Archieven van St. Eustatius, St. Maarten en Saba, 1709-1828 (1869)
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
1.05.13.01
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Archives of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba, 1709-1828 (1869)
Title (official language of the state)
Archieven van St. Eustatius, St. Maarten en Saba, 1709-1828 (1869)
Language of title
dut
Creator / accumulator
Nationaal Archief
Date(s)
1709/1869
Language(s)
dut
eng
Extent
31 linear metres (651 inventory numbers)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The old archives of St Eustatius, St Maarten and Saba contain documents from various institutions, including the archives of the Governor and the Vice-Governor, the Wees- en Onbeheerde Boedelkamer (Orphan and Unmanaged Estate Chamber), the Raad von Politie (Council of Police), the Raad van Justitie (Council of Justice), the Administratie van Financiën (Administration of Finance), the civil registry, the "magazijnmeesters" (warehouse managers) and "vendumeesters" (sale managers), military authorities, among others. In addition, the archive also contains documents from private archives, such as the collection of the commercial house Beaujon & son in St Eustatius, some church archives of the Anglican Church also in St Eustatius and the Dutch Reformed Church in St Maarten. The documents include minutes of meetings, resolutions, correspondence, secretarial and notarial protocols, sea protests, petitions, court records, and licenses concerning the official ransoming or freeing of slaves.
Since the 17th century, Jews from other territories in the Caribbean, particularly Curaçao, visited St. Eustatius. In the first decades of the following century, some Jewish families settled there. In the 1730s, they petitioned the Dutch West Indies Company to build a synagogue, which was finally built in 1739. St Maarten also hosted a small Jewish community in the 18th century. Thus, this collection is very promising as to content related to the Sephardic settlement on these islands. Clearly identified is a register of Jewish marriages in St Eustatius from 1786 to 1796 (245). It includes mentions of various marriages of Sephardic Jews, such as David de Jacob Nunes Tavares from Bayonne and Zipporah de Leon from St Kitts (January 3, 1787), Moses Gomes da Fonseca from Bayonne and Sara Rodrigues da Costa from Amsterdam (January 12, 1787), Solomon Nunes Mercado from Surinam and Sarah, daughter of David Henriques Pimentel (January 11, 1788), Benjamin Lindo from London and Grace de Leon from St Christophe (March 4, 1791), Isaac Henriques de Mesquita and Rachel de la Penha, both from Amsterdam (May 27, 1791), Daniel Levy from New York and Judith Abarbanel, daughter of Jacob de Porto, from Curaçao (August 12, 1791), David Parera (Pereira?) from Utrecht and Mary Ann Abendanone from St Christopher (April 1792), Elias de Pena from Amsterdam and Gratia Abendanone from St Christopher (October 4, 1792), Abraham Naar from Curaçao and Sol Nunes Henriques from Surinam (April 12, 1793), and Moses Wolf and Rebecca Robles (September 10, 1794).
Since the 17th century, Jews from other territories in the Caribbean, particularly Curaçao, visited St. Eustatius. In the first decades of the following century, some Jewish families settled there. In the 1730s, they petitioned the Dutch West Indies Company to build a synagogue, which was finally built in 1739. St Maarten also hosted a small Jewish community in the 18th century. Thus, this collection is very promising as to content related to the Sephardic settlement on these islands. Clearly identified is a register of Jewish marriages in St Eustatius from 1786 to 1796 (245). It includes mentions of various marriages of Sephardic Jews, such as David de Jacob Nunes Tavares from Bayonne and Zipporah de Leon from St Kitts (January 3, 1787), Moses Gomes da Fonseca from Bayonne and Sara Rodrigues da Costa from Amsterdam (January 12, 1787), Solomon Nunes Mercado from Surinam and Sarah, daughter of David Henriques Pimentel (January 11, 1788), Benjamin Lindo from London and Grace de Leon from St Christophe (March 4, 1791), Isaac Henriques de Mesquita and Rachel de la Penha, both from Amsterdam (May 27, 1791), Daniel Levy from New York and Judith Abarbanel, daughter of Jacob de Porto, from Curaçao (August 12, 1791), David Parera (Pereira?) from Utrecht and Mary Ann Abendanone from St Christopher (April 1792), Elias de Pena from Amsterdam and Gratia Abendanone from St Christopher (October 4, 1792), Abraham Naar from Curaçao and Sol Nunes Henriques from Surinam (April 12, 1793), and Moses Wolf and Rebecca Robles (September 10, 1794).
Archival history
During the period of English rule in St Eustatius in 1781, all administrative archives from before that year were destroyed. The church archives from before 1781 were spared. Although the archives of St Maarten have survived more intact than those of St Eustatius up to 1828, most of the older documents have also been lost due to various calamities, namely during hurricanes in 1792 and 1819.
