Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in

the Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

, on the north coast of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, now part of the country of

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

. It was a colony of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...

between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state from 1792 until 1815. It was merged with

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 ...

in 1812 by the British who took control. It formally became a British colony in 1815 till

Demerara-Essequibo The Colony of Demerara-Essequibo was created on 28 April 1812, when the British combined the colonies of Demerara and Essequibo into the colony of Demerara-Essequibo. They were officially ceded to Britain on 13 August 1814. On 20 November 1815 the ...

was merged with Berbice to form the colony of

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 S ...

in 1831. In 1838, it became a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

of British Guiana till 1958. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as

and in 1970 it became a republic as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. It was located around the lower course of the

Demerara River The Demerara River is a river in eastern Guyana that rises in the central rainforests of the country and flows to the north for 346 kilometres until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Georgetown, Guyana's largest seaport and capital, is situated o ...

, and its main settlement was Georgetown. The name "Demerara" comes from a variant of the

Arawak The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greater ...

word "Immenary" or "Dumaruni", which means "river of the letter wood" (wood of '' Brosimum guianense'' tree). Demerara sugar is so named because originally, it came from sugarcane fields in the colony of Demerara.

History

Demerara was first mentioned in 1691 as a trading post. On 18 October 1745, Demerara was created as a separate colony, even though it was located on an unoccupied part of

, because the people from the province of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

wanted to settle there and Essequibo was part of Zeeland. In the founding documents, it was mentioned that the colonists should live in peace with the Amerindian population and respect their territories, because they fought with the colony of Essequibo against the French privateers and helped to chase them off. The Amerindian were considered free people, and they were not allowed to enslave them. The first planter was Andries Pieterse who already owned a plantation in Essequibo. Half a year later, there were 18 large sugar plantations and 50 smaller plantations. The colony was initially governed from Fort Zeelandia by

Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (12 October 1704 – 14 August 1775) was a Dutch people, Dutch governor of the colonies of Essequibo (colony), Essequibo and Demerara from 1743 to 1772. He turned Demerara in a successful plantation colony, and the ...

, the governor of Essequibo. In 1750 he appointed his son Jonathan as Commander of Demerara. Demerara grew rapidly, and attracted many English planters. The

, who had a monopoly on the slave trade, was unable to supply them, leading to illegal smuggling from English colonies. In 1755, Gedney Clarke, a Barbados merchant and plantation owner, requested political representation, therefore the administration was moved to the island of

Borsselen Borsselen (also Borslem) is an island in the Demerara River of Guyana, and was the capital of Demerara between 1755 and 1782. History In 1745, Demerara was created as a separate colony out of Essequibo, and was initially governed from Essequibo. ...

, upriver near plantation

Soesdyke Soesdyke is a village in the Demerara-Mahaica Region (Region 4), Guyana, located between the Demerara River and the East Bank Public Road. Soesdyke is located just after the village called Den Heuvel (Coverden) if you are coming from Georgetown, w ...

which was owned by the commander of Demerara. The decision was criticised because the island was hard to defend, and the planters had started to build houses around the guard post near the mouth of the river. That settlement later became known as Stabroek, and in 1782 the capital of the colony. The town was renamed Georgetown in 1812. In 1763, a

slave uprising 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 freedo ...

took place in neighbouring

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 ...

. Governor van 's Gravesande formed an alliance with the Amerindian

Kalina Kalina may refer to: People * Kalina people, or Caribs, an indigenous people of the northern coastal areas of South America * Kalina language, or Carib, the language of the Kalina people * Kalina (given name) * Kalina (surname) * Noah Kalina, Ame ...

, Warao and Akawaio tribes, and prevented the uprising from spreading to Demerara and Essequibo. 50 soldiers from Demarara were sent to Berbice as assistance. The slave uprisings were source of concern: in a 1767 letter to

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

, the King of Prussia, which aimed to promote the colony for German planters, a request was added for 100 soldiers. In 1780, there were almost 200 plantations in Demerara compared to 129 in Essequibo. Demerara had become 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. The majority of the white population of the colony were English and Scottish planters.

Conquest and reconquest

In 1781, the American revolution induced the Dutch Republic to join with the Bourbon side against the British, a large fleet under Admiral Lord Rodney's command was sent to the West Indies, and after having made some seizures in the Caribbean Islands, a squadron was detached to take possession of the colonies of

and Demerara, which was accomplished without even a fight. The previous year, the colony produced 10,000 hogsheads of sugar, 5,000,000 pounds coffee and 800,000 pounds cotton. In 1782 the French took possession of the whole of the Dutch settlements, compelling Gov. Robert Kingston to surrender. The opinion of the Dutch newspapers varied. The ''Leeuwarder Courant'' called it the loss of our Demerary, while the ''Hollandsche historische courant'' described it as a pleasant reconquest. The peace of Paris, which occurred in 1783, restored these territories to the Dutch. The British recaptured Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice in 1796. A deal was struck with the colony: all laws and customs could remain, and the citizens were equal to British subjects. Any government official who swore loyalty to the

British crown The Crown is the state (polity), state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, overseas territories, Provinces and territorie ...

could remain in function. They returned the colony to the Dutch in 1802 under the terms of the

Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it se ...

, but re-took control of it a year later. On 28 April 1812, the British combined the colonies of Demerara and

into the colony of

. They were ceded to Britain on 13 August 1814. On 20 November 1815, the Netherlands ratified the agreement.

