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HISTORY OF
SINT MAARTEN
AND
SAINT MARTIN
 =.
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HISTORY OF
SINT MAARTEN AND SAINT MARTIN
Looking down on Philipsburg through one of the embrasures of Fort Willem I
(photo Wilfred Roumou).
 HISTORY
OF
SINT MAARTEN
AND
SAINT MARTIN

by
DR. J. HARTOG

Published by
THE SINT MAARTEN JAYCEES
P.O.B. 363 - Philipsburg
Sint Maarten - Netherlands Antilles
Translation by A. H. Stronks, sworn translator and interpreter, Aruba.

Cover: Backstreet in easterly direction from an illustrated work of Kleynenberg

published in 1907, Haarlem. To the left Dicky Dick’s, a two storey building. The
white verandahs belong to the house, that was to become the first St. Rose Hospi-
tal in 1908.

Copyright J. Hartog 1981.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, micro film, recording or otherwise, without the author’s prior permission
in writing.
 Foreword Lieutenant-Governor

We may count ourselves lucky that, some years ago, the author of this
book perused and made notes from the entire collection of the Lieutenant-
Governor’s Journals, covering a period of approximately one and a half
centuries, for his History of the Windward Islands, published in 1964. At
the time the Executive Council sent all the journals to Aruba, where dr.
Hartog lives. When finished, he neatly returned them to us, some of them
even restored.
If only he had not done this! If only he had safely kept them in the steel
bookcases of his library in Aruba!, we would say, because in that case we
should still have them. In 1974 all the Lieutenant-Governor’s Journals of
Sint Maarten were lostin a fire of the then Lieutenant-Governor’s office.
Fortunately, however, dr. Hartog had kept his notes on file, and so this
History of Sint Maarten could still be written. I am convinced that with
this book many people’s wish will come true.
During the many years that dr. Hartog has been engaged in the histo-
riography of the Netherlands Antilles he managed to compile a unique
collection of old pictures of the islands. The ample photo material un-
doubtedly enhances the attractiveness of this book. Since 1942, when he
visited Sint Maarten for the first time, Hartog has been to our island
many times. By car and on foot he has got to know our island, which in my
opinion is of advantage when writing the history of a specific country.
I read through the book’s manuscript at a stretch. In my view the His-
tory of Sint Maarten has turned out to be one of Hartog’s best books. It is
my pleasure to cordially recommend its reading and studying. I would
like this book to reach our young generation, because in a society on its
way to independence, a notion of what this society lived through and ac-
complished in the past is an absolute must.

TH. M. PANDT,
Lieutenant-Governor of the
Windward Islands
 Introduction

It is a great pleasure for the St. Maarten Jaycees to present this book
"History of St. Maarten/St. Martin” to the community of the Netherlands
Antilles in particular and to the reading public in general.

After a very extensive survey, the St. Maarten Jaycees found out there
was a need for an up to date publication of the History of St. Maarten and
St. Martin, both out of historical and educational point of view.

This project was launched in 1978 and through the assistance of Dr.
J. Hartog, Mr. W. Roumou and our members we can conclude that this
has been successful.

We would like to extend a special word of thanks to the following per-

sons who contributed to the realization of this historical achievement
namely: Mr. N. C. Wathey, Mr. Ch. Vlaun, Mr. A. R. Fleming and Mr. F.
Brison.

Furthermore we would like to thank everyone who in one way or the

- other helped the St. Maarten Jaycees to complete this project.

We would like to relate this project to one sentence of our JCI Creed:
"SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS THE BEST WORK OF LIFE”.

Sincerely Yours,

R. A. HOEVE,
LOM President St. Maarten Jaycees
 Author’s Preface

One evening in 1942 I sat in the verandah of Cyrus Wathey’s, the still
existing corner house in which at present "The Cellar” is established.
Across the street Oswald Hassell sat in his verandah, and it was so quiet
that the three of us were chatting together. Every now and then a few
pedestrians passed, obviously intending to take a breath of fresh air, be-
cause there was nothing to do and there was scarcely any lighting. In all
there were less than ten cars in the entire island, and they were not to be
seen in the evenings.
How pleasant it was is illustrated by the following: my glass was
empty. Hassell, over the way, saw this and offered me to have a second
drink in his place in the verandah. I went down the stairs of Cyrus’ house,
and up to Mr. Hassell, and . . . our conversation simply went on.
Another occurrence. For those who forgot, in 1942 the Second World
War was raging on, and the French part of Sint Maarten sided with
Vichy. In those, now almost inconceivable days, I also met one day a
Dutch parish priest, it was in the post office Ithink, who was pastor in St.
Barths, in those days even more rural than Sint Maarten. He had crossed
in a dinghy in search of a . . . dentist. Neither island had one, almost no
island in the far surroundings, for that matter*In St. Barths, a French is-
land and also on the Vichy side, rumors had it that a dentist fleeing the
Germans from Poland, had turned up in French Saint Martin. Apart from
his life he had also managed to save an instrument bag, and had reached
Marigot via Vichy - France. He now tried to earn a living as a kind of
itinerant dentist traveling from island to island. So our pastor could be at-
tended to. That’s the way things were those days.
Apart from the documented history one might also write memoirs
about Sint Maarten.
In what is following we confined ourselves to the former, but we do
believe, that because of everything we have experienced during past
visits to Sint Maarten, we have been able to give it a touch of Sint Maar-
ten’s really specific esprit, a thing which no doubt is appropriate when
writing about an island partly Netherlands-Antillean and partly French.

The author would like to thank all those who have been a help to him.
Lieutenant-Governor Theodor Maxwell Pandt who has taken the initia-
tive to have this book written. The St. Maarten Jaycees and the Wind-
ward Islands’ Bank Ltd. whose combined efforts made the publication of
this book possible. In particular we would like to mention Mr. Charles
Vlaun and Mr. Franklyn Brison for their personal and substantial contri-
bution in promoting the publication of this History of Sint Maarten.
The late Cyrus Wathey and the brothers Walter and Carl Buncamper
acquainted us with Sint Maarten’s society; we gratefully accepted their
advice.
We also express our gratitude to the Reverend Sisters Dominicans and
the successive parish priests of Philipsburg and Marigot, as well as the
past Lieutenant-Governors W. F. M. Lampe, Johan D. Meiners, Piet van
Leeuwen, Johannes Chr. Paap, J. J. Beaujon and Reinier O. van Delden.
 Without the help of ”’Spam” van Spanje, who was our contact in the is-
land, it would have been very hard to complete this study. We gladly ex-
press our indebtedness to Mr. van Spanje, the "local researcher”, who
was so actively involved in the publication of this book.
Mr. A. H. Stronks, sworn interpreter, turned out to be an excellent
help; he rendered the original Dutch text — which will be published sepa-
rately, so we plan — into English.
Mr. Fred Labega who lived in Sint Maarten from 1914 to 1918, visiting
the island again between 1922 and 1924, and who again lived here for
some months in 1930, taking many pictures, was so kind as to permit us to
choose to our heart’s content from what he shot half a century ago.
Mr. Wilfred Roumou, Sint Maarten’s well-known photographer, ac-
companied us on many an adventurous trip, and later on set out on his
own initiative to show modern Sint Maarten and Saint Martin.
Mrs. Yvette Fleming was an unfailing oracle on old Marigot. She pro-
vided us, moreover, with the map of 1775, which is in her private posses-
sion. As to French Saint Martin, we are also grateful, for that matter, to
Monsieur le Sous-Préfet P. J. Etchegoyen, the Maire Elie Fleming and
Mr. J. Hervieu, archivist of the Archives Départementales de la Guade-
loupe.
Deputy Lieutenant-Governor Mr. Richard A. Luckert, head of the Fin-
ance Department of the Central Government, and Mr. Frank E. Richards,
head of the Insular Office of Finance, and Mr. Cornelius de Weever, head
of the Tourist Bureau, were always willing to answer questions.
But for his devoted wife, who time and again created the possibilities
for this work, this book would never have been published. So, above all,
thanks to Elisabeth!

J. HARTOG
 a
Sualouiga

Generally speaking not much is known yet with absolute certainty

about the movements of the Indians — and what Indians — in the Carib-
bean area, because too little has archeologically been explored. The ex-
perts are even divided among themselves on important matters. With
this restriction it may be assumed that they were inhabitants of primeval
forests who, moving northward from the Amazon Basin, eventually

Beautiful aerial picture of Sint Maarten, made especially for our book by Francis
Kenny in 1977. In the foreground the southern, Netherlands Antillean part, 14.2
sq. miles (34 km2). One hundred thousand years ago Sint Maarten, together with
St. Barths and Anguilla formed one great island. By melting of ice at the end of the
old-quaternary (some 70,000 years ago), the three now separated islands came into
existence, since low-lying valleys were flooded. The lagoons and bays are flooded
valleys. Geologically the three islands still belong together; together they lie ona
‘comparatively shallow sub-marine plateau. In this process the Lowlands formed a
separate island too, just like Tintamarre at the other side of Sint Maarten and with
which the Lowlands share many similarities indeed. In a later geological period
sandy ridges were formed, connecting the Lowlands with the main island, and
forming at the same time Simson Bay Lagoon. Tintamarre did not get such a ridge,
so it remained an island. But in the Great Bay such a ridge did develop, as a result
of which the Great Salt Pond came into existence. Philipsburg is built on this ridge
(information derived from Dr. J. H.. Westermann, De Geologische Geschiedenis
van de drie Bovenwindse Eilanden” (The Geological History of the three Wind-
ward Islands) 1957.
The French part, in the background of the picture, comprises an area of 20.2 sq.
miles (52 km2). Here you find the highest elevation Mount Paradise, 1,391 feet
(424 m). Flagstaff Hill, 1,253 feet (382 m) is the highest elevation of the Nether-
lands Antillean part. Mount Concordia, on which the French and Dutch agreed in
1648, that the French would get the part from where Anguilla could be seen, and
the Dutch the rest. lies exactly on the frontier. Mount Concordia is 919 feet high
(280 m).
 z

eo ay Gre
ut
ape

‘ee wu, Paradise DQ

Pe Fh Hill
Well
a,
Lo, “es
hag hey ss
i ad x
- *y A
Fx x hog
CS a Fagtte5 SS
ey "Ds, x Mount William
Etang Rouge ” Bay ¥g A % x

(Red Pond) adrareaztetsel Ps Sa >

A Las 900 ay

Cupecoy +* xx 3", Sentry Hill

x™ ba t wit

x *
a NtG,
ey
Billy Folly © aSvx *** Colebay
(Comer Hill) Hill
Colebay

° ‘e 4%
Indian dwelling places x

The sites where remnants of an Indian population have been found.

reached the coast and gradually populated the archipelago between the
Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. During their migration across this
group of islands they encountered natives, Arawaks. The new inhabi-
tants, coming from the forests, adapted in course of time to their new sur-
roundings: they learned to sail the sea and became fishermen, they are
the Caribs. Under the Carib’s pressure the Arawaks disappeared at last,
except in the islands outside the ridge proper, such as Aruba, Bonaire and
Curagao. In these islands the Arawaks maintained their ground.
All this occurred long before Columbus’ voyages.
When in 1624 some people from Zealand in The Netherlands visited
Sint Maarten, they found no inhabitants. But, for one thing, the visitors
did not traverse the entire island of course, and for another, not finding
people in 1624 does not exclude the possibility that there had been inha-
bitants before that date. This, namely, does appear to have been the case:
between 800 and 1300 there were people living in Sint Maarten, though
not permanently.
In the map, printed above, the spots where Indians dwelled are marked
with crosses.
Since Sint Maarten, compared to many islands in the neighborhood,

10
 how-
only offers scant possibilities for settlement, it was not very likely,
ever, that these settlements have all been of a lengthy nature.
In 1961 artefacts were found in the vicinity of Cupecoy Bay, which per-
nancial
nes
jours
a

haps even date back to the days of the Arawaks, that is the era before the
Caribs appeared on the scene. Naturally, it is quite possible that before
those Arawaks still other Indian peoples have been in Sint Maarten.
Nothing is known about this.
Except this one exception — about which more details furtheron — all
artefacts found suggest Carib inhabitation. The Caribs called Sint Maar-
ten Salouiga, which means salt land, naturally after the various natural
salt pans or ponds which were found in the island.

