User:MinorProphet/Draft subpages/Territory of Willoughbyland

Willoughbyland was an early British colony in Suriname, founded in 1650 by Lord Willoughby, the governor of Barbados.^[1]

History

He furnished out a vessel to settle a colony in Suriname. At his own cost he equipped a ship of 20 guns, and two smaller vessels with things necessary for the support of the plantation.^[2] Major Anthony Rowse settled there in his name. Two years later, for the better settling of the colony, Willoughby went in person, fortified and furnished it with things requisite for defence and trade.

'Willoughbyland' consisted of around 30,000 acres (120 km²) and a fort. In 1663 most of the work on the ca. 50 plantations was done by native Indians and 3,000 African slaves.^[3] There were around 1,000 whites there, joined by Brazilian Jews, attracted by religious freedom which was granted to all the settlers by the English. They were granted freedom of conscience, the right to erect a synagogue (the first of which was built in 1654), eligibility for election as burgesses and from seven to 12 years’ exemption from taxation.

There was even democracy, described by one settler as ‘a peculiar form of government, elective in the people’, with the annual election of a governor from among the planters.^[4]

By the end of the 1650s there were 4,000 settlers and this number grew weekly with incomers and with ‘succeeding generation, for the women are very prolifical and have lusty children’. There were around 200 plantations lining the rivers that constituted the sole method of travel and transport, of which 50 were now growing what was considered the finest sugar in the world.

William and Robert appear to have come to Willoughbyland from Barbados

"There was even democracy, described by one settler as 'a peculiar form of Government, elective in the people' – under threat from the changed circumstances of the Restoration.3 Clearly, some of the Suriname planters, particularly those of an antiRoyalist disposition, saw Willoughby's proposed power over the colony as excessive, even monstrous.

"with an assembly of twenty-one men chosen by and from the colony's wealthier male landowners, and a six-man council appointed by the governor. The governor and council administered justice and proposed measures - such as raising money for defence or building a prison - which would then be voted on by the assembly, who would meet every few months, usually in one of the larger plantation houses." (Parker)

Yet the colony had already reached its zenith. The Restoration triggered a series of disasters in Willoughbyland. The elected governor, William Byam, described by Aphra Behn as ‘the most fawning fair-tongu’d fellow in the world ... not fit to be mentioned with the worst of slaves’, used the return of the king to declare himself permanent governor. As he later explained: "Here democracy fell, by the loyal concessions to monarchy." The scheduled elections were cancelled as a ‘needlesse and unnecessary Charge and Trouble to the inhabitants’. There were fierce protests and Byam started locking up or expelling his critics. Soon the colony had descended into angry factionalism.

As a reward for his constant plotting, after the Restoration in 1660 Willoughby was given the governorship of the ‘Charibbee’ islands and also proprietorship of Willoughbyland, to be held jointly with the Earl of Clarendon. This gave him almost unlimited power, a state of affairs unwelcome to many planters there.

Aug. 27 1662. 359. Warrant to (the Attorney-General). To prepare a bill containing a lease to pass the Great Seal to Francis Lord Willoughby of Parham, and his assigns, for 7 years from Christmas Day next, of all his Majesty's islands, colonies, and plantations, known by the name of the Caribbee Islands and others, between 1 and 20 N. Lat. from the island of St. John de Porto Rico to 324 easterly, rendering to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, one moiety of all fines, customs, rents, dues, &c. raised out of the same, the other moiety to be kept by the said Lord Willoughby and his assigns for his or their own benefit. 1 p. [Dom. Entry Bk., Chas. II., Vol. VII., pp. 205, 206.]^[5]

Chief Justice

"Part of his Royal grant gave him or his appointee [ie Byam?] responsibility to administer justice, including the death penalty.

":It seems that Willoughby himself, and his establishment in Suriname, was above the law. Wasn't this the mistake that Charles I had made and had been punished for? To preserve order at home, plans had been made by Parliament three weeks before Charles II landed at Dover, that officials such as sheriffs, mayors and constables should continue in their duties in the Kings name. Rumours of this reached Byam in Suriname at the same time as he learnt of the return of the King. He then claimed to have received a similar order to keep in his post, even though his year's office had only a month to run." (Parker ibid)

Assassination attempt

When at last Willoughby visited his colony in November 1664, he only narrowly survived assassination. Worse, his entourage introduced a fever into the colony, which killed as many as a third of the population. (Parker)

Fair exchange?

But the Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out in March 1665 (partially brought by the colony's behaviour towards its French & Dutch neighbours?) It was captured in 1667, and the town was renamed Fort Zeelandia. Under the Treaty of Westminster (1674), Willoughbyland was exchanged for New Amsterdam, (now New York City, part of New Netherland, now New York State^[6]

NB Remind me about the Cromwellian Treaty of Westminster (1654),,,

References

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