy losses sufferedin

"LVA, 116/624; Diederichs, op. cit., pp. 14-15, 20-21; Eckert, op. cit., pp.
169-170,177-78,206; Mattiesen,op. cit., pp. 119, 179, 267. 279-82, 290, 298.
"LVA, 50/708, ff.24, 61ffi65/707, f. 41; Mattiesen,op. cit., 242, 246-47, 251-52,
381, 443, 465.
l*YVA, 50/708, ff; 61/713, f. 15; Briefve deduction, pp., 1, 3; Pro, Co.
1/62; Libraryof the City of Riga, Departmentof Manuscripts,"Abrégé de l'Histoire
de Tabago" par Ewald von Klopmann [furthercited as Klopmanns MSS]; ARA,
OWIC, No. 67; ARA, St. Gen., Loket Kas, Particulière Stukken, No. 3863 A;
Juskevics, op. cit., p. 234; Edmundson,op. cit., pp. 648-49.

269

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Brazil against the Portuguese. On the other hand, thé BritishGovernment
was willingto help an enemyoftheDutch.19
On June 20, 1655, Das Wappen der Herzogin von Kurland returnedto
Courland. In January,1655, Consiantia,underJacob Ros, sailed to Tobago
withprovisionsand returnedhome on December31, 1655. In August, 1655,
Das Wappen der Herzoginvon Kurland, underJan Brandt, accompaniedby
Der Jäger,underPeter Friedrichsen,was sent to Brazil and Tobago, actually
reached Rio Cruz, but was seized later in Lisbon by a dishonest duke's
business partner.The Portugueseisland Isle del May served as the Duke's
ocean station.20
On September18, 1655, the States General recognizedthe Lampsins as
the patronsof Tobago and grantedthemprivilegeto settleand cultivatethe
island. The Lampsins not only cultivated the land, but also engaged in
interlopingand smuggling.On July 20, 1654, CornellsCaron representing a
groupof Dutch colonistspetitionedtheStatesGeneralto considerhis settlement
as an independentcolonyin Tobago. Petitionwas repeatedon May 19, 1656.
The petitionerseemed to be the same Captain Caroon who settledTobago a
decade beforein thename of theDuke of Courland.The States Generalignored
thepetitionerand finallyarrestedhim.21
On September 27, 1656, Huijbrecht van Beveren was appointed as
Commanderof the Lampsins's colony. The French settledon the Couronian
side of the islandin increasingnumbers.The CouronianshipDer Isslandfahrer,
underJelle Helles, sailed to an unknownplace as a slave traderon June 10,
1656,but returnedon October8, 1657. On September12, 1656, the Constantia
made her secondtripto Tobago underJacob Petersensag Albersten.On board
the ship there were 130 soldiers under Major Wolfratvon Brederow (or
Brederlo)named Clottring,who was made the second Governorof Tobago.
The ship returnedhome on November1, 1656. La Paix leftCourland in fall
of 1657, under Andre Böhm with 120 settlers.The ship returnedhome in
October,1658. In December,1657, Die Herzoginvon Kurland und Die Dame
left Courland under the orders of skipper Marten Martens and military
commanderNicolas de Brion. The firstCouronian pastor in Tobago was
Peter Engelbrecht,who lived on the island fromMay, 1654, to the early part
of 1657. The church life was quite developed. The territorialdistrictsof
Tobago were called Ance (settlements).There were Couronian, French and