Uncivilized People
The Caribs knew neither law nor government. There was no ruling
caste either. Cacique or chief of the Caribs was he who had distinguished
himself in fight, managed to impose his will in his own neighborhood, and
had stood the particularly severe and painful initiation rites. Such a caci-
que was, for the time that he maintained himself, leader, but not judge.
Those who felt unfairly treated, simply were their own judge. As a con-
sequence of this the Caribs’ society distinguished itself by continual strive
and assassinations.
The Carib was small, broad hipped and supple. Men and women grew
their hair long. They only wore a waist-cloth:Father Jean-Baptiste Labat
O.P., a French missionary who worked in Guadeloupe round 1700, and
visited i.a. Sint Maarten, knew the Caribs from long years of observation,
and in his book he describes this man. The Caribs are indifferent, writes
he, only on three points they are not: out of envy because of their wives
they kill their rivals out of hand; for the slightest insult they horribly take
revenge, and in exchange for spirits they give all they have.
Attempts to convert them to Christianity did not yield any result.
Labat calls the Caribs careless, stubborn, hard to take orders, unreliable
and haughty.

ee
aa
oe
eee
eat
ee
areca
arene

Tanase

Old Sint maarten, to the left Cul-de-Sac Hill, appr. 1930.

ll

Dili
TN
mETTEAATA
Ma
FoH
SHEET
Gleemmtrseteenionsro
Some artefacts, found at Red Pond in the French part by John and Dorothy Keur
in 1957. Extreme right: a percussion chipped celt. The Keur collection can be
found in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, Wash-
ington, D.C.

Buccan and Cannibal

The Caribs have enriched our language with the words buccaneer and
cannibal. A buccan was the word for a wooden grill which gave the meat a
delicious smoke-flavor, so the forerunner of the barbecue-pit. French
wanderers adopted this way of preparing meat, and since these wander-
ers were often pirates or became one, the name buccaneer got the mean-
ing of pirate.
On their buccans the Caribs also grilled human arms and legs, because
they were man-eaters, cannibals. Etymologically Carib and cannibal are
cognate. They ate their fellow-men, mostly enemies, not so much to
appease their hunger, but more, so to speak, to usurp the valor of the
defeated enemy, just like the Canadian Indians used to keep their
enemy’s scalp. Yet the Caribs, like most man-eaters for that matter, liked
human flesh. Father Labat, when once visiting a group of Indians, was
offered a *buccaneered” arm out of politeness and to honor him, because
limbs were considered to be the best bites. He was told that it was an arm
of an Englishman killed just a short while before! Naturally, the priest
declined and offered on his part spirits, which the Caribs were addicted
to.

Six Settlements Found

About 1950, the late Hyacinth Conner, principal of Oranjeschool from

12
 French Saint Martin about 1920, seen from Chambard Hill (Photo Fred Labega).

1947 till 1951, discovered some Indian settlements: at Paradise Hill

(where the Moho Well supplies fresh water), at Mount William, and at
Billy Folly (close to Sentry Hill where also fresh water is found).
In 1957-’58 the North American couple John and Dorothy Keur, both
professors, he of biology, she of anthropology, stayed in the Windward
Islands for nine months in connection with the writing of their book
"Windward Children”. On the French part the Keurs found a fourth for-
mer settlement at Red Pond.
Ripley and Adelaide Bullen, another North American couple, two
people who had previously made excavations in St. Thomas, St. John and
Grenada, found a fifth settlement at Cupecoy Bay in 1961, the largest
known up to now. Unfortunately, because of building activities since, this
archeologically so important site has completely disappeared. It was
situated close to the frontier, but just in Netherlands Antillean territory.
Further up, between the Baie aux Prunes (Plum Bay) and Baie Longue
(Long Bay), the Bullens found traces of former settlement, the sixth, too.

Mainly the Lowlands

Four of these six settlements found so far are located round and close to
Simson Bay Lagoon, and three out of these four in the Lowlands. Al-
though six locations is not much of course, it may be noticed, considering
the small extent of the area available, that pretty much has been found. It
may be also noticed that the Indians who used to live in the island had the
same preference as modern men: they too build their bungalows prefer-
ably in the Lowlands.

How old are the ‘artefacts

Although much has been found, not much can be readily seen. Conner’s
collection is still in the possession of the family, but they keep it in chests.
_ What the Keurs and the Bullens collected has been shipped to the United
States. The collection of Dr. and Mrs. Keur is deposited in the National
. Museum of History of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., and

13

emrIN
ear
asians
SaEIT
aem
ER
 ‘Alfred Leonard Conner (+1960),
one of the first Sint-Maarteners
who did research into island’s
past.
ee
——

Hyacinth Conner, son of Alfred

Leonard, head of the Oranjeschool
1947-1951, in 1950 started exava-
tion work and found the first for-
mer Indian settlements at Para-
dise Hill, Mount William and near
Billy Folly.

the much larger collection of Dr. and Mrs. Bullen is to be found in the Flo-
rida State Museum in Gainesville, Florida. Neither of them is on display,
but scholars and people who are interested can see the items on request.
As an historian we refrain, of course, from commenting on the material
found. But we can refer to an excellent essay in English, written by Dr.
and Mrs. Bullen, and published in the Nieuwe Westindische Gids, 1966,
pages 137-144, and for those who prefer Dutch to the article Professor J.
M. Cruxent of Caracas has written about the archeology of St. Maarten in
Encyclopedie van de Nederlandse Antillen, 1969, pages 31-35.
Generally speaking one may say that the material found by the Bullens
can be dated from 800 till 1300 A.D.

Miscellaneous speciments from Cupecoy Bay, found by and reprinted with permis-
sion of the Bullens: 1 Olivia shell bead; 2 clam shell with rubbed edges; 3 perfor-
ated sherd disc; 4 chert side scraper; 5-6 bit and pole ends of celt blanks; 7 flat
base, Cupecoy Plain; 8 indented rim; 9 grinding or sharpening stone (scale in
inches, approx. 5 centimeters).

14
 2:
Saint Martin Day

Traditions cannot always stand the test of historical research.

Dr. Diego
Columbus has not left us a ship’s log, but his ship’s doctor
Alvarez Chanca wrote a travel story from which it appears that Columbus
on November 11, 1493, according to tradition the day on which Sint Maar-
ten was discovered, was berthed at Redonda.
The next morning, Tuesday, November 12, 1493, Columbus sailed past
an island that he named San Martin, and the following day he passed Sint
Eustatius and Saba within eyeshot.
For a long time it was assumed — for obvious reasons — that San Mar-
tin was the same island as the one now called Sint Maarten. But it is evi-
dent that Columbus, coming from Redonda, could not pass first Sint
Maarten and then Sint Eustatius and Saba. Consequently, San Martin
cannot have been the present island of Sint Maarten. In all probability it
was Nevis, for Juan de la Cosa, who accompanied Columbus on his voyage
in 1493, and drew the first map of the Western Hemisphere on the basis of
his data gathered during the trip — the so-called Mapa Mundi of 1500 —
put San Martin” against the island that Columbus sighted the morning of
November 12, and that we now call Nevis. ~
The following morning, so the 13th, Columbus again sees an island,
naturally St. Christopher’s or St. Kitts. He named it, as appears from De
la Cosa’s map, Gorda.
Once past St. Kitts Columbus must also have seen Sint Eustatius and
Saba on the port side: the Quill and Mount Scenery making this inevit-
able. He gave these two islands a name. The first one he called Santa
Maria de la Nieve, a name which passed to Nevis eventually, and the
second one San Cristébal, which passed to St. Kitts, actually Saint Chris-
topher. Columbus went ashore on neither island.

Grand’ Case, about 1930 (photo Fred Labega).

15
 In 1931 Lucius L. Hubbard calculated from the highest elevations of
each island the zero visibility, i.e. the distance from which that particular
island can just not be seen. We now know, that Columbus, sailing along in
good and bright weather, may have sighted the present island of Sint
Maarten, but not clearly distinguished. The presumable distance was too
wide for that. We don’t have any information on the weather conditions
on November 13, 1493. Anyone, who has been on the Sea View terrace,
Philipsburg, and looked in the direction of Saba, knows how variable the
visibility is. How often this island cannot be seen! So, whether Columbus
spotted the present island of Sint Maarten, we don’t know; Dr. Chanca’s
record of the voyage does not mention anything about it, and De la Cosa
did not draw an island here on his map either.
Those who sailed the Caribbean Sea in the years after Columbus, na-
turally did not have any maps from which they could read the names
given by Columbus. Therefore it often happened that the islands changed
names.

Du Tertre’s Version
According to Sint Maarten’s earliest historian, Jean-Baptiste du

1493. On November 13 Columbus must have seen St. Eustatius and Saba.
Whether he saw St. Maarten we do not know. The highest elevations of the islands
are marked in feet: the arcs subtended from the elevations show zero visibility, i.e.
the distance from where the islands can just not be seen (The Geographical
Review 1931).

16
=

ng
een
opie
dict

ans
a

nan
IE
atte

=a

i Fragment of the map of the ”Ante-Yllas” of Reinel from 1516, the oldest map fea-
! turing Sint Maarten. The part below shows the*area from Guadeloupe to St.
i John and is represented here strongly magnified. The hatched arrow, which has
been put in, points to Sint Maarten, of which Great Bay can be clearly recognized.
The inscription reads SAM MTIM. Not legible on the reduced reproduction are the
i names Aruba, Curasaote and Bonbary. The original of the map can be found in the
Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. The map is considered to be one of the best maps
t °
of those days of the Caribbean area.

t
i
i
;
|
na
|
i
£

17
In 1907 a picture album was published by Kleynenberg en Co., Haarlem, contain-
ing pictures of the Netherlands Antilles. One of them shows Philipsburg in those
days. A dream-town, hidden in greenery. There are only two vessels in Great Bay.
When the picture was taken there was nota living soul in the street.

Tertre, whose Histoire Générale de l’établissement des colonies fran-

coises dans les Ant-Isles de l’'Amérique was published in 1668, some
Frenchmen should have occupied the island in 1638, under the leadership
of someone called Saint Martin. Thereupon, this Saint Martin should have
called the island after himself. Apparently inspired by Du Tertre, a
French document of 1772 (Etat des Isles St. Martin et St. Barthélemy;
archives du Ministere France d’Outremer) also states the denomination
by this Saint Martin in 1638. Du Tertre is wrong here. In 1638 the entire
island of Sint Maarten was in Spanish hands; French occupation is there-
fore out of the question. Moreover, in the next chapter we shall see that
there were Frenchmen in the island in September 1629 already.
Du Tertre is even more definitely rebutted, for that matter, since on a
map dated as early as 1516, so 122 years before 1638, it says Sam Mtim for
the present Sint Maarten. This map, the so-called Reinel map of 1512/'16,
is the oldest map showing our island. The Reinels, father Pedro Reinel
and son Jorge Reinel, known with Spanish first names, but presumably
originating from Italy, worked in Spain and were accomplished map and
globe makers. There are indications that the discoverer Magelhan used
maps made by the Reinels. The map in question, mentioning Sam Mtim, is
considered to be one of the best maps of the Caribbean area. The map,
printed in the atlas Lopo Homen,, is also known as Carta Atlantica; the
original is in the keeping of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, where we
had a photo copy made of the document in question.
Which European has first sighted our Sint Maarten and who recon-
noitred it for the first time — and only that is really discovering — is thus
historically unknown.

