Archief van de Sociëteit van Suriname
Item
Country
NL
Name of institution (English)
National Archives
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
dut
Contact information: postal address
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 20, 2595 BE The Hague
Contact information: phone number
0031 703315400
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
Reference number
1.05.03
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Archive of the Society of Suriname
Title (official language of the state)
Archief van de Sociëteit van Suriname
Language of title
dut
Creator / accumulator
Directie van de Sociëteit van Suriname
Date(s)
1650/1796
Language(s)
dut
Extent
49.45 linear metres (566 inventory numbers)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This collection comprises documentation produced and received by the Sociëteit van Suriname (Society of Suriname), which was the legal owner of the Dutch colony of Suriname. It was founded in 1683 by the West India Company, the City of Amsterdam, and the Sommelsdijck family (each one with one-third of the ownership rights) and was dissolved in 1795. The Archief van de Sociëteit van Suriname fonds contains records on financial administration, maps and drawings, resolutions, secret minutes, and pay books.
This collection is particularly rich in information regarding the Jewish community settled in Suriname in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some examples are the following:
No. 122: Deed of a statement by Samuel Nassy concerning the border between Suriname and Cayenne, drawn up by notary S. Pelgrom in Amsterdam. December 3, 1700.
No. 213: Incoming letters and papers from the Governor and other government officials, January-May 1685: includes a letter from the Jewish community to Governor Cornelis van Sommelsdijck (fols. 375-376).
No. 228: Idem, March 1700-June 1701: includes a record on David Nassy and his children (fol. 387v).
No. 229: Idem, August 1701-September 1702: includes a 1701 listing of the Jewish militia, composed of 78 men, all living on plantations or on the Suriname River. Some Jews lived in Paramaribo.
No. 500: Documents concerning disagreement between Joseph Main del Castilho and the regents of the Portuguese Jewish nation. 1784.
This collection is particularly rich in information regarding the Jewish community settled in Suriname in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some examples are the following:
No. 122: Deed of a statement by Samuel Nassy concerning the border between Suriname and Cayenne, drawn up by notary S. Pelgrom in Amsterdam. December 3, 1700.
No. 213: Incoming letters and papers from the Governor and other government officials, January-May 1685: includes a letter from the Jewish community to Governor Cornelis van Sommelsdijck (fols. 375-376).
No. 228: Idem, March 1700-June 1701: includes a record on David Nassy and his children (fol. 387v).
No. 229: Idem, August 1701-September 1702: includes a 1701 listing of the Jewish militia, composed of 78 men, all living on plantations or on the Suriname River. Some Jews lived in Paramaribo.
No. 500: Documents concerning disagreement between Joseph Main del Castilho and the regents of the Portuguese Jewish nation. 1784.
Archival history
After the establishment of the West-Indisch Committé in 1795, the archives of the Sociëteit van Suriname were transferred to this new institution. A. Vereul, the former secretary of the Sociëteit, then a member of the Committé, was commissioned to make a report of the Sociëteit's assets, which included the buildings, furniture, and archives. The description of the papers disclosed that the Sociëteit had part of the records for the period 1683-1778 packed in seven boxes and transferred to the West-Indisch Buitenhuis (West India House) on the Singel. The rest of the papers remained in the Sociëteit archive's old location.
In 1810, West Indies papers from various places in the city were brought to the Batavia warehouse, but not much came from the West-Indisch Buitenhuis.
From 1815 onwards, documents were constantly being sent over from Amsterdam to The Hague. In 1816, numerous Surinamese papers were transferred, including, among others, the resolutions of the executive board of the Societëit (1683-1795, 69 volumes), a volume of secret minutes (1707-94), four volumes of minutes (1792-95) and a few financial documents relating to the second half of the 18th century. Until 1821, boxes of colonial documents, both East and West Indies, were regularly sent to The Hague, but the lists of contents of these shipments can no longer be found. In the following decades, East and West Indies papers were relocated to the Oost-Indisch Binnenhuis, the West-Indisch Slachthuis, and, finally, in 1856, they were transferred to the Algeemen Rijksarchief (now Nationaal Archief) in the Hague.
In 1810, West Indies papers from various places in the city were brought to the Batavia warehouse, but not much came from the West-Indisch Buitenhuis.
