"A need for a brief history of Guyana, from Dutch to British"

“A need for a brief history of Guyana, from Dutch to British”

Jul 30, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

I found it somewhat surprising that there is a lack of information of Guyana’s history, and a clamoring for such information, on the Guyana Social Media pages. If you publish this brief history, I think it will be helpful especially to the younger generation of Guyanese:

Note that what is today Guyana, was once three legally separate colonies, Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice. The Dutch was the first colonizers as they established their first trading post in Essequibo in Fort Kyk-Over-Al (“See over All”) trading with the Amerindians. It was constructed in 1616 at the intersection of the Essequibo, Cuyuni and Mazaruni rivers. This trading post became the Dutch West India company, and soon acquired and developed the colony of Berbice. The Demerara colony, as an adjunct of Essequibo colony developed later.

The colonies changed hands a few times (Dutch, French, British) until the British finally took “permanent” control from the Dutch in 1814; in 1831 the three colonies, all British possessions then, were united to form British Guiana.

The Dutch had introduced the plantation system and sugar into the colony and the British continued the system. Since the Netherlands was an artificially created land, half of which lies at or below sea level, the Dutch were historically experts at reclaiming land from the sea, building dikes (Kokers) and creating polders and navigable streams. They brought that skill to bear on the early Guiana, reclaiming the land/soil from the swampy coastal areas. These irrigation schemes drained the land and stopped, then reversed the salty ocean water from invading the coastal plains. Continual washing out of the salt by rains and inland “sweet water” eventually made the costal belt ideal for sugar plantations.

Each plantation required a sea dam (seawall) and also a back damn parallel to it and two connecting sideline dams to complete the rectangular folder. To this day we recognize names like Side Line Dam, and Backdam! The Dutch provided the technology, and the slaves provided the labor. Walter Rodney: “…it is estimated that slaves moved 100 million tons of heavy waterlogged play with shovel in hand while enduring conditions of perpetual mud and water”. You will notice that most villages have Dutch names (did you know that Georgetown was called Stabroek by the Dutch, and changed to Georgetown by the British?).

The most significant Dutchman in Guiana’s history was the Governor of Essequibo from 1742-1772, Laurens Storm Van’s Gravesande. He was the first to import black slaves and British settlers from the Caribbean. He also began later the development of Demerara, which had great potential for sugar cultivation since the land was flat. He began the Dutch coastal reclamation project mentioned above.

Back to the British (1814): in 1838 there were 175 sugar estates! By 1884, that number was reduced to 105 due to abandonment and ownership consolidation; by 1904 the number was 46!.

Two companies, Booker Brothers and John McConnel & Co were the dominant sugar companies in British Guiana. In 1814 British enterprising merchants moved quickly to exploit the colony’s natural resources. The Booker entrepreneur brothers were Josias, George, and Richard. Josias was first to arrive in Demerara – in 1815. After a few years Josias and his brothers set up several merchant trading houses in England as they foresaw a lucrative trade in sugar and rum in Guiana. In 1834 they formed Booker Brothers & Co. They joined forces in 1900 with John McConnel & Co to form “Booker Brothers John McConnel & Co.” (soon generally known simply as “Bookers”). They were, almost literally, the owners of British Guiana from that date until independence in 1966.

Slavery, then Indian Indentureship: The African slaves were “emancipated” by the Emancipation Act of 1834. However, they were not exactly freed then, as the 1834 Act stipulated the slaves had to serve 4 additional years of “apprenticeship” before they were fully free in 1838.

Now, fatefully for our Indian history, on May 5, 1838, the first batch of Indian Indentured immigrants landed in Guyana. On that day the British ships, the Whitby and the Hesperus, 184 years ago – landed on the shores of British Guyana with a cargo – our fore parents –of 396 Indians, 18 having died on the way. Only 5% were women, or just 22 out of 396.

Sincerely,

Dev Persaud,

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“A need for a brief history of Guyana, from Dutch to British”

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Related

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The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

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