In old times people also often wrote and said in Dutch St. Martin and
Sint Martijn. In 1936 Sint Maarten was appointed to be the official name

18
 ch, now Net her lan ds Ant illtie of .*)the island. The
ean fraparncat ise
Frethe the n Dut
of nch part is called of cou rse St. Mar tin , Par

St. Martin of Tours

Sometimes Columbus named the islands after the saint whose birthday
island.
fell approximately on the day on which he discovered or saw the Martin of
ber 12, and he named it after St.
He saw Nevis on Novem
day had been celebrated
Tours, a popular saint in those days, whose name- now
the name passed to the island
just a day before on the 11th. When
s patron
called Sint Maarten, Saint Martin of Tours became the island’
gaint, and the Catholic churches of Philipsburg, Marigot and Grand’ Case
are dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. in
lived in the 4th century and was bishop of Tours
Saint Martin
his
France. His fame spread because he — well-known story — shared
ed
coat with a beggar, who was barely dressed. Hereupon Christ appear
to Martin, dressed in this piece of his coat.

Saint Martin Day

Catholic Sint Maarten and Saint Martin celebrate their patron feast
on November 11. In the Netherlands Antillean part up to some years ago
this was practically only a church affair. In the French part, where since
1918 November 11 happens to be Armistice Day too, (of the first World
War) this day was of a somewhat more official nature.
In 1959, on the initiative of the French part, it was decided to make
Saint Martin Day a day of festivities for the entire island, giving the fact
of discovery more emphasis than the feast of the patron, with a view to
having a motive for celebrations acceptable for everyone. In this way, for
example, both the Catholic and the Methodist churches can have mem-
orial services, followed by ceremonies at the frontier monument, recep-
tions and public festivities. Even if November 11 is not historically the
day on which the island was discovered — the day on which this happened
is simply unknown — the day is generally celebrated as the annually re-
curring festive opening of the tourist season.

*) In our book we write Sint Maarten when the entire island or the Netherlands
Antillean part of it is meant. When only the French part is concerned, we
write Saint Martin. In the colonial period it was correct to speak of Dutch Sint
Maarten; although it is still called Dutch Sint Maarten colloquially, with the
coming into force of the Interim Regulation on February 7, 1951, it became
Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten.

19
 3.
The French and the Dutch in
Sint Maarten 1629-1633
In the sixteenth century French and English sea farers ventured every-
where in the Caribbean area. They were looking preferably for islands
with bays, where they could hide. The Great Bay with its wide view was
less attractive for them than the many anses — small bays — in the
French part.
In 1624 the English settled in St. Kitts. With their consent, however,
Frenchmen settled in this island too, because the English hoped that they
would be able to subdue the Caribs together with the French. Hereupon,
the English and French concluded a partition treaty: the English kept the
central part of St. Kitts, the French got the two ends, and both parties

Rue de la Liberté, formerly Rue du Gouvernement, leading from Main Street to

Sandy Ground (photo Fred Labega in 1930).

were allowed to profit from the salt pond in the southern part of the is-
land. Later, when the English together with the French had averted the
threat of the Caribs, the English took the entire island.

French settlement in 1629

We already observed (page 10) that in 1624 some Dutchmen paid a visit
to Sint Maarten. In 1629 some Frenchmen followed. For, when the Eng-
lish invaded the French part of St. Kitts, Richelieu sent a squadron to the
Caribbean area under the command of captain Francois de Rotondy, Lord
of Cahuzac. Not unjustly, he expected that the Spaniards could be up to
something and because Sint Eustatius is close to St. Kitts, he built a small
fort in Sint Eustatius.*) He then sent his aide-de-camp, captain Giron, ona

*) J. Hartog, History of St. Eustatius, page 21.

20
 . é

ee

Boulevard de France, Marigot, in 1930. Formerly this promenade was called Rue
du Bord de Mer. On the hill the contours of Fort St. Louis (photo Fred Labega).

reconnaissance mission to find out if there were Spanish ships in the

neighborhood.
On this reconnaissance trip Giron got into a gale; he lost his mast, and
had to look for shelter at the nearest island: Sint Maarten. Where he
landed is unknown. It was July or maybe the beginning of August 1629.
After having repaired his ship, Giron left the island.
Some weeks later, in August 1629, the Spaniards drove the French as
well as the English off St. Kitts. The English fled to other English islands,
but the French amidst whom was among others Pierre Belain d’Esnam-
buc, first of all sought safety in the French fort in Sint Eustatius. Here
they discussed what to do. Without being clear what had been decided
upon they left, and after three weeks of fighting gales and foul wind, they
arrived at Sint Maarten at the end of August or the beginning of Septem-
ber. The story does not say where they went ashore, but it is assumed

Main Street, Grand’ Rue, Marigot, officially Rue de la République, formerly Rue
de Gourbeyre (photo Fred Labega, 19830).

21
Main Street, Grand’ Rue, Marigot, officially Rue de la République. From 1937 till
1948 the mairie was housed in the building shown. At present it is the shop of Vere
Richardson.

that it was at the coast of what has become French Quarter. They made
an entrenchment in case the Spaniards would pursue them.
The French were disappointed in Sint Maarten however; the water was
brackish. A part of the French left after some days under dEsnambuc for
some place else, i.a. Antigua. However, some Frenchmen stayed behind:
the first settlement.
After a pretty short while those who stayed behind were troubled by
the Spaniards, who, after their raid on St. Kitts, now visited Sint Maarten
too, and destroyed the entrenchment which had been erected.

Small French colony

The Spaniards did not dispose of sufficient ships and crew to occupy St.
Kitts permanently. And so it was possible for both the English and the
French to return in the course of 1630 already.
From Spanish archives sources we know, that at that time 14 French-
men stayed behind in Sint Maarten; the first colony of Europeans in the
island. They made salt where now Grand’ Case is and they lived slightly
more to the east, in French Quarter or Quartier d’Orléans. Their small
settlement even got an official character, when their leader, who is refer-
red to as Sieur de St. Martin, received letters of commission in this capa-
city from the French king. :

The Dutch look for a station

When a variety of European settlements were established in the Carib-
bean islands, Dutch merchants, united in the Netherlands West India
Company, looked for a suitable island from which they would be able to
supply the various settlements with what was needed. In those days the
Dutch were the cargo carriers of Europe. One should not underestimate
this trade: during the period that we are describing now, approximately

22
 nant-Governor’s office, built in 1886
Pioietreet about 1925. To the left the Lieute
and burnt down in 1974.

one hundred Dutch ships sailed from Europe to the Caribbean area every
year, compared to — for example — not more than twenty French ships.
And this while France had colonies here and The Netherlands*) not yet.
The first European to visit Sint Maarten Was, consequently, a Dutch-
man, Pieter Schouten, who on October 5, 1624, called at our island to
carry out some repairs to his ship. He did not find suitable wood, how-
ever, and after four days sailed on to St. Kitts.
It is obvious therefore, that, when the Netherlands West India Comp-
any was looking for an island in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea,
they thought of St. Kitts rather than Sint Maarten. In 1628, this was, as
we know, too late, because the English and French had divided this island
between themselves at an earlier date already.
In 1630 the Dutch, who waged a war against Spain, the so-called Eighty
Years’ War, captured Pernambuco from the Portuguese, and now it ap-
peared desirable to have a foothold and victualing station on the route
from New Holland (Brazil) to New Netherland (now New York). It is true
that Sint Maarten was no good as a victualing station, because there was
hardly any or no water availabble, but the central position among islands
of a great variety of nationalities and the profuse availablilty of salt were
decisive. Early in August 1631, at any rate before the 8th, the Dutch oc-
cupied Sint Maarten. It was their first settlement in the Caribbean area.

*) Because of historical predominance of two provinces called Holland in the past

one very often refers incorrectly to The Netherlands as Holland. With the ex-
ception of the years 1806-1810, when the country was under French domination
and was called the Kingdom of Holland, the name is The Netherlands. The ad-
jective Dutch originally refers to the language, but it has been accepted for a
long time already as referring to the country and people as well. We will use
The Netherlands for the country, also when speaking about the time before 1796
(before this year the country was a Republic, under the unwieldy name the
United Provinces of The Netherlands).

23
Philipsburg’s first small pier was built in 1876. This picture dates from 1917,
before a roof was built over it.

First Lieutenant-Governor
The occupation passed off without difficulties. No one resisted the
Dutch. They thought, for that matter, that the island was uninhabited,
wrong, for there lived fourteen Frenchmen, as we know. Only as time
went by, when they moved farther into the island, they met them. The
Netherlands West India Company undertook the administration of the
island itself, and appointed Jan Claeszen van Campen as Commander.
This Claeszen was the first administrator of the island.

The first fort

The Dutch took prompt action. As there was no time to build rain water
cisterns, they collected the rain water in canvas! After three months the
first house was finished and over 1000 hectoliters (26420 U.S. gallons) of

In 1922 a small roof was built over the pier.

24
 ss ss

Estate Welgelegen in 1924. From 1863 till 1877 doctor Hendrik E. van Rijgersma
lived here, a government physician who sent an enormous collection of molluscs,
crustaceae and fossils to museums in Leiden and Philadelphia. In 1974 Dr. H. E.
Coomans took his doctor’s degree in natural science ona thesis "Life and Mala-
cological Work of H. E. van Rijgersma” (photo Fred Labega).
Se.

clean salt was ready for shipment. They had also started building a fort
already on the spit of land where now the ruins of Fort Amsterdam can be
found. The fort in question was another one however, a predecessor so to
speak of Fort Amsterdam. As was usual in those days entering ships
could pay their harbor dues by handing over one or more of the ship’s
guns and/or ammunition. In September 1632 the fort was completed: it
disposed of ten guns and a garrison of eighty men. It consisted of board
and earthen walls, but in November 1632 the fort was fortified on the side
facing the sea, with stone. Moreover the spit of land was cut at its lowest
point for protection in the back side.

Economic significance
Sint Maarten’s salt obtained a good reputation at once; it was consider-
ed to be better than the salt of Punta de Araya on the coast, where the
Dutch went for salt too. Soon the economic significance of Sint Maarten
reached such an extent, that, according to Spanish sources, the cost of the
large settlement at Pernambuco, which had a garrison of 6,000, was cov-
ered for two thirds by the profit on the salt of Sint Maarten. In the Great
Bay it was a coming-and-going of ships, for in addition to the salt carriers
also the ships that had supplied the Brazil settlement with the necessary
things returned via Sint Maarten. Someone who visited Sint Maarten in
June 1632, not even a year after the occupation, counted 25 entering ships
in three weeks!

The first Frenchmen did already business via the Dutch part
In the small French colony in the island people were engaged in making
Salt and growing tobacco. Soon the French discovered that the Dutch dis-

29
 The fort
built by the
Spaniards in
Sint Maarten
in 1633.

posed of better connections than they did, and soon they appeared at the
Great Bay with salt and tobacco.

The village on the sand ridge

On the sand ridge between the salt pond and the Great Bay the village
of the Dutch arose. In 1633, so one and a half years after the occupation,
the Dutch colony was already quite a bit larger than the one of the
French. There lived 97 Dutchmen, only two of which were women, fur-
thermore 20 black males, 10 black females and one Indian woman. The
village lay on the western part of the sand ridge, so not far from where
the fort lay. There was a little church and even a hospital. An administra-
tion had been set up: Commander Claeszen had formed a Council, which
in Spanish documents is solemnly called the Senate of the island, and
which consisted of officers and captains of ships.

The Spanish recapture Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten’s excellent salt, however, became its downfall. To in-
crease public revenue King Philips IV of Spain raised the price of salt. In
Spain salt was a state monopoly. The royal decree would of course be
futile, if the Dutch, French and English would be able to obtain cheap salt
in Sint Maarten and sell it again. On Friday, June 24, 1633, peace was dis-
turbed in the island by the appearance of a Spanish fleet of 53 ships: 11
men of war convoying 42 merchant vessels on their way to the Spanish

26
 in May under orders to re-
colo nies. The convoy had sailed from Cadiz
capture Sint Maar ten en route. One thousa foot-soldiers and 300 sailors
nd
Guns were disembarked. A reconnaissance vessel was
were put ashore.
gent to the French.
The Dutch put up a fierce resistance. But although they kept up the
of the Span-
fight for a week, they had to surrender to the superior power
ijards on July 1, 1633. The Spaniards allowed all inhabitants to leave,
hoisted the Spanish flag and read a Holy Mass of Gratitude in the fort on
July 2.