From 1815 onwards, documents were constantly being sent over from Amsterdam to The Hague. In 1816, numerous Surinamese papers were transferred, including, among others, the resolutions of the executive board of the Societëit (1683-1795, 69 volumes), a volume of secret minutes (1707-94), four volumes of minutes (1792-95) and a few financial documents relating to the second half of the 18th century. Until 1821, boxes of colonial documents, both East and West Indies, were regularly sent to The Hague, but the lists of contents of these shipments can no longer be found. In the following decades, East and West Indies papers were relocated to the Oost-Indisch Binnenhuis, the West-Indisch Slachthuis, and, finally, in 1856, they were transferred to the Algeemen Rijksarchief (now Nationaal Archief) in the Hague.
Administrative / Biographical history
In the sequence of the Peace of Breda (1667), Suriname, previously an English colony, came under Dutch rule. In 1682, it was handed over to the West India Company. However, the Company found the colony management too heavy for dealing with it alone and invited the city of Amsterdam and Cornelis van Airssen van Sommelsdijck (1637-88) to enter into a partnership. Each partner took a one-third share in the Sociëteit van Suriname (Society of Suriname), which was established by contract on May 21, 1683. In 1770, the Sommelsdijck family sold its share in the Sociëteit, which was taken over by the city of Amsterdam and the West India Company. The States General retained supreme authority and would contribute to the defence of the colony.
The Directie (executive board) of the Sociëteit, with the approval of the States General, appointed a governor, who had supreme authority in the colony over civilians and soldiers. However, in important matters, he was obliged to consult the Raad van Politie (Council of Police), composed of the leading citizens. Each executive board member had three to four delegates, but the chairman was always a delegate of the city of Amsterdam. The Sociëteit was based at the West-Indisch Huis (West India House).
After the replacement of the West India Company by the Raad over de Coloniën in America en over de Bezittingen van den Staat in Africa (Council on the Colonies in America and Africa) in 1792, the Directie van Berbice (Directorate of Berbice) and the Sociëteit van Suriname (Society of Suriname) continued to exist. The cooperation between the three institutions was not satisfactory. Therefore, Holland decided to replace them with one college for all areas. Despite the reluctance of Zeeland, on October 9, 1795, the States General decided to dissolve the Raad over de Coloniën, the Directie, and the Sociëteit, and establish the Committé tot de zaken van de Coloniën en Bezittingen in Africa en America (Committee on the Affairs of the Colonies and Possessions in Africa and America), in short, the West-Indisch Committé (West Indies Committee), based in The Hague.
The Directie (executive board) of the Sociëteit, with the approval of the States General, appointed a governor, who had supreme authority in the colony over civilians and soldiers. However, in important matters, he was obliged to consult the Raad van Politie (Council of Police), composed of the leading citizens. Each executive board member had three to four delegates, but the chairman was always a delegate of the city of Amsterdam. The Sociëteit was based at the West-Indisch Huis (West India House).
After the replacement of the West India Company by the Raad over de Coloniën in America en over de Bezittingen van den Staat in Africa (Council on the Colonies in America and Africa) in 1792, the Directie van Berbice (Directorate of Berbice) and the Sociëteit van Suriname (Society of Suriname) continued to exist. The cooperation between the three institutions was not satisfactory. Therefore, Holland decided to replace them with one college for all areas. Despite the reluctance of Zeeland, on October 9, 1795, the States General decided to dissolve the Raad over de Coloniën, the Directie, and the Sociëteit, and establish the Committé tot de zaken van de Coloniën en Bezittingen in Africa en America (Committee on the Affairs of the Colonies and Possessions in Africa and America), in short, the West-Indisch Committé (West Indies Committee), based in The Hague.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into six series: A) Resoluties (Resolutions); B Uitgaande stukken (Outgoing documents); C) Ingekomen stukken (Documents received); D) Stukken betreffende bijzondere onderwerpen (Documents concerning special subjects); E) Stukken betreffende Suriname voor 1683 (Documents concerning Suriname before 1683); and F) Varia (Miscellaneous).
Access, restrictions
Digital copies of some records are available online:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Bibliography
Linked resources
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