Abraham Crijnssen
Abraham Crijnssen (* in Vlissingen ; † February 1, 1669 in Paramaribo ) was a conqueror and governor of Suriname .
Life
As commander of the Admiralty of Zeeland, Crijnssen was involved in the four and two-day naval battle against the English during the Second Anglo-Dutch Sea War as commander on the frigate Zeelandia .
Charles II had declared war on the Republic of the Netherlands on March 4, 1665 , which ended on July 31, 1667 with the Peace of Breda .
On December 30, 1666, Crijnssen left Veere with three frigates and four smaller ships, manned by 750 sailors and 225 soldiers from the land militia . His mission was to do as much damage as possible to the English in the West Indies .
At the end of February 1667, the flotilla arrived at Fort Willoughby near Paramaribo. After a short bombardment, the English surrendered under Governor William Byam . Crijnssen guaranteed the settlers the same rights as under the English, u. a. Right to freedom of worship for the Jewish colonists. He appointed one of his captains , Maurits de Rama , governor and left 150 soldiers behind to defend the colony that was newly conquered for Zeeland. The fortification was then named Fort Zeelandia .
After strengthening the Dutch branches in Berbice and Essequibo in what is now Guyana , he occupied Tobago . He sailed to Martinique , united there with a French fleet and together they tried to conquer the island of Nevis - but an English fleet prevented this in the sea battle off Nevis . He separated from the French again, sailed to Virginia and successfully attacked English ships in the mouth of the James River . After the raid he returned to Zeeland.
On July 31, 1667 the Peace of Breda was signed . a. sealed the conquest of Suriname in exchange for New Amsterdam .
Probably out of ignorance about the peace treaty or out of retaliation for the lost family property, Henry Willoughby , a nephew of the drowned Francis Willoughby , had come from Barbados to recapture Suriname in October 1667 and asked the planters to leave the colony. When the report of the reconquest reached Zeeland, Abraham Crijnssen was commissioned again to sail to Suriname and implement the Treaty of Breda . At the end of April 1668 he took possession of the looted Suriname again and thus finally for Zeeland.
In a letter dated March 16, 1669 to the Staten van Zeeland (the province of Zeeland was still the owner of Suriname at that time), Pieter Versterre announced that Abraham Crijnssen died on February 1, 1669 in Paramaribo and on the same day with military honors had been buried. At this time, his successor as governor, Philip Julius Lichtenberg , was already on the way with the sailing ship, because Versterre further reports that Lichtenberg arrived in Paramaribo on February 12, 1669. Versterre had therefore been appointed by Crijnssen as governor ad interim for a short period of 12 days . As Versterre further communicated to the Lords of Zeeland, the plantation colony had at this time u. a. over 2,000 African slaves and 32 sugar cane mills .
literature
- CFA Bruijning, J. Voorhoeve (main editor): Encyclopedie van Suriname . Elsevier , Amsterdam a. Brussels 1977, ISBN 90-10-01842-3 , p. 140.
See also
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Crijnssen, Abraham |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch conqueror and governor of Suriname |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 16th century or 17th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vlissingen |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 1, 1669 |
| Place of death | Paramaribo |