Slave rebellion

Large slave rebellions broke out in West Demerara in 1795 and on the East Coast of Demerara in 1823. Although these rebellions were easily and bloodily crushed, according to Winston McGowan, they may have had a long-term impact in ending slavery:

Dissolution

On 21 July 1831, Demerara-Essequibo united with

, now

. In 1838, Demerara was made one of the three counties of Guiana, the other two being Berbice and Essequibo.Regions of Guyana
at Statoids.com. Updated 20 June 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2013. In 1958, the county was abolished when Guiana was subdivided into districts. Historical Demerara was divided in 1958 and are a part of Guyanese administrative regions of Demerara-Mahaica, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, and

Upper Demerara-Berbice Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) is a region of Guyana, bordering the regions of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Demerara-Mahaica and Mahaica-Berbice to the north, the region of East Berbice-Corentyne to the east, and the regions of Potaro-Si ...

Notable Demerarans

Sir James Douglas James Douglas may refer to: Scottish noblemen Lords of Angus * James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus (1426–1446), Scottish nobleman * James Douglas, Earl of Angus (1671–1692), son of the 2nd Marquess of Douglas Lords of Douglas * James Douglas, L ...

(1803-1877), Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island (1851–64) and the

Colony of British Columbia The Colony of British Columbia refers to one of two colonies of British North America, located on the Pacific coast of modern-day Canada: *Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866) *Colony of British Columbia (1866–1871) See also *History of Br ...

(1858–64). *Rev.

Joseph Ketley The Rev. Joseph Ketley (1802-1875) was a mid-nineteenth century Congregational missionary and abolitionist in Guyana, the former British colony of British Guiana which was known as Demerara and Essequibo at the time when his mission was establis ...

(1802–1875), Congregational missionary, mid 19th century. *

John Edmonstone John Edmonstone was a taxidermist and teacher of taxidermy in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was an influential Black Briton. Born into slavery on a wood plantation in Demerara, British Guiana (present-day Guyana, South America), he was given the surna ...

(late 18th century–mid 19th century), a

freed slave A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...

who taught

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

taxidermy. * Andrew Watson-first black person to play association football at international level.

Commanders of Demerara

Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's Gravesande Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

(†1761) (1750–1761) * Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (†1765) (1761–1765) *

Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel Baron Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel (December 23, 1742 – May 6, 1826) was a Dutch born plantation owner and politician who served as governor of the Dutch province of Demerara from 1765 to 1770 and later became a merchant in New York City with the ...

(1765–1770) * Paulus van Schuylenburgh (1772–1781) *

Antony Beaujon Antony Beaujon also Anthony ( 1763 – 17 October 1805) was a Dutch and British civil servant and politician in Guyana. He served as Governor of Demarara from May 1795 until 5 July 1802, and as Lieutenant governor of Demerara and Essequibo from 1 ...

(22 April 1796 – 27 March 1802)

Governors of Demerara

* Robert Kingston (27 February 1781 – 1782) * Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (1782) *

Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren Armand-Guy-Simon de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, in short Armand de Kersaint (29 July 17424 December 1793), was a French sailor and politician. A Girondin, Kersaint held important naval posts during the early stages of the French Revolution. ...

, comte de Kersaint (*1742 – †1793) (1782) *

Georges Manganon de la Perrière Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) *Georges (novel), ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas *Georges ( ...

(1783–1784)

Directors-general

(1752-1772) *

Joseph Bourda Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

(acting) (6 March 1784 – February 1785) * Jan L'Éspinasse (February 1785 – 18 August 1789) * Albertus Backer (18 August 1789 – 31 March 1793) *Baron Willem August Sirtema van Grovestins (31 March 1793 – May 1795) *Antony Beaujon (May 1795 – 22 April 1796) *

Antony Meertens Antony may refer to: * Antony (name), a masculine given name and a surname * Antony, Belarus, a village in the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus * Antony, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom ** Antony House, Cornwall, United Kingdom * Antony, ...

(27 March 1802 – September 1803)

Lieutenant governors of Demerara and Essequibo

* Robert Nicholson (September 1803 – 18 August 1804) *

(18 August 1804 – 17 October 1805) *James Montgomery (acting) (19 October 1805 – 8 May 1806) *

Henry William Bentinck Henry William Bentinck (15 November 1765–10 November 1820) was a Dutch-born military officer, planter and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of Saint Vincent (1802–1806), Essequibo Demerara (1806–1812), and Berbice (1814–1820) ...

(*1765 – †1821) (8 May 1806 – February 1812) * Hugh Lyle Carmichael (*1764 – †1813) (February 1812 – 11 May 1813) *E. Codd (acting) (11 May 1813 – 23 May 1813) * John Murray (23 May 1813 – 26 April 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 ...

(26 April 1824 – 21 July 1831)

Leaders of rebellions

* 1823:

Jack Gladstone Jack Gladstone was an enslaved Guianese man who led the Demerara rebellion of 1823, one of the large slave rebellions in the British Empire. He was captured and tried after the rebellion, and deported. Biography Jack and his father, Quamina, a ...

of Plantation Success * 1823:

Quamina Quamina Gladstone (1778 – 16 September 1823), most often referred to simply as Quamina, was a Guyanese slave from Africa and father of Jack Gladstone. He and his son were involved in the Demerara rebellion of 1823, one of the largest slave revo ...

of Plantation Success