History of Sint Maarten and Saint Martin

Citation preview

MTree

HISTORY OF SINT MAARTEN

AND SAINT MARTIN

=. w,

HISTORY OF SINT MAARTEN AND SAINT MARTIN

Looking down on Philipsburg through one of the embrasures of Fort Willem I (photo Wilfred Roumou).

HISTORY OF SINT MAARTEN AND SAINT MARTIN

by DR. J. HARTOG

Published by THE SINT MAARTEN JAYCEES P.O.B. 363 - Philipsburg Sint Maarten - Netherlands Antilles

Translation by A. H. Stronks, sworn translator and interpreter, Aruba. Cover: Backstreet in easterly direction from an illustrated work of Kleynenberg published in 1907, Haarlem. To the left Dicky Dick’s, a two storey building. The white verandahs belong to the house, that was to become the first St. Rose Hospital in 1908. Copyright J. Hartog 1981. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, micro film, recording or otherwise, without the author’s prior permission in writing.

Foreword Lieutenant-Governor We may count ourselves lucky that, some years ago, the author of this book perused and made notes from the entire collection of the LieutenantGovernor’s Journals, covering a period of approximately one and a half centuries, for his History of the Windward Islands, published in 1964. At the time the Executive Council sent all the journals to Aruba, where dr. Hartog lives. When finished, he neatly returned them to us, some of them even restored. If only he had not done this! If only he had safely kept them in the steel bookcases of his library in Aruba!, we would say, because in that case we should still have them. In 1974 all the Lieutenant-Governor’s Journals of

Sint Maarten were lostin a fire of the then Lieutenant-Governor’s office. Fortunately, however, dr. Hartog had kept his notes on file, and so this History of Sint Maarten could still be written. I am convinced that with this book many people’s wish will come true. During the many years that dr. Hartog has been engaged in the historiography of the Netherlands Antilles he managed to compile a unique collection of old pictures of the islands. The ample photo material undoubtedly enhances the attractiveness of this book. Since 1942, when he visited Sint Maarten for the first time, Hartog has been to our island many times. By car and on foot he has got to know our island, which in my opinion is of advantage when writing the history of a specific country. I read through the book’s manuscript at a stretch. In my view the History of Sint Maarten has turned out to be one of Hartog’s best books. It is my pleasure to cordially recommend its reading and studying. I would like this book to reach our young generation, because in a society on its way to independence, a notion of what this society lived through and accomplished in the past is an absolute must. TH. M. PANDT, Lieutenant-Governor of the Windward Islands

Introduction

It is a great pleasure for the St. Maarten Jaycees to present this book "History of St. Maarten/St. Martin” to the community of the Netherlands Antilles in particular and to the reading public in general. After a very extensive survey, the St. Maarten Jaycees found out there was a need for an up to date publication of the History of St. Maarten and St. Martin, both out of historical and educational point of view.

This project was launched in 1978 and through the assistance of Dr. J. Hartog, Mr. W. Roumou and our members we can conclude that this has been successful. We would like to extend a special word of thanks to the following persons who contributed to the realization of this historical achievement namely: Mr. N. C. Wathey, Mr. Ch. Vlaun, Mr. A. R. Fleming and Mr. F. Brison. Furthermore we would like to thank everyone who in one way or the - other helped the St. Maarten Jaycees to complete this project. We would like to relate this project to one sentence of our JCI Creed: "SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS THE BEST WORK OF LIFE”. Sincerely Yours,

R. A. HOEVE, LOM President St. Maarten Jaycees

Author’s Preface One evening in 1942 I sat in the verandah of Cyrus Wathey’s, the still existing corner house in which at present "The Cellar” is established. Across the street Oswald Hassell sat in his verandah, and it was so quiet that the three of us were chatting together. Every now and then a few pedestrians passed, obviously intending to take a breath of fresh air, because there was nothing to do and there was scarcely any lighting. In all there were less than ten cars in the entire island, and they were not to be seen in the evenings.

How

pleasant it was is illustrated by the following: my

glass was

empty. Hassell, over the way, saw this and offered me to have a second

drink in his place in the verandah. I went down the stairs of Cyrus’ house, and up to Mr. Hassell, and . . . our conversation simply went on. Another occurrence. For those who forgot, in 1942 the Second World War was raging on, and the French part of Sint Maarten sided with Vichy. In those, now almost inconceivable days, I also met one day a Dutch parish priest, it was in the post office Ithink, who was pastor in St. Barths, in those days even more rural than Sint Maarten. He had crossed in a dinghy in search of a . . . dentist. Neither island had one, almost no island in the far surroundings, for that matter*In St. Barths, a French island and also on the Vichy side, rumors had it that a dentist fleeing the