Anguilla lost
In Anguilla the Dutch had a small settlement too. Also because of the
salt. There are only few historical data about it, but although there was
no question of a real colony with an administration etc., the Dutch had
built a little fort there. After the capture of Sint Maarten, the Spaniards
demolished this little fort. No further attention was paid to Anguilla by
them.
The Dutch continued visiting Anguilla, under the very eyes of the
Spaniards in Sint Maarten. In 1645 there even was a small Dutch settle-
ment again. In the course of time, however, the island became English.

The loss of Sint Maarten led to Curagao

After the loss of Sint Maarten, the Dutch still disposed of other loca-
tions for salt: Punta de Araya and Bonaire. Even though they were thus
in a position to secure a return cargo, it did mean that with Sint Maarten
a trading post and the place to attack the Spanish from were lost. In The
Netherlands the possibility was considered for a while to recapture Sint
Maarten, but eventually it was decided to settle in an island at a greater
distance from the strong Spanish settlement in Puerto Rico. That is the
reason why they went to Curacao the following year, 1634. In order to
have a commercial settlement in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea
too, closer to the many islands large and smal! and of a variety of nation-
alities, they took Sint Eustatius as a trading post two years later in 1636.

Backstreet with Miss Josephine Hazel’s home around 1930 (photo Fred Labega).

at
 4.
The Spanish Period
1633-1648

It has been Claeszen’s mistake that he did not see to it that a fort was
built on the east spitof land of the Great Bay too, so that entering ships
that were aiming at the west fort, could be attacked in the back. The
Spaniards remedied this mistake at once. By using the stone of the dem-
olished fort in Anguilla (page 27) they built a fort on the hill of Point
Blanche, the ruins of which are still popularly known as Old Spanish Fort.

Neglected
Soon Sint Maarten suffered from the general neglect, from which also
the other Spanish islands in the neighborhood suffered. There simply —
were too many of them for Spain.
The Spanish garrison of Sint Maarten consisted of civil servants and
soldiers, no colonists. Therefore, the making of salt was paid hardly or no
attention to. The fifteen years from 1633 till 1648 make a long story of
mutinies, failure to pay the pay and reduction of rations. The Netherlands
West India Company who had occupied Sint Eustatius in 1636 and some
years later Saba, decided therefore to try to recapture promising Sint
Maarten.

Stuyvesant’s abortive attack

Peter Stuyvesant, since 1642 Director of the Netherlands West India
Company in Curacao, received orders to this extent, after he had givena
hint in that direction more than once for that matter.
Together with some ships sent from The Netherlands for reinforce-
ment, Stuyvesant formed a fleet of 13 ships. He himself was admiral on
the flag ship Blauwe Haan; Jacob Polak, Commander of Bonaire, an able
man, who had assisted Stuyvesant before during a campaign in Venezu-
ela, became second in command and supreme commander of the troops,
800 to 1,000 men, approximately half of which were soldiers. Stuyvesant
was not exactly cautious, because he took along the entire garrison of
Curacao, so that this island was left virtually without defence.
On Palm Sunday, March 20, 1644, Stuyvesant showed up at Sint Maar-
ten.
The Spanish garrison, which had amounted to 250 men in 1636, had
dwindled to 120 men, many of them ill, old or invalid. On seeing the Dutch
they quickly brought some vegetables, goats and cows into the fort.
The Dutch landed at Cay Bay and mounted their cannon there (H in the
map), too far away to hit the fort. Therefore, the guns were moved to Bel
Air (K). Further down, in the valley of Welgelegen, was the Dutch tent
camp, a good position: they had water in Cul-de-Sac, and they disposed of
short connections with the battery on the hill. When the position on Bel-

28
 a summons to the Spaniards, and
Air was ready, Stuyvesant despatched
this letter deliv ered, he climb ed the hill to place a flag on the
while he had
ently to emphasize his summons.
battery with his own hands, appar Stuyve sant, so un-
So far, the Spaniards had not done much, but when
they fired a cannon. The ball
protected on the hill there, made a target, Haan,
captain of the Blauwe
hit Stuyvesant’s right leg and the face of the
orhood , by which he lost a cheek and an eye. Stuy-
who was in the neighb
Haan. Close to the knee his
yesant had to be taken aboard the Blauwe ed to Curag ao,
right leg had to be amputa ted. Later Stuyve sant return
r i Ed
Fe Ta
wes mer

aida themselves through the more than 300 years old ruins of Old
ort, but the stone did not move! (photo Wilfred Roumou).

29
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Topographical map of Stuyvesant’s attack on Sint Maarten in 1644. A Stuyve-

sant’s fleet on its way to Cay Bay; B landing site; C place where the ships berthed;
D Cole Bay; E direction Anguilla; F advance of the Dutch; G retreat to Cole Bay;
H first position; I barge patrol; J dead angle; K nightly attack; L rocks; M tent
camp with route of advance; N attack ; O position Blauwe Haan, when it was hit;
P-Q wall for the protection of tent camp; R plateau of the position (the later Fort
Bel-Air) where Stuyvesant was hit; S spot in the wall of the fort showing signs of
the shelling, proving also that Philips used the existing walls in the construction of
Fort Amsterdam in 1737; T direction Point Blanche where the Spaniards had a
fort too; U sandy ridge of later Philipsburg; V Estate Welgelegen; W present
cemetary; X modern road construction, etc.; Y the range of the guns mounted on
His too short; Z shelling of the Spanish fort from the sea. (The map was drawn
with the cooperation of former Lieutenant-Governor J. J. Beaujon, a retired army
officer).

but a few months later already he had to be taken to The Netherlands for
further treatment.
Apparently the Spaniards took heart from Stuyvesant’s elimination,
which took place in fact even before the fighting started. They proved to
be a lot more ready to fight than one would have expected on the ground
of their quality.
The Dutch shelled the fort from their fort on Bel-Air. They also built a
wall to prevent the Spanish from making a sortie to their camp at Welge-

30
 i all this, the Spaniards managed to make so much
cnt ee achwere forced to land their goods instead of in Cay
ae Je Bay: from here transportation was not only more difficult, but
too.
ag © chet and there was one more hillinbetween
March a
Gul after one and a half weeks, in the night of Thursday 31
D ar sut of commandos launched to first real attack on the Spanish
also re-
a The Spaniards repulsed it. A second attack, on April 3, was
parti-
a d. The Blauwe Haan, with the injured Stuyvesant on board,
action and came within range of the Spanish guns. It was
essiad in this
: lls.
as a started a starvation siege, which lasted until Saturday,
April 16, but they did not manage to force the Spaniards to surrender.
ane
Sunday, April 17, they left. .
The Spanish Governor of Sint Maarten reported to his King and re-
quested on behalf of the garrison as a reward . . . permission to leave Sint
Maarten. Thus was the situation.

The Spaniards left in March 1648

It took another four years, however, before he got this permission. In
the course of 1647 — the Eighty Years’ War drew toa close — the Span-
iards decided to dismantle the fort in Sint Maarten and to abandon the is-
land. Laborers were brought in from Puerto Rico, many of them prisoners
of war. Subsequently, the greater part of the fort was pulled down. In
March 1648 the Spaniards left.

Peter Stuyvesant, an engraving after

a painting by an unknown painter,
around 1660, New York Historical
Society. Stuyvesant was born in 1611
or 1612 (not in 1592 as is said on his
tombstone in the cemetary of St.
Mark’s in the Bowery, New York),
“entered the University of Franeker in
1630, did not finish his studies and
joined the Netherlands West India
Company, first in The Netherlands,
then Brazil and in 1638 in Curacao,
where he became Director in 1642. In
1646 he was also appointed Director-
General of New Netherland (now
New York). In 1664 he lost this last
colony to the English and after a visit
to the Netherlands he returned as a
private citizen to New York where he
died in 1672.

31
 The Frontier 7
In the 17th century it was by no means unusual that there were in an ig.
land settlements of different nationality. For such settlements were not
large; there were not many roads and means of transportation, so when
two groups of pioneers lived each on an other side of an island, they were
not troubled by each other. We already saw that the English in St. Kitts —
gladly gave the French permission to build there a settlement too, so that
together they would be stronger against the superior force of the Indians, —
In St. Croix there were colonies, for some time, of Dutchmen approxima-—
tely where we now find Christiansted, and of Englishmen at the present
Frederiksted, and only when these colonies engaged in agriculture and
plantations and as a consequense of this started to open up new land, they —
came too close to each other and things went wrong.
In Sint Maarten people were mainly engaged in trade, and even when
eventually there came adjoining plots, for trade this proved to be rather
an advantage than a handicap. Thus binationality remained here.
The question, how it came to a partition, must be answered now.

Two prominent figures of Sint Maarten’s and St. Martin’s history: to the leftJ ;
hannes Christiaan Paap, Lieutenant-Governor of Sint Maarten 1948-1957, and —

1948, on the occasion of the unveiling of the frontier monument, symbolizing three
centuries of friendship. | :

32
 :
The legend of the walking people
nows the story, a legend, as it did not happen at any rate.
ards in
grenchnen ved after the departure of the Spani
or less simul taneo usly with one or more Dutc hmen in Sint
a
mine how the islan d would
oe es They agreed that they would deter
ng match . Start ing at Oyst erpo nd the Fren ch
BD citioned by a walki
h in southerly
2 oawalk round the island in northerly direction, the Dutc d be
an imaginary line woul
Giaction. From where they would meet,
ond.
along the salt
he By walked slower than the French, but marched
they met at Cupe coy Bay, and that The Neth-
ponds. So it happened that
of those days richer part,
erlands got a smaller, but by the standards ;
large r piece .
France on the other hand the
this story is even heighte ned by adding that the Dutch
Over a drink
had a jar of gin with them, which they emptied. Half-way they fell asleep
and had to sleep themselves sober. As a result of this they should have
walked a much shorter distance than the French.

Colonized from St. Kitts and St. Eustatius

The question of Sint Maarten’s partition, just like all other questions of
territory, has been a matter that was settled by the one who was the
Be
stronger. %
In 1648 the French settled in Sint Maarten for quite different reasons
than in 1629, when they came from St. Kitts, as we saw, as refugees some
of whom stayed behind. Now Sint Maarten was an outpost of what on the
statue of d’Esnambuc on the quay of Fort-de-France, Martinique, is called
the "puissance fran¢aise” (the power of France). It lay, together with St.
Barthélemy, amidst foreign islands and islets, and, consequently, there
has been no war in the 17th and 18th centuries in which France was in-
volved, or St. Martin and St. Barthélemy fell victim to it. A situation
which has hampered the economic development of these two islands —
and of course also of Dutch Sint Maarten. But precisely because they did
not get any economic development, the two, being poor and worthless,
did not become English in the Utrecht Peace Treaty of 1713.
After the end of the war against Spain in 1648, the Dutch did not need
Sint Maarten anymore as a naval base. As a matter of fact the island had
failedin that role, because as early as 1633 the Spaniards had put an end
to this. But as a central trading post, Sint Maarten was quite promising,
because just after 1648 there were a lot of colonies in the northern part of
the Caribbean Sea: the ships from The Netherlands could supply utilities
and take home a return cargo of salt.

