Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim
Governor of Berbice
In office
4 April 1760[1] – 20 September 1764[1]
Preceded byHendrik Jan van Rijswijck
Succeeded byJohannes Heijliger
Personal details
Bornca. 1730[2]
Netherlands
Died2 April 1794[3]
Vleuten, Netherlands
SpouseHenrietta Wilhelmina Otters
Occupationgovernor, military officer

Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim (ca. 1730[2] – 2 April 1794) was a Dutch governor of the colony of Berbice. During his rule, the Berbice Slave Uprising took place.

Biography

Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim was born in the East of the Netherlands.[2] At the age of 15, he enlisted in the army to become an officer. By 1760, he had reached the rank of sub-lieutenant.[2] In 1760, the Board of Directors of the Society of Berbice offered Hoogenheim to become governor of the colony which he accepted.[2] On 13 May 1760, he married Henrietta Wilhelmina Otters in Arnhem.[4]

When van Hoogenheim arrived in Berbice, the colony was suffering from an epidemic, and food shortage. Van Hoogenheim requested that emergency rations to be sent to the colony.[5] On 25 December 1760, his wife died after giving birth to a stillborn child.[5]

Slave Uprising

On 23 February 1763, slaves on plantation Magdalenenberg on the Canje River in Berbice rebelled, protesting harsh and inhumane treatment. They torched the plantation house,[6] and made for the Courantyne River where Caribs and troops commanded by Governor Wigbold Crommelin of Suriname attacked, and killed them.[7] On 27 February 1763, a revolt took place on plantation Hollandia on the Berbice River next to Lilienburg where Coffy was an enslaved man working as a cooper.[7] Coffy is said to have organized them into a military unit. From then on, the revolt spread to neighbouring plantations.[8]

There were supposed to be 60 soldiers in Fort Nassau,[9] however at the time of uprising, there were only 18 men including civilian militia in the fort.[10] Van Hoogenheim wanted to make a stand at Fort Nassau, however the Court of Policy overruled the governor, and ordered that Fort Nassau be abandoned and destroyed. The colonists retreated to Fort Sint Andries near the Atlantic coast.[11] The rebels came to number about 3,000 and threatened European control over the Guianas.[8] Van Hoogenheim first requested assistance from the Society of Berbice, however they were only willing to send 50 soldiers.[12], therefore van Hoogenheim also asked the States General for military assistance.[13] In April 1763, Coffy started peace negotiations suggesting to split Berbice into a European and an African part.[14][15] The Governor replied that Amsterdam should make the decision, and that it could take three to four months, thus buying time for the reinforcements to arrive.[16] On 1 January 1764, six ships arrived, providing the starting signal for expeditions against the rebel slaves.[17] The insurgents were being defeated, and the last rebel was captured on 15 April 1764.[17]

Aftermath

The uprising lead to a steep population decline,[18] abandonment and destruction of many plantations, and serious financial problems for the Society of Berbice.[19] At the end of 1763, van Hoogenheim started work on a rehabilitation plan which included better forts, 400 soldiers and financial support for the planters.[20] His plans were ignored, and van Hoogenheim requested an honourable discharge[21] which was granted on 20 September 1764,[1] but without a favorable recommendation.[22] He tried to be reimbursed for his possessions which he lost during the rebellion, however the Society only reimbursed half.[22] He retired jobless to Arnhem, and wrote Corte Memorie about the slave revolt. A copy of his memories were sent to Field Marshall von Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel who was in charge of the reconquest of Berbice. Von Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel reinstated van Hoogenheim in the army as a Major[21] on 6 April 1767.[23] He retired in 1787,[21] and died in Vleuten on 2 April 1794.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hartsinck 1770, p. 520.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Blair 1984, p. 2.
  3. 1 2 "Begraafinschrijving Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim, 02-04-1794". Utrechts Archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 February 2021. On the death certificate it is mentioned that he was a former governor of Berbice
  4. ↑ "Huwelijk Wolphert Simon Hoogenheim, van en Henrietta W. Otters, 13-05-1760". Gelders Archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 Blair 1984, p. 8.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Alvin O., "The Berbice Revolt 1763-64", in Winston F. McGowan, James G. Rose and David A. Granger (eds), Themes in African-Guyanese History, London: Hansib, 2009. p. 80.
  7. 1 2 "2013 anniversaries". Stabroek News. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 Cleve McD. Scott, "Berbice Slave Revolt (1763)", in Junius P. Rodriguez, Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion, Vol. 1, Westport, Ct: Greenwood Press, 2007, pp. 55-56.
  9. ↑ Netscher 1888, p. 174.
  10. ↑ Ineke Velzing. "Video: The beginning of the Uprising". Stabroek News. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  11. ↑ A.N. Paasman (1984). Reinhart: Nederlandse literatuur en slavernij ten tijde van de Verlichting (in Dutch). p. 177 – via Digital Library for Dutch Literature.
  12. ↑ Blair 1984, p. 10.
  13. ↑ Blair 1984, p. 11.
  14. ↑ "The Collapse of the Rebellion". Guyane.org. Retrieved 7 August 2020. Coffy, Governor of the Negroes of Berbice, and Captain Akara send greetings and inform Your Excellency that they seek no war; but if Your Excellency wants war, the Negroes are likewise ready (...) The Governor will give Your Excellency one half of Berbice, and all the Negroes will go high up the river, but don't think they will remain slaves. Those Negroes that Your Excellency has on the ships - they can remain slaves.
  15. ↑ Hartsinck 1770, p. 404:Original in Dutch: "Coffy Gouverneur van de Negers van de Berbice en Capitein Accara laat U Ed. Groet, laat U Ed. weet dat geen Oorlog zoek, maar als UEd. zoek Oorlog de Negers zyn ook klaar.(...) de Gouverneur sal U Ed. geefe de half Berbice en zy luye zal almaal na boven gaan, maar moet niet denke dat de Negers weer Slaven wil zyn, maar de Neger die U Ed. heb op de Scheepe die kan zyn U Ed. Slaven."
  16. ↑ Hartsinck 1770, p. 405.
  17. 1 2 "Berbice Uprising in 1763". Slavenhandel MCC (Provincial Archives of Zeeland). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  18. ↑ Hartsinck 1770, p. 538.
  19. ↑ Netscher 1888, p. 256.
  20. ↑ Blair 1984, p. 13.
  21. 1 2 3 Blair 1984, p. 4.
  22. 1 2 Blair 1984, p. 12.
  23. ↑ "Raad van State: Commmissieboeken, Naam: Wolphert Simon van Hogenheim". Nationaal Archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 February 2021.

Bibliography

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