Germans from Poland, had turned up in French Saint Martin. Apart from his life he had also managed to save an instrument bag, and had reached Marigot via Vichy - France. He now tried to earn a living as a kind of itinerant dentist traveling from island to island. So our pastor could be attended to. That’s the way things were those days. Apart from the documented history one might also write memoirs about Sint Maarten. In what is following we confined ourselves to the former, but we do believe, that because of everything we have experienced during past visits to Sint Maarten, we have been able to give it a touch of Sint Maarten’s really specific esprit, a thing which no doubt is appropriate when writing about an island partly Netherlands-Antillean and partly French. The author would like to thank all those who have been a help to him. Lieutenant-Governor Theodor Maxwell Pandt who has taken the initiative to have this book written. The St. Maarten Jaycees and the Windward Islands’ Bank Ltd. whose combined efforts made the publication of this book possible. In particular we would like to mention Mr. Charles Vlaun and Mr. Franklyn Brison for their personal and substantial contribution in promoting the publication of this History of Sint Maarten. The late Cyrus Wathey and the brothers Walter and Carl Buncamper acquainted us with Sint Maarten’s society; we gratefully accepted their advice. We also express our gratitude to the Reverend Sisters Dominicans and the successive parish priests of Philipsburg and Marigot, as well as the past Lieutenant-Governors W. F. M. Lampe, Johan D. Meiners, Piet van

Leeuwen, Johannes Chr. Paap, J.

J. Beaujon and Reinier O. van Delden.

Without the help of ”’Spam” van Spanje, who was our contact in the island, it would have been very hard to complete this study. We gladly express our indebtedness to Mr. van Spanje, the "local researcher”, who was so actively involved in the publication of this book. Mr. A. H. Stronks, sworn interpreter, turned out to be an excellent help; he rendered the original Dutch text — which will be published separately, so we plan — into English. Mr. Fred Labega who lived in Sint Maarten from 1914 to 1918, visiting

the island again between 1922 and 1924, and who again lived here for some months in 1930, taking many pictures, was so kind as to permit us to choose to our heart’s content from what he shot half a century ago. Mr. Wilfred Roumou, Sint Maarten’s well-known photographer, accompanied us on many an adventurous trip, and later on set out on his own initiative to show modern Sint Maarten and Saint Martin. Mrs. Yvette Fleming was an unfailing oracle on old Marigot. She provided us, moreover, with the map of 1775, which is in her private possession. As to French Saint Martin, we are also grateful, for that matter, to

Monsieur le Sous-Préfet P. J. Etchegoyen, the Maire Elie Fleming and Mr. J. Hervieu, archivist of the Archives Départementales de la Guade-

loupe. Deputy Lieutenant-Governor Mr. Richard A. Luckert, head of the Fin-

ance Department of the Central Government, and Mr. Frank E. Richards, head of the Insular Office of Finance, and Mr. Cornelius de Weever, head

of the Tourist Bureau, were always willing to answer questions. But for his devoted wife, who time and again created the possibilities for this work, this book would never have been published. So, above all,

thanks to Elisabeth! J. HARTOG

a Sualouiga Generally speaking not much is known yet with absolute certainty about the movements of the Indians — and what Indians — in the Carib-

bean area, because too little has archeologically been explored. The experts are even divided among themselves on important matters. With this restriction it may be assumed that they were inhabitants of primeval forests who, moving northward from the Amazon Basin, eventually

{

Beautiful aerial picture of Sint Maarten, made especially for our book by Francis Kenny in 1977. In the foreground the southern, Netherlands Antillean part, 14.2 sq. miles (34 km2). One hundred thousand years ago Sint Maarten, together with St. Barths and Anguilla formed one great island. By melting of ice at the end of the old-quaternary (some 70,000 years ago), the three now separated islands came into existence, since low-lying valleys were flooded. The lagoons and bays are flooded valleys. Geologically the three islands still belong together; together they lie ona ‘comparatively shallow sub-marine plateau. In this process the Lowlands formed a separate island too, just like Tintamarre at the other side of Sint Maarten and with which the Lowlands share many similarities indeed. In a later geological period sandy ridges were formed, connecting the Lowlands with the main island, and forming at the same time Simson Bay Lagoon. Tintamarre did not get such a ridge, so it remained an island. But in the Great Bay such a ridge did develop, as a result of which the Great Salt Pond came into existence. Philipsburg is built on this ridge (information derived from Dr. J. H.. Westermann, De Geologische Geschiedenis van de drie Bovenwindse Eilanden” (The Geological History of the three Windward Islands) 1957. The French part, in the background of the picture, comprises an area of 20.2 sq. miles (52 km2). Here you find the highest elevation Mount Paradise, 1,391 feet (424 m). Flagstaff Hill, 1,253 feet (382 m) is the highest elevation of the Netherlands Antillean part. Mount Concordia, on which the French and Dutch agreed in 1648, that the French would get the part from where Anguilla could be seen, and the Dutch the rest. lies exactly on the frontier. Mount Concordia is 919 feet high (280 m).

z

eo

ay

Gre

ut

ape

‘ee wu, Paradise Pe Fh Hill Well

a, Lo, “es

ss

hag hey i

hog CS

Fx x

ey

Etang Rouge

(Red Pond)

DQ

x

"Ds, ”

Bay

adrareaztetsel A

Las

-

a

ad

ay

+*

Cupecoy

A

Sa

Ps

x * a

Billy Folly

© aSvx

(Comer Hill)