Du Tertre, mentioned earlier, relates how the partition was brought

about. Among the prisoners of war brought in from Puerto Rico to pull
down the Spanish fort were also some Dutchmen and Frenchmen. When
the fort had been demolished, five Frenchmen and five Dutchmen hid
themselves; they did not return to Puerto Rico and choose their freedom.
They decided to inform the Governors of the French and Dutch colonies of
the departure of the Spanish. The nearest island was Sint Eustatius, and
the Dutch suggested that they should warn the commander of this island

33
The oldest map known of Sint Maarten, 1631 or 1632, made by the Spaniards and
preserved in Archivo de Indias, Sevilla

— he was Abraham Adriaensen — and then sail on to notify De Poincy in

St. Kitts too.
When Adriaensen learned, however, that the Spaniards had left the is-
land, he at once sent captain Martin Thomas with a letter of commission,
worded in French, in which he appointed Thomas in the name of the
Prince of Orange Governor of Sint Maarten. It is not recorded how many
men Thomas accompanied.

34
AROS
Outline
tat
oe
appl
ie
M2
ad
ahi
2iAyeSe

inns
five
sass
yet

a
4

48 Map, dated 1775, meaning three years after Jan de Windt, Commander of Sint
Eustatius was ordered to erect boundary posts. Presumably this was to become
id
&
ay

the still existing wall of piled stone. Mrs. Yvette Fleming has an original of this
map in her possession.

When no French deputation from St. Kitts appeared, the French grew
suspicious and one of them, a certain Fichot, sailed to St. Kitts, where De
Poincy did appear to be completely ignorant. Subsequently, De Poincy
sent an officer, De la Tour, with 30 men to press his claim to a part of Sint
Maarten.
The Dutch prevented the French from going ashore. De la Tour sailed
back, upon which De Poincy sent his cousin Robert de Lonvilliers, accom-
panied by De la Tour with 300 troops.
It was important in this connection that the Dutch did not have a single
man-of-war in the Caribbean area at that moment, and the French did.
Even though these ships were not involved in the occupation of Sint
Maarten, their presence played a part.
Adriaensen had left it undecided in his letter of commission whether he
was only referring at the former Dutch part or claimed the entire island;
De Poincy was less pretentious and wrote that he appointed his cousin
Governor of the former French part.

On Poincy’s Heights
On March 17, 1648, De Lonvilliers and De la Tour with their troops ap-
peared before Sint Maarten. Commander Thomas, seeing that he was no

30
Map of Sint Maarten by Ger. Hulst van Keulen from 1791 (Royal Navy Archives).
In the Netherlands Antillean part Dutch names are used, such as ”Groote Blinde
Straat” (for Cul-de-Sac), ”"Oosterkreek” (Oysterpond), "het Witte Punt” (Point
Blanche). Remarkable are ”Groote Zoutkeet” for Great Salt Pond, ’Steenbaai”
(Lay Bay) and ’Prinsessenkwartier” for Prince’s Quarter. Apparently there are
debatable grounds, because there are two frontier lines: the dotted-line (’ancienne
ligne de séparation de 1720 ou 1735” — former partition line of 1720 or 1735), and
the line with the words "prétensions du gouverneur hollandois 1764” (pretentions
of the Dutch Governor 1764). At French Quarter there is a third frontier line,
which dates from 1756. The frontier was only marked as late as 1772 (page 39).
Strongly deviating from the present situation is the break-through from Simson
Bay Lagoon to Anse des Sables.

match for this superior force, had to permit them to land. On a small pla-
teau, called Poincy’s Heights up to this day, a skirmish is said to have
taken place between the French and the Dutch. Six days later, on March
23, 1648, they reached an agreement. According to Du Tertre it should
have been made on the hill-top, which at that occasion received the name
of Morne des Accords or Concordia.
As has been remarked, Du Tertre is the only source from which we
learn of the events of 1648. Although his story sometimes has a romantic
touch, it makes a reliable impression, the more so because he quotes the
literal text of several documents, i.a. the letters of commission, the ori-
ginal French text of the Partition Treaty (in fact Du Tertre’s book is the
only source from which we know this text), etc. The story of the mes-
sengers who were supposed to inform Adriaensen and De Poincy, seems a
little bit far-fetched to us. It would seem to us that Adriaensen and De
Poincy, the latter one of the most envious characters of French-West-
Indian history, must have followed the activities of many months of the
Spaniards and the pulling down of their fort.

36
 tSSs: = sf eS
33
Le = 3 oO S58 ing to an old map of the Engl hLi teu
Map of1817 by us te-
8§ i= x &
-3 (Ss3
LS 2 Y mR ~~
1S)
SSPE
eS
a
AI

s;
SAS

2 S = —
fo) ~Q0 ~a +=
zt ° is one by Samuel Fahlberg
 Map by H. Slotemaker from 1864.

NORTHERN POINT

SINT MAARTEN CROLE Rock

(oa EASTRAN POtwr)

\\

=22:= BOUNDARY
—— Roaos
& MOUNTAIN TOPS MARIA DA
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Nase top. kaart 1903

Outline map of Sint Maarten. Arrow points in direction of Poincy’s Heights.

38
 8
The partition treaty of 164
and
The text of the partition treaty concluded between De Lonvilliers
Thomas, translated into English, reads as follows:

Knight
Today, the 23rd of March 1648, have assembled Robert de Lonvilliers,
on behalf of His Most
and Lord of this place, Governor of the island of St. Maarten,
E likewise Governor
Christian Majesty (i.e. the King of France) and Martin Thomas,
General of Hol-
fe:

of the said island, on behalf of the Prince of Orange and the States
Gg

iq
)

fou

Chevalier,
land, and Henri de Lonvilliers, Lord of Bénévent, Savin and Courpon,
of the island, and David Coppins, Lieutena nt of
Lord of La Tour, lieutenant-colonel
van Zevenhuizen?), likewise
a Dutch company, and Pitre van Zeun Hus (Pieter
side, have agreed
Lieutenant of a company of the above mentioned, who, on either
upon the following:
at
(1) that the French shall continue in that quarter where they are established
coast (actually: side) which
this present, and that they shall inhabit the entire
faces Anguilla;
it on
(2) that the Dutch shall have the quarter of the fort, and the soil surrounding
the south coast;
l live as friends
ET
MM
ALN
ILE
TNH
LRAT
PEAT
TTT
Np
HTH
TET
TES
EE (3) that the French and Dutch established on the said island shal
r, this shall consti-
and allies, and that, in case of either party molesting the othe
inge ment of this trea ty, and shal l ther efor e be puni shable by the laws
tute an infr
of war;
inge-
(4) that, if a Frenchman or Dutchman being guilty of a criminal act or an infr
ds of his superiors, or of
ment of this agreement, or of disobedience to the comman
r on, the
whatever other remissness, shall withdraw to the territory of the othe nati
r ter-
contracting parties shall be bound to cause such person to be arrested in thei
esting it;
ritory, and to deliver him up to his Governor on the latter’s first requ
Ear
oraean
et
si
LT
CT
ce
SN
fear

s, the fresh
(5) that the chase, the fisheries, the salt-pans, the rivers, the lake
ds, and other
waters, the dye-wood, mines and minerals, harbors and roadstea
commodities of the said island shall be common, and shall serve to provide the
wants of the inhabitants;
the
(6) that it shall be permitted to French persons at this present residing with
r mov-
Dutch to join the French, if it so pleases them, and to take with them thei
ables, foodstuffs and money and other commodities, provided they have settled
LTT
TE
EN
aL
TO
Sy
LTT
YEE
PF
RE their debts or given sufficient security, and that the Dutch shall be able to do like-
UR wise and on the same conditions;
iF (7) that, if enemies should attack one part or the other, the parties to this treaty
5h shall be obliged to render each other aid and assistance,
ons
(8) that the delimitation and partition of the said island between the two nati
Mt
fX
s,
shall be submitted to the General of the French and the Governor of St. Eustatiu
and to the deputies that shall be sent to visit the places; and that, their report
having been made, they shall delimit their quarters, and proceed in the manner
stipulated above;
(9) that any claims one party may have against the other shall be submitted to the
King of France and the gentlemen of His Council, and to the Prince of Orange and
the States of Holland. Neither of the above parties shall be able to construct forti-
fications without contravening the above agreement and compensations with res-
pect to the other party.
Given on the date heretofore mentioned, on the mountain surnamed des Ac-
cords (Concordia) of the said island, and signed by the said gentlemen, in the
presence of Bernard de la Fond, Knight and Lord of Espérance, Lieutenant of a
French Company on St. Christophe.

The frontier marked as late as 1772

Whether article 8 was carried out, we do not know. Not until “1756 and

39
Each year on Sint Martin Day a ceremony is held at the frontier monument in
which the French and Netherlands Antillean authorities participate. Lieutenant-
Governor Jan Jacob Beaujon is delivering a speech during the ceremonies in 1964
(photo courtesy of Dexter Press, W. Nyack, New Jersey, and De Wit Stores N.V.,
Aruba, who printed a picture postcard of this nice photo).

1764 was the demarcation line given some shape. And only in 1772 did Jan
de Windt Jr. receive a letter from the Board of the Netherlands West In-
dia Company to mark the boundaries in Sint Maarten clearly. The wall of
piled stone, which can be seen up to this day, may very well date back to
those days.

The treaty repeatedly violated

The 1648 partition treaty was violated repeatedly, and sometimes com-
pletely forgotten. In 1703 and 1734 new treaties were concluded indeed
without the old one being repealed.

From April 1672 till June 15, 1676, the French controlled the island.
During a fortnight, June 15-30, 1676, the Dutch were masters over the entire
island.
From June 30, 1676, until January 27, 1690, the French had the upperhand.
After this date up to the Rijswijk Peace Treaty (September 20, 1697) there was
in fact no administration at all.
From April 10, 1703, the entire island was under Dutch rule until the Utrecht
Peace Treaty (April 11, 1713), when French St. Martin was returned to France,
althought only in August 1715 a French Lieutenant-Governor was appointed
again.
From November 27, 1781, till February 1784, entire Sint Maarten was admin-
istered by the French.
On May 19, 1793, the Dutch occupied Marigot (page 42), and until April 5, 1795,

40
the Dutch Commander also governed the French part.
On April 5, 1795, the French occupied the Dutch part, and although the Dutch
Commander remained in office, he had to take orders from the French Commander
until March 1801.

Purchase of French Saint Martin

On the part of the Dutch authorities in Sint Maarten it was repeatedly
suggested to buy up the French part, both for economic reasons, and to
ut an end to the difficulties arising from the ever recurring invasions of
(often English) troops or bandits in the French part. Neither the Nether-
lands West India Company, nor, after it was dissolved in 1792, the State
of The Netherlands have shown interest in these suggestions.
In a following chapter we shall hear of Commander John Philips (1735-
1746). For the time being it suffices to remark that during Philips’ term of
office Dutch Sint Maarten experienced a period of prosperity, and that
the population rose sharply: from 1715 till 1750 the population quadrupled
(to some 400 whites and over 1,500 slaves; there were 35 plantations).
The French side, however, lived through a depression. There lived no
more than 40 whites.
Having nearly 2,000 inhabitants at the Dutch side, the question of over-
population was even raised already. This position led Philips to suggest to
the Netherlands West India Company to buy up the French part. He be-
lieved, he wrote, that the Company would bé®able to obtain it for 150,000
guilders.
His letter was never answered. In the 18th century the Company did
not think anymore of expansion. Philips, however, persisted. In 1743 and
1745 he sends reminders, drawing the attention to the fine plantations
which might be obtained a bargain. Just before his death in 1746 he suc-
ceededin rousing his colleague of Sint Eustatius up for his plan, and when
Philips is dead, the Commander of Sint Eustatius presses the purchase in

Frontstreet in 1930: the large house with verandah was Herbert Nisbet’s. Fred
Labega lived there. The house was bought by Spritzer and Fuhrmann in 1965, who
pulled it down and built their present shop here (opened January 31, 1966).

