Jan Wichers
Jan Wichers | |
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 | |
| Governor-General of Suriname | |
| In office 24 December 1784[1] – 15 June 1790[1] | |
| Preceded by | Bernard Texier |
| Succeeded by | Jurriaan François de Friderici |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jan Gerhard Wichers 15 July 1745 Groningen, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 3 October 1808 (aged 63) Vreeswijk, Kingdom of Holland |
| Occupation | military officer, lawyer |
Jan Gerard Wichers (15 July 1745 – 3 October 1808) was a military officer and lawyer. He served as Governor of Suriname from 1784 until 1790.
Biography
[edit]Wichers was born on 15 July 1745 in Groningen, Dutch Republic. In 1760, he started studying law at the University of Groningen, and obtained his doctorate on 15 June 1768.[2] He enlisted in the army.[3]
In 1771, Wichers was appointed Raad Fiscaal (Attorney general) in Suriname.[4] In 1775, Jan Wicherides, his only child, was born as a result of an extra-maritial affair with the free negress Adjuba.[5][6] Jan Wicherides would later become mayor of Uithoorn.[7]
On 24 December 1784, Wichers was appointed Governor-General of Suriname.[1] In 1785, he was promoted major general.[3] In 1790, Fort Groningen was built.[8] A city was planned around the fort, however the development of the town remained limited.[9] Wichers wanted to promote a mixed race middle class, because he felt that the Europeans in the colony had little loyalty to Suriname. He had planned, but never executed, to give an award of ƒ100,- for every mixed race child who was manumitted.[10]
On 15 June 1790, Wichers was succeeded by Jurriaan François de Friderici.[1] He returned to the Netherlands, and became a member of the Council of American Colonies in the Hague. In 1806, he became a member of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde.[11]
Wichers died on 3 October 1808 in Vreeswijk, at the age of 63.[2]
Legacy
[edit]In 2012, RTV Noord aired a documentary about Groningen, Suriname, the town founded by Jan Wichers.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Surinaamsche Staatkundige Almanach voor den Jaare 1794". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1794. p. 36. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ a b P.J. Blok and P.C. Molhuysen (1937). Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek (in Dutch). Vol. 10. Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff.
- ^ a b "Appointment on August 22, 1785 in Den Haag (Netherlands)". Commission Books at Dutch National Archives (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 324.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ "Suriname: Gereformeerden, Voornaam: Jan Wicherides". Dutch National Archives (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ Wim Hoogbergen and Okke ten Hove (2001). "De vrije gekleurde en zwarte bevolking van Paramaribo, 1762-1863". OSO. Tijdschrift voor Surinaamse taalkunde, letterkunde en geschiedenis (in Dutch). p. 313. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
The source stated that Jan Wicherides was manumitted, however the National Archives (and others) state that Adjuba was already free
- ^ "Burgemeesters". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Fort uit 1790 in Saramacca ontdekt". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ A. Kappler (1854). Zes jaren in Suriname (PDF) (in Dutch). Utrecht. p. 137. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Jeroen Dewulf (2008). "'Wanneer ik dronken ben, word ik vreemdeling' De identiteitsproblematiek van Tip Marugg in multicultureel perspectief". Neerlandica extra Muros / Internationale Neerlandistiek (in Dutch). p. 11. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ A.J. van der Aa (1877). Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden (in Dutch). Vol. 20. Haarlem: J.J. van Brederode.
- ^ "Groningen ligt in Suriname". Beno Hofman (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
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