Fagtte5

%

x

>

3", Sentry Hill

xx x™ ba t

A

*y

Mount William

¥g

900

x

wit

NtG,

ey

*** Colebay Hill

Colebay °

‘e

4%

Indian dwelling places x The sites where remnants of an Indian population have been found.

reached the coast and gradually populated the archipelago between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. During their migration across this group of islands they encountered natives, Arawaks. The new inhabitants, coming from the forests, adapted in course of time to their new sur-

roundings: they learned to sail the sea and became fishermen, they are the Caribs. Under the Carib’s pressure the Arawaks disappeared at last, except in the islands outside the ridge proper, such as Aruba, Bonaire and Curagao. In these islands the Arawaks maintained their ground. All this occurred long before Columbus’ voyages. When in 1624 some people from Zealand in The Netherlands visited Sint Maarten, they found no inhabitants. But, for one thing, the visitors did not traverse the entire island of course, and for another, not finding

people in 1624 does not exclude the possibility that there had been inhabitants before that date. This, namely, does appear to have been the case: between 800 and 1300 there were people living in Sint Maarten, though not permanently. In the map, printed above, the spots where Indians dwelled are marked with crosses. Since Sint Maarten, compared to many

10

islands in the neighborhood,

SS

howonly offers scant possibilities for settlement, it was not very likely,

nancial nes jours a

ever, that these settlements have all been of a lengthy nature.

In 1961 artefacts were found in the vicinity of Cupecoy Bay, which perhaps even date back to the days of the Arawaks, that is the era before the Caribs appeared on the scene. Naturally, it is quite possible that before those Arawaks still other Indian peoples have been in Sint Maarten. Nothing is known about this.

Except this one exception — about which more details furtheron — all artefacts found suggest Carib inhabitation. The Caribs called Sint Maarten Salouiga, which means salt land, naturally after the various natural salt pans or ponds which were found in the island. Uncivilized People

The Caribs knew neither law nor government. There was no ruling caste either. Cacique or chief of the Caribs was he who had distinguished

himself in fight, managed to impose his will in his own neighborhood, and had stood the particularly severe and painful initiation rites. Such a cacique was, for the time that he maintained himself, leader, but not judge.

Those who felt unfairly treated, simply were their own judge. As a con-

sequence of this the Caribs’ society distinguished itself by continual strive and assassinations. The Carib was small, broad hipped and supple. Men and women grew their hair long. They only wore a waist-cloth:Father Jean-Baptiste Labat O.P., a French missionary who worked in Guadeloupe round 1700, and visited i.a. Sint Maarten, knew the Caribs from long years of observation, and in his book he describes this man. The Caribs are indifferent, writes he, only on three points they are not: out of envy because of their wives they kill their rivals out of hand; for the slightest insult they horribly take revenge, and in exchange for spirits they give all they have. Attempts to convert them to Christianity did not yield any result. Labat calls the Caribs careless, stubborn, hard to take orders, unreliable

and haughty.

ee aa oe eee eat ee areca arene

Tanase

Old Sint maarten, to the left Cul-de-Sac Hill, appr. 1930.

ll

Dili TN mETTEAATA Ma FoH SHEET Gleemmtrseteenionsro

Some artefacts, found at Red Pond in the French part by John and Dorothy Keur in 1957. Extreme right: a percussion chipped celt. The Keur collection can be found in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. Buccan and Cannibal

The Caribs have enriched our language with the words buccaneer and cannibal. A buccan was the word for a wooden grill which gave the meat a delicious smoke-flavor, so the forerunner of the barbecue-pit. French wanderers adopted this way of preparing meat, and since these wanderers were often pirates or became one, the name buccaneer got the meaning of pirate. On their buccans the Caribs also grilled human arms and legs, because

they were man-eaters, cannibals. Etymologically Carib and cannibal are cognate. They ate their fellow-men, mostly enemies, not so much to appease their hunger, but more, so to speak, to usurp the valor of the defeated enemy, just like the Canadian Indians used to keep their enemy’s scalp. Yet the Caribs, like most man-eaters for that matter, liked human flesh. Father Labat, when once visiting a group of Indians, was offered a *buccaneered” arm out of politeness and to honor him, because limbs were considered to be the best bites. He was told that it was an arm of an Englishman killed just a short while before! Naturally, the priest declined and offered on his part spirits, which the Caribs were addicted to.

Six Settlements Found About 1950, the late Hyacinth Conner, principal of Oranjeschool from

12

French Saint Martin about 1920, seen from Chambard Hill (Photo Fred Labega).

1947 till 1951, discovered some Indian settlements: at Paradise Hill (where the Moho Well supplies fresh water), at Mount William, and at Billy Folly (close to Sentry Hill where also fresh water is found). In 1957-’58 the North American couple John and Dorothy Keur, both professors, he of biology, she of anthropology, stayed in the Windward Islands for nine months in connection with the writing of their book "Windward Children”. On the French part the Keurs found a fourth former settlement at Red Pond. Ripley and Adelaide Bullen, another North American couple, two people who had previously made excavations in St. Thomas, St. John and Grenada, found a fifth settlement at Cupecoy Bay in 1961, the largest known up to now. Unfortunately, because of building activities since, this archeologically so important site has completely disappeared. It was situated close to the frontier, but just in Netherlands Antillean territory. Further up, between the Baie aux Prunes (Plum Bay) and Baie Longue (Long Bay), the Bullens found traces of former settlement, the sixth, too.