Al
connection with overpopulation, the laying out of plantations and as
favorable to the trade. He points out the danger, that planters from St.
Croix — since 1733 Danish and a competitor — might very well settle in
the French part.
In 1748 and 1749 Abraham Heyliger, Philips’ successor in Sint Maarten,
also writes again about the opportunities to buy, now using the argument
that rumors have it that the English are willing to buy (page 57 and 62).
He received no reply, but not discouraged, he once more draws the at-
tention of the Company in 1751 to the fact that laying out new plantations
in the French part will require the importation of 8,000 slaves, and that
the Company may make a handsome profit out of it.
Whether he was authorized to it, we do not know, but in 1762 Heyliger
offers the intendant of Martinique, De Bourlamaque, 100,000 piasters for
the French part. The Frenchman did not entertain it, after all he did not
have any territory to sell, because it was in the midst of the French and
Indian War (1756-’63), also called the Seven Years’ War, in which France
and England were each others opponents: from Anguilla the English oc-
cupied French St. Martin, filled up the wells, and tried to make the island
uninhabitable. The war ended in 1763 by the Paris Peace Treaty. French
St. Martin was that unimportant that it was not even mentioned in the
peace treaty. When De Bourlamaque, upon his arrival in Guadeloupe,
sent a deputation to St. Martin, the English departed out of their own
will, because they did not want the island!
The French, who had taken refuge in the Dutch part, returned.

The King of Prussia

It was of course a very strange gesture, when the Rev. George van
Essen of Sint Eustatius, a native of Germany, wrote a letter to Frederic
the Great, King of Prussia, suggesting to buy French St. Martin in 1755.
We are not informed of the minister’s motives. Of course the letter was
intercepted by the Commander of Sint Eustatius, Jan de Windt. De
Windt reported it to the Board of the Company, and the latter, always
slow in answering letters, replied by return that the clergyman should
mind his own business and not engage in proposals to foreign sovereigns.

The fort at Marigot captured

In the years following the French Revolution the inhabitants of the
French islands were divided in two camps, the royalists and the revolu-
tionaries. From Guadeloupe the latter agitated in French St. Martin, very
much contrary to the wishes of the Commandant, Jean Sébastien Knight
De Durat, a capable administrator, but in the years after 1789 not able to
cope with the Revolutionaries.
In the Dutch Part one was much concerned about the events in Paris
and to prevent the possibility of a revolutionary invasion from the Guade-
loupiens in the French Part, the 28 years old Lieutenant of the Civil
Defence, Abraham Heyliger, Lucas’s son, played a risky trick on the
French in 1793. Availing himself of the state of war between France and
The Netherlands, and without telling anything to his direct superior, the
Captain of the Civil Defence, nor Commander Rink who will be mentioned
later one, he went secretly, accompanied by Engle James Richardson and

A2
Fort Amsterdam, built by Commander John Philips in 1737. Abandoned as a fort
in 1816.

Johan Willem Worm and 19 armed burghers, in the night of Saturday 18

to Sunday 19 May, along all kinds of goat tracks, to Marigot, where he,
while it was still dark, took possession of Fort St. Louis by surprise. At
daybreak he hoisted the Dutch flag and named the fort Willem Frederik,
after the eldest son of the Stadtholder, who later became King Willem I*),
in whose name he claimed to occupy the fort.
First Commander Rink and the captain of the Civil Defence were trem-
endously startled, when they heard about it somewhat later in the morn-
ing, but they understood that they had to accept the accomplished fact.
Soon also Rink gathered some burghers, military men and colored freed-
men, and went, with one gun to Marigot too in order to offer assistance if
necessary. Upon arrival it appeared, however, that the matter had been
settled already.
De Durat and Rink negotiated the terms of surrender, and De Durat
availed himself of this in a very remarkable way to strenghten his posi-
tion against the revolutionaries. First come the usual terms: the inhabi-
tants will not be restricted in their rights and freedom, trade will remain
free, the notary public will retain his authority, the traditional religion in
the French part (naturally the Roman Catholic religion) will not be re-
strained, but then follows a remarkable final provision, namely: that the
enemies of just order, ”that is to say the adherents to atheism and mur-
derers of the King”, shall have to leave the island by order of Governor
Rink. )
De Durat himself had apparently not seen a possibility to this, and now
availed himself of this opportunity. He and 36 French burghers signed the
document.

*) The now dilapidated fort on Fort Hill near Philipsburg is also named after this
Willem 1.

Ad
Ruins of St. Peter’s Battery, built by Abraham Heyliger in 1748, at the expense of
the citizens, at the east side of Great Bay, to be within the range of ships sailing
around Point Blanche (they were out of the range of the guns of Fort Amsterdan
(photo Wilfred Roumou).

As Commandant De Durat, however, stepped down. Commander Rink

took possession of French St. Martin in the name of the States General of
The Netherlands, but did not annex the French Part, on the contrary,
under Dutch pressure a Provisional Council was instituted, consisting of
three local merchants, Jean Rouvellet, president, and John Marden-
brough and a certain Romney, members. All, however, took the oath to
the States General. After all, it must have been a bitter pill to swallow for
De Durat to be forced to transfer authority the ’atheists and murderers
of the King”, because, although the trio were not extreme revolution-
aries, they certainly were not royalists either and prepared the way for
what was to come a few years later.

Liberty Tree in Philipsburg

On the 9th of Floréal, year III, which corresponds with April 29, 1795,
there arrived from Guadeloupe in Saint Martin the official Delegate from
the National Convention in Paris, La Bruyere, together with a company of
dragoons. Immediately he confiscated the properties of 21 of the 35 Eng-
lish inhabitants and 16 Frenchmen, who are deported to Guadeloupe. All
slaves were proclaimed free.*)
Very soon also the republicans from Guadeloupe occupied the Dutch
part too, and planted the liberty tree in front of the Town Hall, the pre-
sent Courthouse, built by Rink.**)

*) Under the Directoire, 1798, they became slaves again.

**) See J. Hartog, The Courthouse of St. Maarten, Life and Work of Dr. Willem
Hendrik Rink, Commander and Governor of the Island 1790-1806, Aruba 1974.

AA
 St. James, picturesque quarter of Marigot (photo Wilfred Roumou).

So it is not the French of the French part, but the republicans from
Guadeloupe, among them probably also their expelled or fled congenial
spirits, who invaded the Dutch part in 1795, just like in The Netherlands
the patriots, who had left the country, returned with the sans-culottes.
The French remained until 1801, in this year they were driven away by
the English, who took over the "protection” until 1803.

A treaty of 1839 that was not ratified

In the days when good means of transportation did not yet exist, Mari-
got and Philipsburg lay quite a distance apart. When we visited Sint
Maarten for the first time in 1942, and stayed there for a week, the Lieu-
tenant Governor had to step in to organize a special trip to Marigot. Such
matters had to be arranged days in advance. It seemed, indeed, as if we
were leaving the world. We did not meet a living soul, leave alone another

AS
When in May 1940 The Netherlands got involved in World War II, peace between
the two parts of Sint Maarten was never disturbed. Here you see Lieutenant-
Governor Johan D. Meiners visiting his colleague, maire Louis Constant Fleming
in Marigot. From left to right: judge Willem Aberson, Mrs. Yvette Fleming,
Lieutenant-GovernorJ. D. Meiners, maire Louis Constant Fleming (photo May
1940).

automobile. What will conditions have been like one and a half centuries
earlier?
In 1818 the then Commander of Dutch Sint Maarten, Paulus R. Cantz’-
laar, wrote that there were no relations at all between the administra-
tions of French and Dutch Sint Maarten, and that Philipsburg did not
even dispose of the text of the partition treaty of 1648.
But apparently the French did remember that text, because when on
the Dutch part in 1835 a concession system was introduced for the Great
Salt Pond, which was in violation of article 5 of the partition treaty, the
French government started démarches. This resulted in the formulation
of a new treaty in 1839 (the common use of the salt-ponds was maintain-
ed), which The Netherlands ratified, but France did not.

The Hague and Paris do not know

To a question, put to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Paris and The
Hague, under what treaty the relation between French and Dutch Sint
Maarten is regulated, when the convention of 1839 has not been ratified
on the French part and consequently has no legal force, and the one of
1648 is in fact only known from a book and has been replaced, for that
matter, by another several times in the 18th century, both Paris and The
Hague curiously made no answer!

Exchange French St. Martin for Sint Eustatius?

Once again, in 1867, aremarkable attempt was made to bring the entire
island under one flag, the Dutch. When in the 19th century the economic
conditions in Sint Eustatius deteriorated more and more, the Governor of
the Netherlands Antilles, Abraham de Rouville, advised the Dutch Gov-
ernment in The Hague to exchange French Saint Martin for Sint Eusta-
tius: against an expenditure of 48,000 guilders, he wrote, Sint Eustatius

46
had only received 6,500 guilders, and this deficit could not be made good
by any economization. De Rouville thought in his advice, that France
would be glad to have Sint Eustatius because of its — what he called —
strategic position among Danish, Swedish, English and Dutch islands.
The people of Sint Eustatius would not have any objections, he thought.
With a view to making the offer more attractive, De Rouville suggested
at the end of his advice to include Saba too in the exchange, although it
should be taken into account that the Sabans consider themselves to be
much more a Dutchman than the Statians, the Governor wrote.
Although the Dutch Minister of Colonies brought forward that France
already did possess several islands in this area, and it was thus doubtful
whether it would be interested in Sint Eustatius and Saba, the Dutch
government considered the plan seriously. De Rouville received permis-
gion to contact the French semi-officially. Nothing came of it in the end,
because after 1869 The Netherlands had to deal with the transfer of the
territory of Netherlands West Africa to England; this had a far greater
impact than the exchange of Caribbean islands, so that the letter of De
Rouville about his contact with the French authorities simply remained
unanswered.

Humour from the smuggling frontier

In some periods of history the frontier has,been the cause of humoristic
situations. i
To promote the trade, the warehousing system was introduced in the
Dutch part in 1853: merchants could import on a large scale and sell again
to other islands and. . . French St. Martin. An active trade, especially
with the latter, was the result, but because it was virtually impossible to
keep a check on transports across the border, duties were evaded on a

On May 12, 1940, two days after The Netherlands had been drawn into World War
II, twenty French troops under a lieutenant came to take the Dutch part "under
: their protection”. Here the moment on which they take possession of Brick Build-
ing, where they would be accommodated. At the end of May they requisitioned (!)
the former hospital in the Backstreet. The French did not stay for long, for after
the collapse of France on June 28 they left quietly.

AZ
large scale. Therefore it was stipulated in 1884 that it was no longer al-
lowed to export overland, but that everything had to go by sea. This only
resulted in an intensification of the contraband trade. An example: excise
duties in the Dutch part amounted to 20 cents per litre and in the French
part nothing at all.
The Van Romondts possessed a plantation — originally it had been two
— Belvédere-Belle Plaine — of which the first part lay in Dutch territory
and the other one in French territory. Produce of the one part could be
moved freely, that of the other could not, but of course it was hard or im-
possible to prove whether something came from the one part or the other.
Along plantation Belle Plaine runs a public road, one side of it is Dutch,
the other side French, making inspection impossible.
From Simson Bay Village ships could take an inland waterway, at the
time, to a spot on the French coast.
Via Cul-de-Sac, mountain tracks led to Marigot. The terrain of Sint
Maarten rendered a supervision of compliance with the regulations im-
possible.
Gradually the import duties and excise duties, therefore, just disap-
peared. In so far as they still existed, all of them have been removed in
1939.

Frontstreet in 1915. (Photo Jan Krugers O.P.).

