Adrian Lampsins, sometimes called Adrien Lampsius,
(1598-1673) was the Baron of colonial
Tobago, alongside his brother,
Cornelius Lampsins.
Born to
a wealthy merchant family in
Vlissingen, in 1654 Adrian and Cornelius led a group of 50 colonists on the opposite side of Tobago of what was then
New Courland, and named their settlement
New Walcheren
The history of Tobago covers a period from the earliest human settlements on the island of Tobago in the Archaic period, through its current status as a part of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Originally settled by indigenous people, the isl ...
. A dispute arose between the Dutch and
Couronian colonists, but the
Dutch government arbitrated and declared Courland as the legitimate claimant to Tobago. In 1659, however, Courland was seized by
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, and the colony was now in the hands of the Dutch.
In 1662, the brothers Lampsins collaborated with King
Louis XIV of
France, and were given the title of the "Barons of Tobago," a title they held until the loss of Tobago to the English in 1666. Approximately 1,500 settlers lived under the rule of the Lampsins brothers.
In 1673, Adrian and the late Cornelius' son Jan briefly again retook Tobago, but the island was recaptured by an English force under Sir
Tobias Bridge
Sir Tobias Bridge fought for Parliament in the English Civil War, and served the The Protectorate, Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell during the Interregnum (England), Interregnum. After the restoration (England), Restoration, he served King Charles II ...
, and Adrian was killed alongside his nephew when the fort was blown up.
[Riddell (Author), Henri de Bourbon (comte de Chambord.), John. “The Patent of Baron to C Van Lampsins.” The Pedigree of the Duchess of Mantua, Montferrat and Ferrara, Oxford University, 1885, pp. 8–10.]
See also
*
Cornelius Lampsins
*
Lampsins family
The Lampsins were an aristocratic family in the Netherlands, who attained notability in the trading and colonial worlds in the 17th century. The most notable members of the family were brothers Adrian and Cornelius Lampsins, who were granted lette ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lampsins, Adrian
17th-century Dutch people
17th-century Dutch politicians
European colonization of the Caribbean
Tobago
History of Trinidad and Tobago
1598 births
1673 deaths