Hendrik Vroom CMG (20 May 1850 – 13 January 1902) was a Gold Coast Euro-African merchant and government official on the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

. Vroom was known as a strong supporter of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and lived in Bridge House, Elmina, on the corner of Liverpool Street and opposite Elmina Castle, from March 1895 until his death in 1902.

Biography

Hendrik Vroom was born in

Elmina Elmina, also known as Edina by the local Fante, is a town and the capital of the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem District on the south coast of Ghana in the Central Region, situated on a bay on the Atlantic Ocean, west of Cape Coast. Elmina w ...

, Dutch Gold Coast, to Hendrik McCarthy Vroom and Anna Abakoema. Vroom was a pupil of the Dutch government school of Elmina and went on to have a career with the Dutch colonial government. He served as a pharmacy assistant to the Dutch officials in 1865, and was installed as a school teacher between 1866 and 1872. In the latter year, the Dutch left the Gold Coast, ceding their possessions to the British. Vroom easily adapted to the new situation, and served as a customs official in British service between 1872 and 1880. Vroom was then installed as District Commissioner at Prampram, which was a rare honour for a mulatto man. He served at Prampram until 1888, and went on to serve as District Commissioner in Dixcove and Sekondi (1888 – 1889), Eastern Wassa (1889 – 1893), Elmina (1893 – 1896), and Tarkwa (1896 – 1901). He also was Travelling Commissioner to Asante between 1894 and 1896, where he was instrumental in the subjugation of the Asante during the

Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged vict ...

. Apart from his civil career, Vroom also served in the military. He was an interpreter for the Dutch during the

Dutch Gold Coast expedition of 1869–1870 Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...

and for the British during the

Third Anglo-Ashanti War The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged victorio ...

Businessman

Vroom is not only remembered for his career in public service, but also for his business in Cape Coast, in which he partnered with Willem Essuman Pietersen and

Ernest James Hayford Ernest James Hayford, (23 April 1858, Anomabu – 6 August 1913, London) was a physician and lawyer in the Gold Coast.Michael R. Doortmont, ''The Pen-Pictures of Modern Africans and African Celebrities by Charles Francis Hutchison: A Collectiv ...

. He was involved in gold mining and timber production.

Personal life

Vroom has been married twice, first to Maria Plange and, after her death, to Elizabeth Coorengel. Vroom had at least two children with Maria Plange and probably seven children with Coorengel. Apart from his two legal wives, Vroom also had children out of wedlock, with Ekua Praba and Araba. Vroom at least had twelve children.

Recognition

Hendrik Vroom was created Companion in the Order of St Michael and St George in 1896.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vroom, Hendrik Dutch Gold Coast people 1850 births 1902 deaths People from Elmina