A8
 6.
Economically aground

The Netherlands West India Company, which had colonized Sint Maar-
ten itself in 1631, and which after the loss of this island had taken the ad-
ministration of Curacao in their own hands, and appointed a Director
there, changed over to another system at the acquisition of Sint Eustatius
in 1636, namely the colonization through a grantee. Apparently this turn-
ed out very satisfactorily, because in 1648 Sint Maarten becomes a
grantee-concession too. What is the difference?
The Company could entrust one of its own sub-divisions or Chambers
with the administration of a colony, as it had done in the case of Sint
Maarten in 1631. But it could also enlist the aid of a group of interests,
which financed the colonization. Such a group was called a grantee-con-
cession. The grantees or financiers did not go to the colony themselves,
but engaged coloniers for this. A colonier was different from a colonist. A
colonier was under contract of a grantee; a colonist was someone who
voluntarily and for his own risk moved to an overseas territory.
Usually the grantees had a right to appoint aCommander.
The coloniers were whites, who, in the beginning, grew tobacco, cotton
and sugar cane themselves and later when the plantations grew, they em-
ployed slaves. The grantees bought their produce and as merchants it
served their interests that everything ran efficiently. So it was a well-
considered arrangement.
The nationality of the coloniers was of no importance, so that soon we
meet all sorts of nationalities in the territories colonized as grantee-con-
cessions.
For Sint Maarten the Netherlands West India Company found two suit-
able grantees in the two brothers Adriaan and Cornelis Lampsins, mer-
chants in Flushing (and it may be interesting for our Dutch readers to
know: nephews of Michiel A. de Ruyter). Both already had contacts with
the Caribbean area, for the Lampsinses had colonized the island of
Tobago before.

Village at Little Bay

In 1650 the Lampsinses replaced Commander Thomas, who had been
appointed by Adriaensen, by Adriaan Vos. There were already a few in-
habitants, who had come to Sint Maarten from Sint Eustatius in 1648.
Some other coloniers joined them. They built their homes in the valley of
Little Bay to the north-west of Fort Hill.*)
Nothing was left of the earlier village of 1631-’33. Simson Bay or Cay
Bay served as ports of call for visiting ships.

*) It goes without saying that the name of Fort Hill dates from after 1816, when
Fort Willem I on this hill was completed. Before this date the hill was called
Lammerenberg (Lambs’ Hill), with a reference to the Lampsinses’ estate in
Zealand, Lammerenberg, and their coat-of-arms: a lamb.

49
French St. Martin to the Order of Malta
The colonization by means of a grantee-concession required of course —
less investments than when the Company acted as colonizator itself, for —
the grantees financed the colony. The French applied a similar system —
and the Compagnie des Isles de l’Amérique, the creation of Richelieu, ~
founded seigneuries. Through the efforts of De Poincy, already
mentioned before, who was a member of the Order of Malta, in 1651 the
French parts of St. Kitts, French St. Martin, St. Croix and St. Barthé-
lemy became a seigneurie of the Order of Malta. De Poincy himself furn-
ished 120,000 francs subject to the condition that he would remain en-
trusted with the administration till his death. Of course De Poincy j
resided in St. Kitts.
After De Poincy’s death in 1660, Charles de Sales, also a Maltese
Knight — a cousin of St. Franciscus de Sales — became his successor, but
in 1665 the Order of Malta disposed of its possession; Charles de Sales
was nevertheless maintained as Governor of the islands mentioned above.
Upon the transfer from the Order of Malta to the French West India 0eS
rin
meet
i
gtk
pe
f
he
Le

Company, an officer, a certain De Guéry, was sent out to take possession

of the islands for the Company. In the second week of 1665 De Guéry
visited St. Martin.
As has been said before (page 22), in these days of colonization the
French lived in what is now called Quartier d’Orléans or French Quarter.
The old name of Middle Region in the Netherlands Antillean part is Dutch. Se
es
ele
ee
Eaee
e
P
eeg
e

Quarter.

Union Farm, Lower Prince’s Quarter, presumably over three centuries old and
consequently dating back to appr. 1680. It is one of the oldest houses that still
exist. In 1923 it was bought by George Clemens de Weever, who had it restored in
1924. To the right a cistern.

20
 dest produce
Tob acco the ol
the Rev. Charles de
In 1658 a book was published of a Walloon minister,
From him we know that on both
ochefort, who had visited Sint Maarten.
‘4g there lived some 300 people, and that so much tobacco was grown
orhood.
Set SintMaarten surpassed all islands in the neighb

»No peace beyond the line”

of time, is,
That this promising start did not lead to any result in course
remarkably, a result of wars in Europe, in which it was a tactic to seize
in order to
each others, usually poorly defended West Indian possessions rmore
negotiations. Furthe
decide on a definite partition during the peace
they seized each others ships and cargoes, to the detriment of both par-
relatively small is-
ties. In this way it can be explained, that otherwise
Jands, about which all kinds of legend ary stories of unexpected sugar-
Europe , were involve d in Europe an wars again and
riches circulated in
n.
this did
aid the fighting stop, even if there was peace officially, then
ere, in
not mean, however, that violence stopped in the western hemisph
accordance with one of the most remarka ble principl es of internat ional
law in history, which is known as "no peace beyond the line”. This line
was an imaginary one, agreed upon in the Cateau Cambrésis Peace
Treaty in 1559, ending the long struggle between France and Spain, a
typical European conflict therefore. It was stiptilated namely, that west
of the prime meridian and south of the Tropic of Cancer violence by either
party to the other side shall not be regarded as in contravention of the
treaties”.
- Officially this provision ("we conclude peace, but continue fighting in,
what actually boils down to a large part of the Atlantic’), remained in
force for 125 years, because only in the Regensburg Armistice in 1684, in
which — once more a truly European conflict — Emperor Leopold and
Spain had to admit a great number of conquests by Louis XIV, ’France
and Spain agree to peace in Europe as well as beyond the line”.
With a principle as "no peace beyond the line” the fences are down of
course, and even though it was officially repealed in 1684, the harm was
done. A multitude of sea-robbers and pirates — the latter are sea-robbers
with a licence — had found a living in hunting for ships, and it was not
possible to drive all those people off the seas in a few years’ time. Still
many years after the official repeal it continued to be turbulent in the
Caribbean Sea.
Moreover, the English government founded the Royal Africa Company
with a view to harming the Netherlands West India Company. Out of
frictions, which were a result of this, and because of the jealousy devel-
oping between the English and the French, grew, in the second half of the
17th century, a period during which we repeatedly see changes in ad-
ministration and nationality.

The colony decays

Merchants cannot do business under such circumstances. Add to this
that Cornelis Lampsins died in 1664, and that the son who succeeded him,
Cornelis jr., was an illustration of what often happens when the son of a

ol
 hard-working father finds his bed made. Cornelis jr. did nothing. And his {
uncle, Adriaan, aged, had no snap left in him.
In 1672 — ten years before the grantees of Sint Eustatius sold their —
rights to the Company — the Lampsinses just let things drift in Sint
Maarten. The Netherlands West India Company, which should have
taken action of course, did nothing. There was no Commander anymore, |
and the colony decayed. Huguenots, who had fled from France about this |
time, arrived in the French part, and eagerly availed themselves of the
opportunity and usurped plots of land in the Dutch part.

The origin of Marigot, + 1680

Besides a war had broken out between France and The Netherlands in —
1672, and in defiance of the partition treaty of 1648, on a given moment, —
the French occupied Dutch Sint Maarten. They remained until 1690,
when they were driven away by the English. The inhabitants, in so far as )
they had not fled, were evacuated, but the English did nothing with the
island, and in the Rijswijk Peace Treaty in 1697, the former situation was
restored. The French and a few Dutchmen returned; there is even men-
tion of a lieutenant du Roi in the French part, but in 1702 France orders
all inhabitants to move to other French islands. The reason of this is un-
known. We do know that not all Frenchmen obeyed the order. Those who —
stayed behind moved to the Bay of Marigot, where since around 1689 a ,
village was coming into being with people engaged in trade. The Bay of-
fered a more favorable position than the old Quartier d’Orléans, where —
people had settled in former days in connection with the plantations. To
protect the Bay already in 1689 a small fortification was erected on the
hill top, where shortly after 1766, when it appeared that the village was
going to be a permanent center of trade, a larger fort, the present Fort
Saint Louis, was to be built. |
Marigot is a local French word, indicating spots where after rain fall
the water assembles and swampy pools form "crab holes”, as these spots
are still called. In 1705 there were already just under 20 houses and a 1
small church at Marigot. In the course of the 18th century, when the
Dutch part prospered, Marigot did so too. ,

Renewed interest from The Netherlands

After 1672 when the Lampsinses let things drift, the Netherlands West
India Company did not show any interest in Sint Maarten. Sint Eustatius,
on the other hand, was a lively colony. Thanks to the initiative of a Com- |
mander of Sint Eustatius, Isaac Lamont, that the Dutch interest in Sint _
Maarten revived. Lamont was a merchant and a planter himself, more-
over he had been Commander of Bonaire, so that he was also an exper-
ienced administrator. In April 1703, on his own initiative, he went to Sint
Maarten to have a look. In consultation with the few people who still lived
there, he appointed Lucas van Beverhoudt, also a merchant, as admini-
strator. Since there were also but a few Frenchmen, Van Beverhoudt ex-
tended his concern to the French part too. For reasons unknown, how-
ever, Van Beverhoudt returned to Sint Eustatius after a pretty short
time already.
Lamont died in 1703. His successor was Jan Simonsz Doncker, who in

82
1705 also visited Sint Maarten, but yet only proceeded to appoint a Vice-
Commander in 1708. This became Francois Lemaire, a Frenchman,
chosen, a8 Doncker wrote to the Board of the Company, because he could
speak French, a thing that was apparently a recommendation in Sint
Maarten in those days.
Lemaire was a rascal, but Doncker could not know it. Lemaire declared
upon oath that because of his protestant faith — this pleased the council-
lors of Sint Eustatius at once, for they were often also elders and deacons
of the Reformed Church — he had been forced to flee twice already, first
from France and then once again from Guadeloupe. In the 18th century,
by gailing-vessel, such statements could not be verified. An affidavit has
Lemaire
of course only value from the mouth of an honest man, and that
become evident, because the reason of his depart-
was not at all, as would
ure from France was that they were after him because of swindle.

Witch trial
In the 17th and 18th centuries, when supervision of a higher instance
was almost impossible, overseas administrators often behaved like des-
pots. The entire West Indian history is full of this, and the history of Sint
Maarten contains an example of it, that clearly illustrates where this may
lead to. What was done by Lemaire is almost beyond belief. He conducted
a witch trial in Sint Maarten. Witch trials belong in our opinion rather in
but
the Middle Ages than that we should expect them in the 18th century,
in 1711 Lemaire not only accused some inhabitants of Sint Maarten of
witchcraft, but even had them tried. Not because he believed in witches
himself, but simply to steal the property of the witches’ husbands. And
this could happen in Sint Maarten without anyone stirring a finger to help
the unfortunate people. The burghers even came to see what was going
on.
This seems incomprehensible, but we are confronted with the fact that
authorities without any supervision may get the public very far and make
them believe anything. Our own time has given and still gives examples
of it.
Lemaire spread about rumors that the ladies in question poisoned
cattle and cast a spell on men. Of one of them he had the hair cut off pub-
licly, even from the genitals, he then had her tied to a board, and poured
boiling water over her feet to see in what way she reacted. Another one
he had thrown into the water hands and feet tied to see whether she
would remain afloat. When this actually happened, the assembled mass —
mind you — called her a witch.
Only days later the story of the atrocities reached Commander Doncker
in Sint Eustatius. He sent a committee of inquiry to Sint Maarten. Le-
maire refused to go with them to Sint Eustatius voluntarily, and had to be
carried off as a prisoner.
The Council in Sint Eustatius rehabilitated the accused people, and
Lemaire had to return the stolen goods. But Lemaire, who, for lack of a
prison, had been locked up in a dry cistern, had managed to escape in the
mean time. Via St. Kitts he succeeded in reaching Curacao, where he
spun quite a story about Doncker to Director Jeremias van Collen, with-
out mentioning of course what had happened. He even brought an action
against Doncker, who — according to him — had had his house sold.

a3
 This resulted in a lawsuit, that consequently had nothing to do with the
—
matter of the witches in Sint Maarten, and during which the atrocities of
even kept —
the witch trial and the sinister part of Lemaire himself were
In a world with- —
out of the lawsuit by Lemaire’s dextrous manoeuvering.
remained complete ly unknown in ‘
out telegraph and telephone all this
Curacao. The Council in Curagao did discover at last that the house ~|
top of
mentioned by Lemaire was not Lemaire’s house at all — and that on
it all!
with 813 q
Because of this Doncker won the lawsuit, but... was charged
pesos costs, whereas Lemaire had been served pro Deo!