Mainly the Lowlands Four of these six settlements found so far are located round and close to Simson Bay Lagoon,

and three out of these four in the Lowlands.

Al-

though six locations is not much of course, it may be noticed, considering

the small extent of the area available, that pretty much has been found. It may be also noticed that the Indians who used to live in the island had the same preference as modern men: they too build their bungalows preferably in the Lowlands. How old are the ‘artefacts Although much has been found, not much can be readily seen. Conner’s collection is still in the possession of the family, but they keep it in chests. _ What the Keurs and the Bullens collected has been shipped to the United States. The collection of Dr. and Mrs. Keur is deposited in the National . Museum of History of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., and

13

emrIN ear asians Sa EIT aem ER

‘Alfred Leonard Conner (+1960), one of the first Sint-Maarteners who did research into island’s past. ee ——

Hyacinth Conner, son of Alfred Leonard, head of the Oranjeschool 1947-1951, in 1950 started exavation work and found the first former Indian settlements at Paradise Hill, Mount William and near

Billy Folly.

the much larger collection of Dr. and Mrs. Bullen is to be found in the Florida State Museum in Gainesville, Florida. Neither of them is on display, but scholars and people who are interested can see the items on request. As an historian we refrain, of course, from commenting on the material found. But we can refer to an excellent essay in English, written by Dr. and Mrs. Bullen, and published in the Nieuwe

Westindische

Gids, 1966,

pages 137-144, and for those who prefer Dutch to the article Professor J. M. Cruxent of Caracas has written about the archeology of St. Maarten in Encyclopedie van de Nederlandse Antillen, 1969, pages 31-35. Generally speaking one may say that the material found by the Bullens can be dated from 800 till 1300 A.D.

Miscellaneous speciments from Cupecoy Bay, found by and reprinted with permission of the Bullens: 1 Olivia shell bead; 2 clam shell with rubbed edges; 3 perforated sherd disc; 4 chert side scraper; 5-6 bit and pole ends of celt blanks; 7 flat base, Cupecoy Plain; 8 indented rim; 9 grinding or sharpening stone (scale in inches, approx. 5 centimeters).

14

2: Saint Martin Day Traditions cannot always stand the test of historical research.

Dr. Diego Columbus has not left us a ship’s log, but his ship’s doctor Columbus that appears it which from story travel a wrote Chanca Alvarez

on November 11, 1493, according to tradition the day on which Sint Maar-

ten was discovered, was berthed at Redonda.

The next morning, Tuesday, November 12, 1493, Columbus sailed past

an island that he named San Martin, and the following day he passed Sint Eustatius and Saba within eyeshot.

For a long time it was assumed — for obvious reasons — that San Mar-

tin was the same island as the one now called Sint Maarten. But it is evident that Columbus, coming from Redonda, could not pass first Sint

Maarten and then Sint Eustatius and Saba. Consequently, San Martin cannot have been the present island of Sint Maarten. In all probability it was Nevis, for Juan de la Cosa, who accompanied Columbus on his voyage in 1493, and drew the first map of the Western Hemisphere on the basis of

his data gathered during the trip — the so-called Mapa Mundi of 1500 — put San Martin” against the island that Columbus sighted the morning of November 12, and that we now call Nevis. ~ The following morning, so the 13th, Columbus again sees an island, naturally St. Christopher’s or St. Kitts. He named it, as appears from De la Cosa’s map, Gorda. Once past St. Kitts Columbus must also have seen Sint Eustatius and Saba on the port side: the Quill and Mount Scenery making this inevitable. He gave these two islands a name. The first one he called Santa Maria de la Nieve, a name which passed to Nevis eventually, and the second one San Cristébal, which passed to St. Kitts, actually Saint Chris-

topher. Columbus went ashore on neither island.

Grand’ Case, about 1930 (photo Fred Labega).

15

In 1931 Lucius L. Hubbard calculated from the highest elevations of each island the zero visibility, i.e. the distance from which that particular island can just not be seen. We now know, that Columbus, sailing along in good and bright weather, may have sighted the present island of Sint Maarten, but not clearly distinguished. The presumable distance was too wide for that. We don’t have any information on the weather conditions on November 13, 1493. Anyone, who has been on the Sea View terrace, Philipsburg, and looked in the direction of Saba, knows how variable the

visibility is. How often this island cannot be seen! So, whether Columbus spotted the present island of Sint Maarten, we don’t know; Dr. Chanca’s record of the voyage does not mention anything about it, and De la Cosa did not draw an island here on his map either. Those who sailed the Caribbean Sea in the years after Columbus, na-

turally did not have any maps from which they could read the names given by Columbus. Therefore it often happened that the islands changed names. Du Tertre’s Version

According

to Sint Maarten’s

earliest

historian,

Jean-Baptiste

du

1493. On November 13 Columbus must have seen St. Eustatius and Saba. Whether he saw St. Maarten we do not know. The highest elevations of the islands are marked in feet: the arcs subtended from the elevations show zero visibility, i.e. the distance from where the islands can just not be seen (The Geographical Review 1931).

