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 sou ...

, 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 ...

in 1831. In 1838, it became a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 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 located around the lower course of the Demerara River, 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 Greate ...

word "Immenary" or "Dumaruni", which means "river of the letter wood" (wood of ''

Brosimum guianense ''Brosimum guianense'', called snakewood, letterwood, leopardwood, and amourette, is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Brosimum'', native to southern Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America. A tree reaching , its ...

'' tree).

Demerara sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

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 Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

wanted to settle there and Essequibo was part of

Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...

. In the founding documents, it was mentioned that the colonists should live in peace with the

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

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 governor of the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara from 1743 to 1772. He turned Demerara in a successful plantation colony, and the borders of Guyana are mainly base ...

, 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, 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 :''Georgetown, Guyana was known as Stabroek prior to 1812.'' Stabroek () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of and Stabroek proper. In 2021, Stabroek had a total population of 18,6 ...

, and in 1782 the capital of the colony. The town was renamed Georgetown in 1812. In 1763, a slave uprising 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 a ...

. 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, ...

, 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 A hogshead (abbreviated "hhd", plural "hhds") is a large cask of liquid (or, less often, of a food commodity). More specifically, it refers to a specified volume, measured in either imperial or US customary measures, primarily applied to alcoho ...

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 in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

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 s ...

, 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 Demerara-Mahaica (Region 4) is a region of Guyana, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Mahaica-Berbice to the east, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the south and the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the ...

Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region 3) is a region of Guyana. Split in two by the Essequibo River, Venezuela claims the territory to the west of Essequibo river as part of Delta Amacuro state, what represents Essequibo Islands. Unlike Wes ...

, and Upper Demerara-Berbice.

Notable Demerarans

* Sir James Douglas (1803-1877), Governor of the

Colony of Vancouver Island The Colony of Vancouver Island, officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies, was a Crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with the mainland to form the Colony of British Columbia ...

(1851–64) and the Colony of British Columbia (1858–64). *Rev.

Joseph Ketley The Rev. Joseph Ketley (1802-1875) was a mid-nineteenth century Congregational church, Congregational missionary and Abolitionism in the United Kingdom, abolitionist in Guyana, the former British colony of British Guiana which was known as Demera ...

(1802–1875),

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

missionary, mid 19th century. * John Edmonstone (late 18th century–mid 19th century), a freed slave 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 ...

taxidermy Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...

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

Commanders of Demerara

* Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's Gravesande (†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 Paulus is the original Latin language, Latin form of the English name Paul (disambiguation), Paul. It may refer to: Ancient Roman * Paul (jurist) or Julius Paulus (fl. 222–235 AD), Roman jurist * Paulus (consul 496), politician of the Eastern ...

(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 Robert Charles Kingston (July 16, 1928February 28, 2007) was a United States Army general who served as the commander of U.S. Central Command. Early life and education Kingston was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on July 16, 1928, and graduated ...

(27 February 1781 – 1782) *

Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also

Derived or associated te ...

(1782) * Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, comte de Kersaint (*1742 – †1793) (1782) * Georges Manganon de la Perrière (1783–1784)

Directors-general

(1752-1772) * Joseph Bourda (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 Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Lyle Carmichael (1764–1813), was a British officer of the 2nd West India Regiment. He was Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces at the Siege of Santo Domingo. He was Lieutenant Governor of Demerara Essequibo fr ...

(*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 (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 of Plantation Success