Demerara

Demerara is a region in South America that began as a Dutch colony, then was captured by the British in 1796 and was ceded to the UK in 1814. It became one of the three colonies that were joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. It was located about the lower courses of the Demerara River, and its main town was Georgetown. Demerara is now one of three counties of Guyana. The other two counties are Berbice and Essequibo.

The name "Demerara" comes from a variant of the Arawak word "Immenary" or "Dumaruni" which means "river of the letter wood".^[1]

On 13 August 1814 the British combined the colonies of Demerara and Essequibo into the colony of Demerara-Essequibo. On 20 November 1815 the colony was formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.

On 21 July 1831 Demerara-Essequibo united with Berbice as British Guiana.

Large slave rebellions broke out in West Demerara in 1795 and on the East Coast of Demerara in 1823^[2]. Although these rebellions were easily and bloodily crushed, according to Winston McGowan, they may have had a long-term impact in ending slavery:

"The 1823 revolt had a special significance not matched by the earlier Berbice uprising. It attracted attention in Britain inside and outside Parliament to the terrible evil slavery and the need to abolish it. This played a part, along with other humanitarian, political and economic factors, in causing the British parliament ten years later in 1833 to take the momentous decision to abolish slavery in British Guiana and elsewhere in the British Empire with effect from 1 August 1834. After serving four years of a modified form of slavery euphemistically called apprenticeship, the slaves were finally freed on 1 August 1838."^[3]

Demerara (sugar) is so named because originally it came from sugar cane fields in the colony of Demerara.

Notable Demererans

• Sir James Douglas, Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island (1851-64) and the Colony of British Columbia (1858–64).
• Rev. Joseph Ketley, Congregational missionary, mid 19th century.

Commanders of Demerara

• Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's Gravesende (d. 1761) (1752–1761)
• Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (d. 1765) (1761–1765)
• Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel (1765–1770)
• Paulus van Schuylenburgh (1772–1781)
• Antony Beaujon (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, comte de Kersaint (b. 1742 – d. 1793) (1782)
• Georges Manganon de la Perrière (1783–1784)

Directors-general

• Joseph Bourda (acting) (6 March 1784 – February 1785)
• Jan L'Éspinasse (February 1785 – 18 August 1789)
• Albertus Backer (18 August 1789 – 31 March 1793)
• Willem August van Sirtema, baron van Grovestins (31 March 1793 – May 1795)
• Antony Beaujon (b. 17... – d. 1805) (1795 – 22 April 1796)
• Antony Meertens (27 March 1802 – September 1803)

Lieutenant governors

• Robert Nicholson (September 1803 – 18 August 1804)
• Antony Beaujon (18 August 1804 – 19 October 1805)
• James Montgomery (acting) (19 October 1805 – 8 May 1806)
• Henry William Bentinck (8 May 1806 – February 1812)
• Hugh Lyle Carmichael (b. 1764 – d. 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)

Sportspeople

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul - Member of the West Indies cricket team and former captain.
• Roger Harper - Former member of the West Indies cricket team.
• Carl Hooper - Former member of the West Indies cricket team.
• Lance Gibbs - Former member of the West Indies cricket team.
• Andrew Watson - Footballer.

Leaders of Slave Rebellions

• 1823: Jack Gladstone of Plantation Success

See also

• History of Guyana

References