Complex 17th-century contests for Tobago

Dr Rita Pemberton

THE CONTESTED history of Tobago has largely focused on the outcomes of battles between the contending forces of different nations.

The battle for ownership of Tobago which raged among Europeans during the 17th century involved several countries in a complicated web of contests played out on several fronts.

Where the British were concerned, the Governor of Barbados was at the forefront of their assaults on other rivals and claimants who attempted to settle on the island, but the reason for this is not clear. While the manoeuvres of the fighting forces have been made visible, the role of behind-the-scenes political and diplomatic action is less visible; and the impact of European conflicts on the enslaved African population has not received adequate focus.

In the existing literature, March 1677 was a significant year for settlement in Tobago. The island was occupied by the Dutch, but the French were determined to oust them. When a French man-of-war appeared, the Dutch defence strategy was to put women, children and the enslaved population in two boats which were anchored at the rear of the Dutch fleet, which was in the harbour.

The French ship, which caught afire, ended up between the Dutch fleet and the two boats, and all three were consumed by fire. This was a dismal start to the battle, which ended with the defeat of the Dutch, and was a dramatic end to a rivalry which had been building over the century, but was neither the beginning nor the end of European competition for Tobago.

It was certainly a tragic end of a tragic journey for the enslaved population.

Sir Tobias Bridge, having written to the Dutch governor of Tobago on December 19, 1672, asking him to give up the island, Bridge
received a reply from the governor that he would respond only to the orders of his lordship the Prince of Orange, and vowed not to give up the island without a fight.

Despite this response, on December 22, a British expedition led by Bridge went to Tobago, took possession of the fort and reported to the Governor of Barbados that there was no one on the island to resist their occupation. Bridge gave the Dutch Governor, Peter Constant, an ultimatum, and on realising the forces at his command could not match those of the British, Constant asked for a peaceful settlement.

Feeling a sense of victory, Bridge responded with a one-day cessation before his forces would attack. Constant asked to be allowed to depart Tobago in peace with his family, and appointed two delegates to continue discussions with the British on the surrender of the island.

In Barbados, Governor Willoughby was adamant that Tobago should be made a British possession, for he was convinced that if the Dutch were not completely expelled, Barbados and the Leeward Islands would be ruined. His thoughts revolved around the economic implications of British against other European possession of the island. In addition, ownership of Tobago was closely related to the economic concerns of the colony of Barbados.

The matter was handled at the diplomatic level. By letter of May 7, 1673, the Dutch authorities asked for a peace treaty between the two countries, but the agent for the Duke of Courland wrote to the king on April 7, 1673, saying the Swedish mediators had concluded a treaty with the British that asserted the Dutch had wrongfully occupied Tobago for 15 years. He also said two letters had been sent to the States General which said private operations such as those of the Lampsins were operating without authority regarding ownership of Tobago, the determination of which required a legal trial. Hence, this was notice that, as far as the Courlanders were concerned, the ownership of Tobago remained undecided.

On December 23, 1672, Capt William Poole wrote to the king and head of the navy about progress in Tobago since the Dutch had surrendered. He said some Dutch settlers had been sent to Curacao and the remaining French and Dutch settlers transported to Barbados. The Dutch settlement on Tobago had been completely burnt to prevent resettlement.

Not having received any response to the previous communication, on August 14, 1673, the president of the Council of Barbados wrote to the Secretary of Trade and Plantations informing him of progress in Tobago.

He said the Dutch had surrendered the fort and its buildings had been destroyed, and Christians or white men were given the liberty to depart as they liked, but the enslaved Africans were given as rewards to the 600 soldiers and seamen who participated in the exercise. Some of the Africans sought refuge in the forests and were left behind.

After the forces left the island, the governor of Barbados, who was not comfortable with the notion of a freed African population on Tobago, sent a small vessel to hunt for them. The Frenchmen who had lived in Tobago were used as guides to hunt the escaped Africans, but that mission was a failure.

It was also reported that after the British left the island, the First Peoples plundered the remnants of the settlement, took the Africans and killed off the French settlers.

The British authorities were convinced their island was laid waste and any future attempts to settle there would be impossible, but promised to destroy all such attempts from the outset.

In terms of future British settlement, it was said to be unsafe to leave troops, and the best option was to leave it a wasteland belonging to His Majesty as the only way to keep it as a safe British possession.

What this reveals is the complicated nature of European involvement in the early history of Tobago, with private and public interests which sometimes clashed, the role of diplomacy, the primacy of the concerns of the already settled colonies and the impact on the enslaved population. Despite disagreements over its ownership, there was agreement that the enslaved population should not be allowed to benefit from the conflicts by their freedom. They should be reclaimed, to be returned to their enslaved status, or disposed of as “rewards” to white soldiers and sailors, as a better alternative.