16

=

ng een opie dict

ans a

nan IE atte =a

:

i ! i

i t

Fragment of the map of the ”Ante-Yllas” of Reinel from 1516, the oldest map featuring Sint Maarten. The part below shows the*area from Guadeloupe to St. John and is represented here strongly magnified. The hatched arrow, which has been put in, points to Sint Maarten, of which Great Bay can be clearly recognized. The inscription reads SAM MTIM. Not legible on the reduced reproduction are the names Aruba, Curasaote and Bonbary. The original of the map can be found in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. The map is considered to be one of the best maps ° of those days of the Caribbean area.

t i

i ;

| na |

i

£

17

In 1907 a picture album was published by Kleynenberg en Co., Haarlem, containing pictures of the Netherlands Antilles. One of them shows Philipsburg in those days. A dream-town, hidden in greenery. There are only two vessels in Great Bay. When the picture was taken there was nota living soul in the street.

Tertre, whose Histoire Générale de l’établissement des colonies francoises dans les Ant-Isles de l’'Amérique was published in 1668, some Frenchmen should have occupied the island in 1638, under the leadership of someone called Saint Martin. Thereupon, this Saint Martin should have

called the island after himself. Apparently inspired by Du Tertre, a French document of 1772 (Etat des Isles St. Martin et St. Barthélemy; archives du Ministere France d’Outremer) also states the denomination

by this Saint Martin in 1638. Du Tertre is wrong here. In 1638 the entire island of Sint Maarten was in Spanish hands; French occupation is there-

fore out of the question. Moreover, in the next chapter we shall see that there were Frenchmen in the island in September 1629 already.

Du Tertre is even more definitely rebutted, for that matter, since on a

map dated as early as 1516, so 122 years before 1638, it says Sam Mtim for the present Sint Maarten. This map, the so-called Reinel map of 1512/'16, is the oldest map showing our island. The Reinels, father Pedro Reinel and son Jorge Reinel, known with Spanish first names, but presumably originating from Italy, worked in Spain and were accomplished map and globe makers. There are indications that the discoverer Magelhan used maps made by the Reinels. The map in question, mentioning Sam Mtim, is considered to be one of the best maps of the Caribbean area. The map, printed in the atlas Lopo Homen,, is also known as Carta Atlantica; the original is in the keeping of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, where we had a photo copy made of the document in question. Which European has first sighted our Sint Maarten and who reconnoitred it for the first time — and only that is really discovering — is thus historically unknown. In old times people also often wrote and said in Dutch St. Martin and Sint Martijn. In 1936 Sint Maarten was appointed to be the official name

18

of .*)the island. The ean fraparncat ise illtie Ant ds lan her Net now ch, , Par Dut tin n Mar St. the rse the cou of nch part is called of Fre St. Martin of Tours Sometimes Columbus named the islands after the saint whose birthday island. fell approximately on the day on which he discovered or saw the Martin of St. after it named he and 12, ber He saw Nevis on Novem day had been celebrated Tours, a popular saint in those days, whose namenow

the name passed to the island just a day before on the 11th. When

s patron called Sint Maarten, Saint Martin of Tours became the island’

gaint, and the Catholic churches of Philipsburg, Marigot and Grand’ Case

are dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. Saint Martin

lived in the 4th century

and was

bishop

of Tours

in

his France. His fame spread because he — well-known story — shared

ed coat with a beggar, who was barely dressed. Hereupon Christ appear to Martin, dressed in this piece of his coat.

Saint Martin Day Catholic Sint Maarten and Saint Martin celebrate their patron feast

on November 11. In the Netherlands Antillean part up to some years ago this was practically only a church affair. In the French part, where since 1918 November 11 happens to be Armistice Day too, (of the first World War) this day was of a somewhat more official nature. In 1959, on the initiative of the French part, it was decided to make Saint Martin Day a day of festivities for the entire island, giving the fact of discovery more emphasis than the feast of the patron, with a view to having a motive for celebrations acceptable for everyone. In this way, for example, both the Catholic and the Methodist churches can have memorial services, followed by ceremonies at the frontier monument, receptions and public festivities. Even if November 11 is not historically the day on which the island was discovered — the day on which this happened is simply unknown — the day is generally celebrated as the annually recurring festive opening of the tourist season.

*) In our book we write Sint Maarten when the entire island or the Netherlands Antillean part of it is meant. When only the French part is concerned, we write Saint Martin. In the colonial period it was correct to speak of Dutch Sint Maarten; although it is still called Dutch Sint Maarten colloquially, with the coming into force of the Interim Regulation on February 7, 1951, it became Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten.