"W. R. Menkman,"Tobago, een bijdrage tot de geschiedenisder Nederlandsche

Kolonisatiein tropischAmerika," De West-IndischeGids [furthercited as Menkman,
Tobago], XXI, 310; [Sieur Charles de Rochefort.Tableau de VIsle de Tobago our
de la Nouvelle Oiialchre [furthercited as Rochefort,Tableau] (Leyde: Jean de
Carpaintier,1665). p. 18; ARA, St. Gen., Loket Kas, ParticulièreStukken,No. 3863
A; No. 129, Loqte C. Lita B; Briefve deduction,pp. 4-5; Tobago, pp. 31-32; Fowler,
op. cit., p. 9; ARA, OWIC, Loket Kas No. 61; LVA, 321/881. f. 1; BM, Egerton
MS, 1756.
*°LVA, 50/708, ff.47, 93; 47/241; Briefvededuction,p. 7; Klotmann's MSS.
"ARA, OWIC, Instruction& Commissiën,1655, ff. 42, 91, 96; ARA, St. Gen.,
Registersvan Commissiën,1651-59,No. 3253, ff.216; 275; Registersvan commissiën,
1654-60,No. 2319, ff.56; 211-12,247; 251; Rochefort,Tableau, pp. 71-72; Menkman,
Tobago, pp. 313-14; BM, Sloane MSS, 3662, f. 48r; ARA, OWIC, Secret Kas. Inv.
No. 10; ARA, St. Gen., Registersvan de ordinarisresolutiën,1657, No. 82; Mattiesen,
op. cit., pp. 491; Henry Iles Woodcock, A Historyof Tobago (Ayr: printedfor the
author, 1867),p. 25.

270

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Dutch ances in Tobago- The islandershad theirown democraticallyelected
councilsunderthepresidencyof the governor.The Couroniansweresuccessful
colonizers,but could not competewith the Dutch as merchantsand traders.
There were three towns (Couronian- Jacobusstadt; Dutch- Lampsinston,
Nieuw Vlissingen),and four forts (Couronian- Jacobusfort;Dutch- Lamp-
sinsburgh,Fort Beveren, Belleviste). The Couroniansexportedto the island
and neighbouringareas slaves, timber,hardware,glassware, grain, brandy,
beer, flour,salted meat, salted fish,amber jewellery,&c. They importedfrom
Tobago and the neighbouringareas tobacco, tropicaltimber,cotton,ginger,
indigo,sugar, rum, cocoa, coconuts,feathersof tropicalbirds, and shells of
tortoises,Tobago was famousforits good, naturalharboursand fertilesoil.22
On August6, 1958, Der Cavalier and Die Dame, under Willem Mollens,
Jun., sailed to Tobago, reachedtheisland, but did notreturnhome. Der Köing
David and Der Islander never left the European waters, because of the
beginningof war in Courland. From 1653 to 1660, 12 ships were sent to
Tobago, but only eight ships definitelyreached the island. On October 10,
1658, Duke Jacobus was taken prisonerby the Swedes. The agents of the
Lampsins inducedthe lonelyCouroniangarrisonto mutinyon November11,
1659. Governorvon Brederow had left the island, but his representative,
LieutenantChristianHoltzbruch,was arrested,by the leaders of the rebels
- ChristianThiessen,Christoffel Kysselinghand PierreSanderson.The Dutch
took over the entireisland withall of its installations,transportedmost of the
Couronian soldiers to Europe, and paid them little pocket money. It was
stipulatedin theiragreementwith the Dutch, however,that as soon as the
Duke should recoverhis libertythe settlementwould be restoredto him. On
February27, 1660, Christoffel Kysselinghwas forcedto sign anotherwritten
statementdeclaringthat the Couronianterritory and fortwere transferred to
' he disappeared
theDutch "voluntarily"and 'withoutpersuasion." Afterwards
fromthe stage, but the Duke of Courland lost Tobago fora long time."

"LVA, 50/170, f. 128; 50/708, ff.47, 22, 130; 61/713, ff. 15, 48; 55/704, ff.4.
130; Briefve deduction, pp. 8-11; German Central Archives, Prussian Secret State
Archives[further cited as DZA, GPSA, Rep. 9, 7, E2, ff. 14, 18. 20; Klopmann's MSS;
Rochefort,Tableau, pp. 74-105;ARA, St. Gen., Part. Stukken,No. 3863 A; Mattiesen,
op. cit., pp. 85, 287, 293, 301, 383, 422-23. 448-49, 470-72, 481, 483, 494-95, 499;
Juskevics,op. cit., pp. 238-39, 275, 279; Praetorius,op. cit., p. 24; Eckert, op. cit.,
pp. 154-54
"LVA, 110/618,ff.4, 6. 28; 47/241, f. 45; DZA, GPSA, Rep. 9, 7 Ε 2. ff.6, 6a,
18; ARA, St. Gen., Registersvan de secreteresolutionvan de Staten-General,1654-60,
No. 2318, f. 56; Briefve deduction,pp. 10-12, 19-12; Juskevics,op. cit., pp. 239,
275, 528-80.

271

This content downloaded from 138.251.14.35 on Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:49:07 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions