The accidental discovery of the West Indies by Christopher Columbus set in stage a remarkable number of events allowing for European powers to establish their first overseas empires to reap the wealth first through the mining of gold and later through the establishment of plantation economies. With increased wealth came increased rivalry among the various powers and in an effort to protect and consolidate the sources of their wealth the use of force became a critical component of their imperial tactics. Guyana was no exception to this rivalry, as forts were built, garrisons were stationed and lives were lost in the quest to protect the colony. Today these tangible reminders of the colonial era testify to the military heritage of the country. We often pass these monuments without taking time to appreciate and understand their importance and significance to the heritage of our native land.
Fortifications
Under the Dutch period of occupation, 1580-1803 several forts and small stations were constructed at specific points in the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara and Berbice. In his writings Cornelius Goslinga described many of the early settlements as wooden shanties, manned by two or three Dutchmen to undertake trade with the indigenous peoples. Most of these settlements were built close to the villages of the Caribs and Arawaks and to date none of them have survived as they were built of perishable materials. As the Dutch Amerindian trade increased there was need for a more permanent structure to be constructed.
Fort Kyk Over Al
Shortly after the establishment of the Dutch West India Company in 1621 a number of colonists from the province of Zeeland established a settlement on a small island, approximately 1.5 acres in size, at the confluence of the Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers where a small fort, perhaps the smallest Dutch fortification ever built in their overseas empire, armed with a few guns, was erected. This fortification came to be known by the descriptive name, ‘Kijkoveral’ (see over all), based on its location. According to one report in 1672, Fort Kyk Over Al was described as a two-storeyed brick structure approximately 20m x 20m, complete with a powder magazine inside the wall.
As the Dutch continued to establish plantations down the Essequibo River, it was evident that there was need to relocate the centre of Dutch administration of the colony of Essequibo to a location closer to the river mouth. The fort became a beehive of activity and soon became too small for the increasing number of civil servants and others employed by the company.
In 1716, owing to the crowded state of the island, the Dutchmen relocated to ‘Huis Nabij’ (Nearby House) which was built at Cartabo Point at the junction of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers. In 1748 most of the buildings at Kyk Over Al were demolished and according to Hartsinck, some of the bricks were used for the erection of a sugar mill at Plantation Duynenburg.
During the territorial dispute between British Guiana and Venezuela in 1897, some doubts were expressed as to the original builders of the fort. In the circumstance excavations were undertaken to collect samples of the bricks from the ruins and the lowest courses together with the keystone of the archway over the door.
Archaeologist JM Baart noted after reviewing the pictures and the samples of the bricks taken that, “the wall depicted on your photo is definitely not Spanish masonry. The Spanish brick used in the 17th century is flatter. In view of the colour of the brick and its measurements it relates to masonry from the Dutch period 1650-1750.”
Fort Zeelandia
The commandeurs of Fort Kyk Over Al had from the beginning of the 18th century insisted that the centre of Dutch administration should have been relocated closer to the mouth of the Essequibo River to protect against enemy invasion.
In the circumstances an engineer, Leslorant, was sent from the Netherlands in 1726 to “construct horn work with wooden redoubt and a strong palisade on the northern point of Vlaggeneiland, later Fort Island.” To relocate the seat of government from Cartabo Point necessitated more than just a fort. Accommodation for the commandeur and his staff, suitable lodging for soldiers and other infrastructure were needed.
In August 1738 the newly appointed secretary of the DWIC, Laurens Storm Van’s Gravesande, reported that the wooden fort which had been built was in a state of disrepair and could never be effectively used for protecting the Dutch interests in Essequibo.
Gravesande proposed that a new fort be built of brick, which he offered to make in the colony over a period of two years. This proposal was favourably accepted, and in 1740 the construction of the fort commenced in earnest under his watchful eyes.
Bricks were made on the spot, and trass and mortar, though available in Essequibo, were imported from Barbados. Enslaved Africans were supplied by plantation owners, and a substantial portion of the fort was completed in 1743. The administrators of the DWIC were notified by Gravesande in April 1744 that the new fort was now completely finished except for the crown work. The new fort was christened Zeelandia in honour of the settlers of Zeeland.
The fort is believed to have been designed in accordance with the lozenge-shaped forts which were constructed along the coast of West Africa during the 18th century. According to one description, the fort was a square building, provided with 18 or 19 guns, with four ramparts, inside of which were three covered mason redoubts, having flat roofs with embrasures, serving for barracks for soldiers and a powder magazine.
In the end Fort Zeelandia never witnessed any major warfare as was envisioned by the Dutchmen. It was captured by Captain Day of Admiral Rodney’s forces on March 6, 1781 without opposition, and later in 1782 by the French who remained until 1784 when the Dutch resumed control. In 1796 the fort was all but abandoned and left in a state of ruin, as focus shifted to the expansion of plantations along the fertile banks of the Demerara River.
Fort Nassau
This fort was erected some time after Berbice was settled by a private merchant, Abraham Van Pere, in 1627. Very little is known about the fort itself or the activities at the settlement, other than the fact that it successfully repelled an English attack in 1665. However, an account by Adrian Van Berkel in 1670 indicates that the colonists dwelt on their own plantations rather than at the centralised settlement. There seems to have been very little there other than a fort with a commandeur’s house and its accompanying citrus groves.
According to Hartsinck the fort was rebuilt under the direction of Commandeur Lucas Coudrie in 1684. Its outer perimeter comprising bullet-wood palisades measured 200 feet square, and it was protected by twelve small cannon to the side of the river and two on the northern side. Inside was a brick building 100 ft x 50 ft, accommodating the council chamber and the church, while the lower floor served as a guardhouse and storeroom. To the south of this edifice were a mess-kitchen, stables, cooperage and two smithies.
This fort and its settlements appear to have had a precarious existence as it was reported that French privateers plundered and held it to ransom in 1689 and again in 1712.
After a group of Dutch merchants redeemed the colony from the French, a new fort seems to have been constructed, possibly some time in the early 1720s. Reports in the 1730s noted that the fort was dilapidated and in want of repair. Some repairs were undertaken, but the fort was completely destroyed by the Dutch who set it on fire before they fled down river during the 1763 slave uprising.
After the suppression of the rebellion a fortified zone called the New Retrenchment was created around the Lutheran Church, which was a little way upriver from the original fort. In the 1770s proposals again surfaced for the construction of a perma
nent fort, and some brickwork was laid, but with declining fortunes and the invasions by the English and later the French in the years 1781-1784 nothing was accomplished. In 1785 the decision was taken to abandon the Fort Nassau area, and the residents of the settlement subsequently were relocated to the present town of New Amsterdam. Models of Fort Nassau and Fort Zeelandia are currently exhibited at the National Museum, allowing for visitors to have an idea of the grandeur of these historic sites.
Cannons and Guns
The manufacture of gunpowder, which resulted in the production of cannons as an integral weapon in times of war can be traced back to the eleventh century, when the Chinese perfected the art. Within a few short years it became a symbol of power, a symbol of destruction and creation. Like guns, cannons soon made their way to the West Indies to terrify the people into subjugation and a new way of life. For the Europeans, cannons were the tools of survival: for the peoples of the colonies they were symbols of oppression. Mounted in the forecourt of many public and civic buildings in the country, these cannons serve as a further reminder of the various phases of European occupation. To date, it is estimated that there are approximately thirty cannons scattered across the country, with origins from Sevastopol to England.
The forecourt of Parliament Buildings, home to the National Assembly of Guyana, is adorned with a pair of 18 pound, 7 inch Russian cannons each with a ‘Systeme Venglov’ carriage, impressively mounted on a base of boulder and stone work. Designed by a Scot and cast at the Alexandrovski Factory during 1825 – 1827, these cannons were imported from Sevastopol in 1855 and presented to the colony of British Guiana on 10 May 1859, during a simple civil ceremony in recognition of over $20,000.00 to the Patriotic Fund for the relief of Widows and Orphans of soldiers killed in the Crimean War. The entrance of this structure is flanked by a pair of eight inch German Trench Mortars, which were taken as trophies of the First World War 1914-1918.
