The Colony of Demerara-Essequibo was created on 28 April 1812, when the British combined the colonies of
Demerara
Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state f ...
and
Essequibo Essequibo is the largest traditional region of Guyana but not an administrative region of Guyana today. It may also refer to:
* Essequibo River, the largest river in Guyana
* Essequibo (colony), a former Dutch colony in what is now Guyana;
* Esseq ...
into the colony of Demerara-Essequibo. They were officially ceded to Britain on 13 August 1814. On 20 November 1815 the agreement was ratified by the Netherlands.
On 21 July 1831 Demerara-Esequibo united with
Berbice
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1792 a colony of the Dutch West India Company and between 1792 to 1815 a colony of the Dutch state. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain a ...
as
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
.
Overview
In 1745, Demerara was created as a separate Dutch colony out of a part of
Essequibo Essequibo is the largest traditional region of Guyana but not an administrative region of Guyana today. It may also refer to:
* Essequibo River, the largest river in Guyana
* Essequibo (colony), a former Dutch colony in what is now Guyana;
* Esseq ...
. Demerara quickly became more successful than Essequibo. The rivalry between the colonies resulted in the creation of a combined
Court of Policy
The Court of Policy was a legislative body in Dutch and British Guiana until 1928. For most of its existence it formed the Combined Court together with the six Financial Representatives.
History
The Court of Policy was established in 1732 by the ...
in
Fort Zeelandia in 1783, and both colonies were governed by the same governor, however there were still two Courts of Justice, one for Demerara and one for Essequibo. On 28 April 1812, the two colonies were officially combined, however 1815 is used as end date, because the ratification eliminated the last legal obstacles.
On 18 August 1823, there was a
slave rebellion
A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by enslaved people, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of enslaved people have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freed ...
involving more than 10,000 slaves, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of slaves.
On 21 July 1831 Demerara-Esequibo united with
Berbice
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1792 a colony of the Dutch West India Company and between 1792 to 1815 a colony of the Dutch state. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain a ...
as
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was ...
.
The colony continued to use Dutch denominations of currency even though under British control. The issued coins ranging from 3 bits up to 3 Guilder. These coins were minted with the colonies name on it, and were minted from 1809 to 1835. The dollar was introduced in 1839.
Administrators
Lieutenant Governors
*
John Murray (1814–1824)
*
Sir Benjamin d'Urban
Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin D'Urban (16 February 1777 – 25 May 1849) was a British general and colonial administrator, who is best known for his frontier policy when he was the Governor in the Cape Colony (now in South Africa).
Early ...
(1824–1831)
See also
*
Demerara rebellion of 1823
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{Coord, 6.8121, -58.1701, display=title
History of Guyana
Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas
1812 establishments in the British Empire