19

3. The French and the Dutch in Sint Maarten 1629-1633 In the sixteenth century French and English sea farers ventured everywhere in the Caribbean area. They were looking preferably for islands with bays, where they could hide. The Great Bay with its wide view was less attractive for them than the many anses — small bays — in the French part. In 1624 the English settled in St. Kitts. With their consent, however,

Frenchmen settled in this island too, because would be able to subdue the Caribs together the English and French concluded a partition central part of St. Kitts, the French got the

the English hoped that they with the French. Hereupon, treaty: the English kept the two ends, and both parties

Rue de la Liberté, formerly Rue du Gouvernement, leading from Main Street to Sandy Ground (photo Fred Labega in 1930).

were allowed to profit from the salt pond in the southern part of the island. Later, when the English together with the French had averted the threat of the Caribs, the English took the entire island. French settlement in 1629 We already observed (page 10) that in 1624 some Dutchmen paid a visit to Sint Maarten. In 1629 some Frenchmen followed. For, when the Eng-

lish invaded the French part of St. Kitts, Richelieu sent a squadron to the Caribbean area under the command of captain Francois de Rotondy, Lord

of Cahuzac. Not unjustly, he expected that the Spaniards could be up to something and because Sint Eustatius is close to St. Kitts, he built a small fort in Sint Eustatius.*) He then sent his aide-de-camp, captain Giron, ona *) J. Hartog, History of St. Eustatius, page 21.

20

.

é

ee

é

Boulevard de France, Marigot, in 1930. Formerly this promenade was called Rue du Bord de Mer. On the hill the contours of Fort St. Louis (photo Fred Labega).

reconnaissance mission to find out if there were Spanish ships in the neighborhood. On this reconnaissance trip Giron got into a gale; he lost his mast, and

had to look for shelter at the nearest island: Sint Maarten. Where he landed is unknown. It was July or maybe the beginning of August 1629. After having repaired his ship, Giron left the island.

Some weeks later, in August 1629, the Spaniards drove the French as well as the English off St. Kitts. The English fled to other English islands, but the French amidst whom was among others Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc, first of all sought safety in the French fort in Sint Eustatius. Here they discussed what to do. Without being clear what had been decided upon they left, and after three weeks of fighting gales and foul wind, they arrived at Sint Maarten at the end of August or the beginning of September. The story does not say where they went ashore, but it is assumed

Main Street,

Grand’ Rue, Marigot, officially Rue de la République, formerly Rue de Gourbeyre (photo Fred Labega, 19830).

21

Main Street, Grand’ Rue, Marigot, officially Rue de la République. From 1937 till 1948 the mairie was housed in the building shown. At present it is the shop of Vere Richardson.

that it was at the coast of what has become French Quarter. They made an entrenchment in case the Spaniards would pursue them. The French were disappointed in Sint Maarten however; the water was brackish. A part of the French left after some days under dEsnambuc for some place else, i.a. Antigua. However, some Frenchmen stayed behind: the first settlement. After a pretty short while those who stayed behind were troubled by the Spaniards, who, after their raid on St. Kitts, now visited Sint Maarten

too, and destroyed the entrenchment which had been erected. Small French colony The Spaniards did not dispose of sufficient ships and crew to occupy St. Kitts permanently. And so it was possible for both the English and the French to return in the course of 1630 already. From Spanish archives sources we know, that at that time 14 Frenchmen stayed behind in Sint Maarten; the first colony of Europeans in the island. They made salt where now Grand’ Case is and they lived slightly more to the east, in French Quarter or Quartier d’Orléans. Their small settlement even got an official character, when their leader, who is refer-

red to as Sieur de St. Martin, received letters of commission in this capacity from the French king. : The Dutch look for a station When a variety of European settlements were established in the Caribbean islands, Dutch merchants,

united in the Netherlands

West

India

Company, looked for a suitable island from which they would be able to supply the various settlements with what was needed. In those days the Dutch were the cargo carriers of Europe. One should not underestimate this trade: during the period that we are describing now, approximately

22

nant-Governor’s office, built in 1886 Pioietreet about 1925. To the left the Lieute and burnt down in 1974.

one hundred Dutch ships sailed from Europe to the Caribbean area every year, compared to — for example — not more than twenty French ships. And this while France had colonies here and The Netherlands*) not yet.

The first European to visit Sint Maarten Was, consequently, a Dutch-

man, Pieter Schouten, who on October 5, 1624, called at our island to carry out some repairs to his ship. He did not find suitable wood, how-

ever, and after four days sailed on to St. Kitts.

It is obvious therefore, that, when the Netherlands West India Comp-

any was looking for an island in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea, they thought of St. Kitts rather than Sint Maarten.

In 1628, this was, as

we know, too late, because the English and French had divided this island between themselves at an earlier date already. In 1630 the Dutch, who waged a war against Spain, the so-called Eighty Years’ War, captured Pernambuco from the Portuguese, and now it appeared desirable to have a foothold and victualing station on the route from New Holland (Brazil) to New Netherland (now New York). It is true

that Sint Maarten was no good as a victualing station, because there was hardly any or no water availabble, but the central position among islands of a great variety of nationalities and the profuse availablilty of salt were decisive. Early in August 1631, at any rate before the 8th, the Dutch occupied Sint Maarten. It was their first settlement in the Caribbean area.