Mounted on the lawns of the Great House of Plantation Skeldon, Berbice is an eighteen pounder or twenty four pounder cannon of French or Dutch origin. It is believed that this cannon which may have been used in the Napoleanic Wars was cast in the late 18th century.
Standing guard at Fort Zeelandia, a national monument, once the seat of government for the colony of Essequibo are three cannons, classified as a nine pounder which were most likely cast in the late 17th century or early 18th century. One other example of an 18th century manufactured cannons include that mounted at State House.
Gracing the entrance of the Police Officer’s Mess is a pair of 4.7 inch MKII cannons that were manufactured in Britain circa 1890. According to one report these cannons were issued to British Guiana in 1916 to be used for coastal defence during the First World War.
Standing guard at the entrance of the headquarters of the Guyana Police Force is a pair of 9 pounders Blomfield cannons which were cast by Carron and issued to British Guiana with carriages in 1818. Also issued in that same year are the three cannons mounted on simple clay brick bases at Camp Ayangana.
These cannons were also cast by Carron. The military museum has an interesting collection of cannons, artillery and cannonballs mounted. Visitors should take the opportunity whenever they can to visit this establishment. There are many other cannons scattered throughout the country many of them waiting to be discovered. One example include the partially buried cannon on the parapet in front of Christ Church in Waterloo Street as well as those which fell into the Essequibo River when the ramparts of Fort Zeelandia collapsed many years ago.
Historic Kingston
In its entirety, Kingston, one of the oldest wards in the city of Georgetown has a rich military history which is still, for the most part intact today. According to one report Cornelius Leary applied for and was granted a tract of land to cultivate cotton and coffee near the mouth of the Demerara River in 1759. When he died this estate was inherited by his wife Eve Leary. In 1796 when the colony was captured by the British the garrison officers established a village on the Eve Leary estate. Built by the officers at the garrison, Kingston with its small cottages set amidst gardens resembled a little English village.
Some claim that Kingston was named in honour of Lieutenant Robert Kingston who constructed Fort St. George, whilst others claimed that it was named after King George. The name of streets such as Parade Street, Fort Street, and Duke Street (was named in honour of one of the Royal Dukes, son of George 11) are a reminder of the military heritage of this ward of the city of Georgetown.
Noteworthy examples include the Police Officer’s Mess, the Barracks, which were so vividly described by Sir Robert Schomburgk as well as the Light House and the submerged ruins of Fort William Frederick on the bank of the Demerara River behind the Transport & Harbours Department. Of special importance is the British Military Cemetery, which is located at Rabbit Walk, adjacent to the headquarters of the Guyana Police Force.
Cemeteries are repositories of precious historical, cultural and genealogical information. This cemetery houses a number of graves of those brave men who served in World Wars 1 and 2 under the naval, army and air forces of the British Commonwealth as well as those of the Merchant Army.
This cemetery was originally located close to the Cheddi Jagan Timehri International Airport, adjacent to Camp Stephenson. For many years this site was neglected and soon became over grown with weeds. In 1987 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Defence Attache in Georgetown, commenced negotiations with the government to maintain the site. In the circumstance Rabbit Walk was selected for the relocation of the graves of those distinguished servicemen.
In August 1993 the exhumation and the re internment of the casualties commenced under the supervision of a representative of the Commission. On Friday 9 August 2002, at a ceremony attended by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Rudy Insanally, the Security of Tenure of Rabbit Walk was handed over to the Commonwealth War Commission. Examples of a few of the servicemen rested there include Biphat, Private R 16888, British West India Regiment, July 30, 1919; Scipio, Lance Corporal, H A, 11646, 8th Bn, British West India Regiment, December 20, 1920 and Doyle, Able Seaman, Thomas, SS Arabian Prince (London) Merchant Navy, July 25 1944 among others.
