Mikkel Mikkelsen (also called Michael) (DOB - DOD) was

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

ad interim of St. Thomas in the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...

, from 27 February 1686 to 29 June 1686. Little is known about his life, aside from his short term as Governor during the turbulent early days of company rule. When the rule of

Gabriel Milan Gabriel Milan ( – 26 March 1689) was a colonial administrator and planter who served as governor of the Danish West Indies from 7 May 1684 to 27 February 1686. Though he mainly went by the name of 'Gabriel Milan', he identified himself as ...

, and his imprisonment of former Governor Adolph Esmit had become a problem for the

Danish West India Company The Danish West India Company () or Danish West IndiaGuinea Company (') was a Dano-Norwegian chartered company that operated out of the colonies in the Danish West Indies. It is estimated that 120,000 enslaved Africans were transported on the ...

in 1686, it was decided that Mikkelsen was to be sent as a commissioner to settle the difficulties.Westergaard, West Indies, 37 Mikkelsen left

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

on 15 October 1685, arriving fully armed on 24 February 1686 on board the same Fortuna that had brought Milan to St. Thomas. In the meantime, Milan, warned from Copenhagen by his son Ferdinand, had secured (or "cajoled" as Westergaard puts it) the plantationers of St. Thomas into putting up resistance against Mikkelsen, the "rascal". A three-day parley followed, as Mikkelsen attempted to negotiate with an armed Milan. Finally, after making it clear to Milan that his actions could cause him to be held liable for rebellion, and that his men were leaving him, Mikkelsen managed to talk him to returning to Copenhagen. Esmit and his wife, along with others of Milan's prisoners were extracted from the prison and boarded the Fortuna along with Milan.Westergaard, West Indies, 38 Mikkelsen's task was now to collect evidence of Milan's misconduct for the trial in Copenhagen, and acted as de facto Governor of the island from this day. According to exchanges with West India Company Director Albert Gyllensparre, the proceedings were quite heated, as both Esmit and Milan would accuse each other, shouting and screaming. On 29 June 1686, they started making preparations to return to Copenhagen, and

Christopher Heins Christopher Heins (died October 1689) was a lieutenant and interim Governor-General of The Danish West Indies during two short periods, respectively 29 June 1686 to March 1687 and from October 1688 to 1689. Little is known about his career or pers ...

was inserted as Governor-General. The Fortuna left St. Thomas on 5 July 1686, and arrived in Copenhagen on 12 October 1686, where the trial started almost immediately.

Bibliography

* Waldemar Westergaard, ''The Danish West Indies under Company Rule (1671 - 1754)'' (MacMillan, New York, 1917)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikkelsen, Mikkel Governors of the Danish West Indies 1680s in the Danish West Indies 17th-century Danish people