*) Because of historical predominance of two provinces called Holland in the past one very often refers incorrectly to The Netherlands as Holland. With the exception of the years 1806-1810, when the country was under French domination and was called the Kingdom of Holland, the name is The Netherlands. The adjective Dutch originally refers to the language, but it has been accepted for a long time already as referring to the country and people as well. We will use The Netherlands for the country, also when speaking about the time before 1796

(before this year the country was a Republic, under the unwieldy United Provinces of The Netherlands).

name the

23

Philipsburg’s

first small pier was

built in 1876.

This picture

dates

from 1917,

before a roof was built over it. First Lieutenant-Governor

The occupation passed off without difficulties. No one resisted the Dutch. They thought, for that matter, that the island was uninhabited, wrong, for there lived fourteen Frenchmen,

as we know. Only as time

went by, when they moved farther into the island, they met them. The Netherlands West India Company undertook the administration of the island itself, and appointed Jan Claeszen van Campen as Commander. This Claeszen was the first administrator of the island. The first fort The Dutch took prompt action. As there was no time to build rain water cisterns, they collected the rain water in canvas! After three months the first house was finished and over 1000 hectoliters (26420 U.S. gallons) of

In 1922 a small roof was built over the pier.

24

ss

ss

Estate Welgelegen in 1924. From 1863 till 1877 doctor Hendrik E. van Rijgersma

lived here, a government physician who sent an enormous collection of molluscs, crustaceae and fossils to museums in Leiden and Philadelphia. In 1974 Dr. H. E. thesis "Life and MalaCoomans took his doctor’s degree in natural science ona cological Work of H. E. van Rijgersma” (photo Fred Labega). Se.

clean salt was ready for shipment. They had also started building a fort already on the spit of land where now the ruins of Fort Amsterdam can be

found. The fort in question was another one however, a predecessor so to speak of Fort Amsterdam. As was usual in those days entering ships could pay their harbor dues by handing over one or more of the ship’s guns and/or ammunition. In September 1632 the fort was completed: it disposed of ten guns and a garrison of eighty men. It consisted of board and earthen walls, but in

November 1632 the fort was fortified on the side

facing the sea, with stone. Moreover the spit of land was cut at its lowest point for protection in the back side. Economic significance Sint Maarten’s salt obtained a good reputation at once; it was considered to be better than the salt of Punta de Araya on the coast, where the Dutch went for salt too. Soon the economic significance of Sint Maarten reached such an extent, that, according to Spanish sources, the cost of the

large settlement at Pernambuco, which had a garrison of 6,000, was covered for two thirds by the profit on the salt of Sint Maarten. In the Great Bay it was a coming-and-going of ships, for in addition to the salt carriers also the ships that had supplied the Brazil settlement with the necessary things returned via Sint Maarten. Someone who visited Sint Maarten in June 1632, not even a year after the occupation, counted 25 entering ships in three weeks! The first Frenchmen did already business via the Dutch part

In the small French colony in the island people were engaged in making Salt and growing tobacco. Soon the French discovered that the Dutch dis-

29

The fort built by the Spaniards in Sint Maarten in 1633.

posed of better connections than they did, and soon they appeared at the Great Bay with salt and tobacco. The village on the sand ridge On the sand ridge between the salt pond and the Great Bay the village of the Dutch arose. In 1633, so one and a half years after the occupation, the Dutch colony was already quite a bit larger than the one of the French. There lived 97 Dutchmen, only two of which were women, furthermore 20 black males, 10 black females and one Indian woman.

The

village lay on the western part of the sand ridge, so not far from where the fort lay. There was a little church and even a hospital. An administration had been set up: Commander Claeszen had formed a Council, which in Spanish documents is solemnly called the Senate of the island, and which consisted of officers and captains of ships. The Spanish recapture Sint Maarten Sint Maarten’s

excellent salt, however,

became

its downfall.

To in-

crease public revenue King Philips IV of Spain raised the price of salt. In Spain salt was a state monopoly. The royal decree would of course be futile, if the Dutch, French and English would be able to obtain cheap salt

in Sint Maarten and sell it again. On Friday, June 24, 1633, peace was disturbed in the island by the appearance of a Spanish fleet of 53 ships: 11 men of war convoying 42 merchant vessels on their way to the Spanish

26

in May under orders to recolo nies. The convoy had sailed from Cadiz nd capture Sint Maar ten en route. One thousa foot-soldiers and 300 sailors Guns were disembarked. A reconnaissance vessel was were put ashore.

gent to the French.

The Dutch put up a fierce resistance. But although they kept up the of the Spanfight for a week, they had to surrender to the superior power ijards on July 1, 1633. The Spaniards allowed all inhabitants to leave, hoisted the Spanish flag and read a Holy Mass of Gratitude in the fort on July 2.

Anguilla lost

In Anguilla the Dutch had a small settlement too. Also because of the salt. There are only few historical data about it, but although there was no question of a real colony with an administration etc., the Dutch had

built a little fort there. After the capture of Sint Maarten, the Spaniards demolished this little fort. No further attention was paid to Anguilla by

them. The Dutch continued visiting Anguilla,

under

the very

eyes

of the

Spaniards in Sint Maarten. In 1645 there even was a small Dutch settle-

ment again. In the course of time, however, the island became English.