In 1915, the former chief clerk of the Algemeen Rijksarchief (General State Archives, later Nationaal Archief), Th. Morren received orders from the Ministry of the Colonies to prepare the transfer and transport of the archives from Curaçao and Surinam up to 1816 to the Netherlands. During his mission, he also visited the Windward Islands. An official report dating from April 28, 1916, listed 231 documents that would be transferred from St Maarten to the Netherlands. However, due to the death of Morren, this transfer did not take place.
Between 1916 and 1935, the archives of St Eustatius, St Maarten, and Saba were transferred to Curaçao with the aim of being shipped to the Netherlands. From 1917 to 1920, the majority of the archives from the West Indies Islands up to 1816 arrived in two parts via Curaçao at the Algeemen Rijksarchief. In the course of 1920, a first attempt was made to make an inventory of these archives. R. Bijlsma was responsible for the inventory of the archives of St Eustatius and Saba; and Gey van Pittius arranged and inventoried the archives of St Maarten. The archives from 1816 to 1828 were transferred from Curaçao to the National Archives at the end of 1923. The inventory of that part was completed in 1924 by Bijlsma with the assistance of the chief clerk E. Hoogendijk and published in the same year. The supplementary inventory to the later archives, concerning the period up to 1828, is probably by E. Hoogendijk. The archives of St Eustatius, St Maarten, and Saba (1828-46) were also inventoried by E. Hoogendijk around 1931-32.
In 1915, the former chief clerk of the Algemeen Rijksarchief (General State Archives, later Nationaal Archief), Th. Morren received orders from the Ministry of the Colonies to prepare the transfer and transport of the archives from Curaçao and Surinam up to 1816 to the Netherlands. During his mission, he also visited the Windward Islands. An official report dating from April 28, 1916, listed 231 documents that would be transferred from St Maarten to the Netherlands. However, due to the death of Morren, this transfer did not take place.
Between 1916 and 1935, the archives of St Eustatius, St Maarten, and Saba were transferred to Curaçao with the aim of being shipped to the Netherlands. From 1917 to 1920, the majority of the archives from the West Indies Islands up to 1816 arrived in two parts via Curaçao at the Algeemen Rijksarchief. In the course of 1920, a first attempt was made to make an inventory of these archives. R. Bijlsma was responsible for the inventory of the archives of St Eustatius and Saba; and Gey van Pittius arranged and inventoried the archives of St Maarten. The archives from 1816 to 1828 were transferred from Curaçao to the National Archives at the end of 1923. The inventory of that part was completed in 1924 by Bijlsma with the assistance of the chief clerk E. Hoogendijk and published in the same year. The supplementary inventory to the later archives, concerning the period up to 1828, is probably by E. Hoogendijk. The archives of St Eustatius, St Maarten, and Saba (1828-46) were also inventoried by E. Hoogendijk around 1931-32.
Administrative / Biographical history
In the early 19th century, the Rijksarchief (State Archives) was responsible for managing the archives of government bodies, including the ministries. In the course of the century, provincial archives emerged, encouraged by the national government. From 1877, they were gradually converted into State Archives. They remained independent until 1968, when the Rijksarchiefdienst (State Archives Service) was established, consisting of a central directorate, the State Archives, and an Algeemen Rijksarchief (General State Archives). The State Archives Service was headed by the "Algemene rijksarchivaris" (General State Archivist), who was also the director of the Algeemen Rijksarchief.
In 1979, the Algeemen Rijksarchief moved to a building at the Prince Willem Alexanderhof in The Hague. Since the late 1990s, the General State Archives service was reformed and gradually dismantled. The provincial state archives were merged with other regional cultural partners, forming what was called Regionaal Historisch Centra (Regional Historical Centers). In 2002, the Algeemen Rijksarchief was renamed as Nationaal Archief to emphasise its feature as a national archive institution.
In 1979, the Algeemen Rijksarchief moved to a building at the Prince Willem Alexanderhof in The Hague. Since the late 1990s, the General State Archives service was reformed and gradually dismantled. The provincial state archives were merged with other regional cultural partners, forming what was called Regionaal Historisch Centra (Regional Historical Centers). In 2002, the Algeemen Rijksarchief was renamed as Nationaal Archief to emphasise its feature as a national archive institution.
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 three archives: St Eustatius, St Maarten and Saba. Each one is organised by institution and, at a lower level, by document type. Records are tendentially arranged in chronological order.
Access, restrictions
Digital copies of the major part of the items are available online:
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Published primary sources
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