The loss of Sint Maarten led to Curagao After the loss of Sint Maarten, the Dutch still disposed of other locations for salt: Punta de Araya and Bonaire. Even though they were thus

in a position to secure a return cargo, it did mean that with Sint Maarten

a trading post and the place to attack the Spanish from were lost. In The Netherlands the possibility was considered for a while to recapture Sint Maarten, but eventually it was decided to settle in an island at a greater distance from the strong Spanish settlement in Puerto Rico. That is the reason why they went to Curacao the following year, 1634. In order to have a commercial settlement in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea too, closer to the many islands large and smal! and of a variety of nation-

alities, they took Sint Eustatius as a trading post two years later in 1636.

Backstreet with Miss Josephine Hazel’s home around 1930 (photo Fred Labega).

at

4.

The Spanish Period

1633-1648 It has been Claeszen’s mistake that he did not see to it that a fort was built on the east spitof land of the Great Bay too, so that entering ships that were

aiming at the west fort, could be attacked in the back. The

Spaniards remedied this mistake at once. By using the stone of the demolished fort in Anguilla (page 27) they built a fort on the hill of Point Blanche, the ruins of which are still popularly known as Old Spanish Fort. Neglected Soon Sint Maarten suffered from the general neglect, from which also

the other Spanish islands in the neighborhood suffered. There simply — were too many of them for Spain. The Spanish garrison of Sint Maarten consisted of civil servants and soldiers, no colonists. Therefore, the making of salt was paid hardly or no attention to. The fifteen years from 1633 till 1648 make a long story of mutinies, failure to pay the pay and reduction of rations. The Netherlands West India Company who had occupied Sint Eustatius in 1636 and some years later Saba, decided therefore to try to recapture promising Sint Maarten. Stuyvesant’s abortive attack Peter Stuyvesant, since 1642 Director of the Netherlands West India Company in Curacao, received orders to this extent, after he had givena hint in that direction more than once for that matter. Together with some ships sent from The Netherlands for reinforcement, Stuyvesant formed a fleet of 13 ships. He himself was admiral on the flag ship Blauwe Haan; Jacob Polak, Commander of Bonaire, an able

man, who had assisted Stuyvesant before during a campaign in Venezuela, became second in command and supreme commander

of the troops,

800 to 1,000 men, approximately half of which were soldiers. Stuyvesant was not exactly cautious, because he took along the entire garrison of Curacao, so that this island was left virtually without defence.

On Palm Sunday, March 20, 1644, Stuyvesant showed up at Sint Maar-

ten.

The Spanish garrison, which had amounted to 250 men in 1636, had dwindled to 120 men, many of them ill, old or invalid. On seeing the Dutch they quickly brought some vegetables, goats and cows into the fort. The Dutch landed at Cay Bay and mounted their cannon there (H in the map), too far away to hit the fort. Therefore, the guns were moved to Bel Air (K). Further down, in the valley of Welgelegen, was the Dutch tent camp, a good position: they had water in Cul-de-Sac, and they disposed of short connections with the battery on the hill. When the position on Bel-

28

a summons to the Spaniards, and Air was ready, Stuyvesant despatched ed the hill to place a flag on the climb he ered, deliv letter this while he had emphasize his summons. to ently battery with his own hands, appar sant, so un-

Stuyve So far, the Spaniards had not done much, but when

they fired a cannon. The ball protected on the hill there, made a target, Haan,

captain of the Blauwe hit Stuyvesant’s right leg and the face of the a cheek and an eye. Stuylost he which by , orhood who was in the neighb Close to the knee his Haan. yesant had to be taken aboard the Blauwe ed to Curag ao, return sant Stuyve Later ted. amputa be right leg had to r

i

Ed

Fe Ta wes

aida

mer

themselves through the more than 300 years old ruins of Old

ort, but the stone did not move! (photo Wilfred Roumou).

29

i

My Ay) lt Jig

Y HILL

le m NT

jaar weterputten

iy SENTRY HILL

Vly V TT Si

\\N\ i Uda MN) WW, Uf My

WA tony,

Z

7

Zo

Wwe

=.

My

)

Wy

Ny

& & TENTEN KAMP

GY

Monge Vo

a

le, ‘Ss(nt si A\\\

oO

Wie

“1.

iy,pk \\

yy AEM

Wig Bh ®

SS

=

= ==

Wy

ole

i ond

”

=

y

=

sie\\ZZ \\S x

FRESH POND

KZ x\ Zz

Ay py HSIKINp\RN AA MU CUA) )

Uy,Vy“Mp >

Wwmu

My

Wy Wy, (i,

w

gw ws\S

IN )

WA,

/|\\STT AW")

=

My| \t Aimy ANwn Uh mi © AMM My Att S \\\ = —_— —_—

|

ig

t+++4y art

Ne

OO

—

4

INiy

WN,

\

oo

SS

A)

Wty, Uy ‘ny Yj ane iio an poling Yyy

My

w 4, © Wont \\ = ul in a:ZXe,\Cy,Y \\ iy,Willy =»