Under such circumstances, still aggravated by invasions, accompanied

by robbery both in the French and in the Dutch part, the island could not
~
develop of course. In fact Sint Maarten owes it to its poverty — we said it
it did not become English under the Utrecht |
once before already — that
Peace Treaty in 1713, as happened to richer St. Kitts for instance.

Marigot in 1915. (Photo Jan Krugers O.P. ).

a4
 G
John Philips

After the chaotic years preceding 1713 it took quite some time before
Philips,
affairs were put in order. In the Dutch part this was done by John
Commander of Dutch Sint Maarten from 1735 till 1746, and twenty years
St. Mar-
Jater in the French part by Auguste Descoudrelles, Governor of
tin from 1768 till 1785.

John Philip was a Scotchman. He was born in Scotland in 1691, and

.
gince 1721 stayed in several islands in the Caribbean area as a merchant
girl,
In the then Danish island of St. Thomas he married an Amsterdam
Rachel Hartman, who lived there. In what year he settled in Sint Maarten
‘s unknown. But once here, he soon disposed of the means to buy a plant-
former cook-
ation: Industry. Its Great House no longer exists, but the
:
house can still be seen.
Philips was a strong-willed character. He had friends: owing to his pop-
ularity he was elected captain of the civil defence, and later the capital
of in-
was named after him. But he had his adversaries, who accused him
flexibility and called him a potentate and stingy: |

Philips’ appointment
It was usual that the Commander of Sint Eustatius appointed the Vice-
Commander in Sint Maarten. Sometimes the Board of the Company inter-
fered in this course of the matter, and promised the post to someone for
services rendered. This then led to difficulties and even to the comic situ-
ation, that there were sometimes two Vice-Commanders in Sint Maarten,

Ruins of Fort Amsterdam, built in 1737, and abandoned as a fort in 1816.

D0
who did not recognize each other. It so happened that John Philips haq ©
brought a financial matter for the Company to a favorable conclusion in —
Guadeloupe in 1729, and as a reward the Company had promised him in
black and white the vice-commandership upon the death of the Vice-Com-
mander in office, Martin Meyers.
When Meyers in 1733 departed this life, it appeared, however, that the
Commander of Sint Eustatius had destined someone else, Jacobus Barry,
for this post.
This led to a conflict, in which Philips — he was ambitious indeed — con-
ducted a campaign on the motive that Sint Maarten should become more
independent, always a welcome motive for politicians. He left for The
Netherlands, where he started to lobby with Their Lordships the Direc-
tors. Successfully, because not only did the Lords keep their promise, but
Philips would become Commander and no longer subordinated to Sint
Eustatius.

Philips’ merits
Philips has done a lot for Sint Maarten indeed. He revived the neglect-
ed salt making business, and saw to it i.a. that there came more mills.
The island was sparsely populated and the plantations were only plant-
ed with batatas, yams and cassava, whereas sugar, cotton and coffeé were
promising plantations. Philips succeeded in persuading the planters to
plant these crops, and encouraged foreigners to settle in Sint Maarten.
Some 200 colonists from elsewhere responded to this.
He also had an examination of the soil carried out. It was not his fault
that the results were disappointing.
Because he started from the principle that Sint Maarten as a whole

Po:

Fort Amsterdam in 1816. A, Band C barracks, D powder magazine, nos. 1 and 2

cisterns.

26
would prosper by it, if it came under one flag, he suggested to buy French
St. Martin (page 42).

Revolt against Philips

Because of his difficult personality Philips sometimes got into trouble.
When in 1736, in addition to this, he had to collect a certain unpopular tax
under orders of the Company, the fat was in the fire, and after a church
service the assembled public took his sword from him, put him aboard a
schooner, and sent him to St. Thomas.
The Company backed its Commander up, however. With the aid of the
Commander of Sint Eustatius peace was restored, and in 1737 Philips re-
turned.

Fort Amsterdam
That very year 1737 Philips rebuilt what was left of the former Spanish
fort on the spit of land at Little Bay. He named it after the Chamber of
Amsterdam, which on behalf of the Netherlands West India Company had
the care of Sint Maarten, and to which he owed his post and his rehabili-
tation. He also founded a citizen guard in addition to the garrison of 12
men which he considered to be insufficient. |
Both measures intended not only to ensure Sint Maarten’s security
(roaming bandits had visited the island shortly before), but should also
suppress irregularities such as had happened in 1736.

Philipsburg, 1733
Philips’ name lives on in the name of the capital of Netherlands Antil-
lean Sint Maarten. The town has not been founded by Philips, however.
We remember that at first the village of the colonists was situated near
the present Fort Hill (page 26). In 1733 Philips’ predecessor, the already
mentioned Martin Meyers, together with the Council, decided to build a
new village at Great Bay. The new village was to be cut up in parcels of
approximately 125 by 125 feet (38 x 38 meters). According to tradition
Philips was the first one to build a house there (it is no longer there, be-
cause in 1819 it was ruined by a hurricane).
In appreciation of everything that Philips had accomplished, the Coun-
cil decided some years later, when Philips himself had already been in of-
fice for some years, to name the capital after him. The name appears for
the first time in a letter of Philips himself directed to the Board of the
Company and dated June 3, 1738. |
Since 1733, the foundation of Philipsburg, the Great Bay came to be
used as a harbor more and more. We remember that before this date
ships came to anchor in Cay Bay or Simson Bay; from there a road led to
the old village.
The church, of course, was in the old village. In order to shorten the
way to the church in the old village the spit of land between the Great
Salt-Pond and Fresh Pond was connected with the mainland at the Wil-
liams Hill side in August 1737. In this way — naturally there was no
bridge across Fresh Pond yet — the inhabitants could go to the church in
Cul-de-Sac. But also this walk proved to be too much for the regular
church-goers, the more so as it was not uncommon to go to church twice

a7
 fi =

at the age of
John Philip’s grave, after whom Philipsburg was named. Philips died
55 and not 58 as it says on his tombstone (photo Wilfred Roumou).

every Sunday. Therefore in 1738 the church in Cul-de-Sac was pulled

down, and of this material a new church was built in Philipsburg itself
(page 105).

A disputed character |

Philips has always remained a disputed figure. But it speaks volumes

28
The cross shape of the old church at Cul-de-Sac can be seen very clearly here. In
the center John Philip’s grave (pheto Wilfred Roumou).

that as soon as the citizenry got into danger, the commander’s actions car-
ried away everyone’s admiration. This happened in 1741 when, as a result
of the Anglo-Spanish war, the island was troubled by pirates, and after
1744, when England and France got involved in a war. Philips made short
work of unwanted strangers.

In 1746 he submitted his resignation for reasons of health. Even before

his request was answered Philips died on December 16, 1746. He was
buried on the spot of the old church in Cul-de-Sac, where his grave may
still be seen. :

29
 8.
French revival after 1763
What John Philips has meant for the Dutch part, was Auguste Descou-
drelles for French Saint Martin.
In 1763 the administration system of French Saint Martin was changed:
instead of the Governor of Guadeloupe, the French Government would
appoint the Commander of St. Martin and St. Barthélemy; the two islands
formed one district until 1784, when St. Barths became Swedish. *) Au-
guste Descoudrelles was the first Commander who was appointed in ac-
cordance with the new system, presumably even as early as 1763.
Descoudrelles, a Commander without soldiers for that matter, did what
Philips had done some decades before in the Dutch part: he promoted the
settlement of foreigners. Unlike Philips, Descoudrelles had the advantage
that he remained in office for a very long time: 22 years. When he was ap-
pointed some 1,000 people — whites and blacks — lived in French St. Mar-
tin, when he stepped down in 1785 there were 3,000 of them, 2,500 of
whom were slaves. The approximately 500 whites were of a variety of
nationalities. Only a minority were French.
Especially the last years of Descoudrelles’ administration have not
been easy. Twice in succession the English invaded French St. Martin,
the first time in 1779 and after that in 1781 Rodney’s troops appeared.
Descoudrelles’ successor, Jean Sébastien de Durat, 1785 till 1795, was
an excellent administrator too.

FORT VLA.

Fort Willem I, according to a plan from 1816. A the blockhouse, B the kitchen, |
C guard-house, D toilets, E cistern, K powder magazine.
|
|
*) In 1877 it became French again. |
;

60 |
 os
The second half of the 18th century
brought prosperity

Abraham Heyliger
After the sudden death of John Philips in December 1746 it took more
than a year before a successor was appointed. It was to be Abraham Hey-
liger, a son of merchant and shipowner Pieter Heyliger, known from the
history of Sint Eustatius. Abraham was born in Sint Eustatius in 1717,
and went into the maritime trade of the family business. The Heyligers
owned ships sailing as far as the Mediterranean. *) During the war
against England, at a certain time, the English had seized 14 of Heyliger’s
15 ships, and Abraham paid 64,000 pounds for two years to prevent that
they would let his ships rot away. An enormous sum of money in those
days.
, oa Abraham became a member of the Council in Sint Eustatius, but
because he acquired more and more land in Sint Maarten, he became a
resident of this island in the end. In Prince’s.Quarter he owned the sugar
cane plantations Madame Barton, Belvédére and St. Andrews Hill, and he
also had a cotton plantation at Little Bay. **) Abraham Heyliger had pos-
sessions in St. Croix too. In a word he was a very wealthy man, a fortu-
nate circumstance when appointed Vice-Commander, because in that
capacity he neither received a salary nor an allowance for representation.
When Abraham Heyliger was appointed in January 1758, the title of
“Commander, which had been personally granted to Philips, was again
reduced to Vice-Commander. From hierarchical point of view, therefore,
Abraham was subordinated to the Commander of Sint Eustatius, in this
case his elder brother Johannes, who, for that matter, came to install him
personally.
Until July 1783, when he succumbed to the smallpox, Abraham remain-
‘ed in office as Vice-Commander, so for 35 years, the longest period that an
administrator governed the Dutch part. ***) With subsequently three
wives, 14 children (apart from the uncounted children born out of wed-
lock) and his vast plantation possessions, Abraham Heyliger became a
typical eighteenth century Sint Maarten patriarch. An able administrator
as well. It was a man though, who made decisions without consulting
others.
During the last years of Heyliger’s administration Sint Maarten en-
joyed a period of peace, in so far as it was not violated from outside. It

*) See J. Hartog, History of Sint Eustatius, De Wit, Aruba 1976, page 40.
**) See M. R. H. Calmeyer, Het Geslacht Heyliger, Jaarboek Centraal Bureau
voor Genealogie, 1973, page 144.
***) Record-holder at the French side is Peter Georges Dormoy, the first maire of
St. Martin, who was in office from 1838 till 1866, so for 28 years.

61
was also a period in which prosperity gradually increased, even though it
never assumed such dimensions as in Sint Eustatius.
In 1745 the English had been driven out of French St. Martin, but about
the time that Abraham Heyliger assumed his office, they started their
raids on the French part again, actions from which also the Dutch part
sustained injury. As has been said before (page 42) Abraham Heyliger
applied to the Board of the Company, it was still 1748, the year of his ac-
cession to office, suggesting to buy the French part and bring it under the
Dutch flag. By doing so Heyliger hoped to be able to put a stop to the
English actions. He had, as we already know, no success.

Ten years later, in 1758, the English, on the other hand, put forward a
plan to make the entire island English, an action which — however
strange it may sound — originated with Anguilla. A deputation consisting
of three English pirate captains came to talk it over with Heyliger. Hey-
liger showed them the door.
But Heyliger could not do much. Again and again he asked for soldiers,
but these requests did not have much effect. Until he, 29 years after his
first request, gained the ear: 12 men were to come. The letter in which
Heyliger reports the arrival of the twelve has been preserved; first came
ashore three old men, then a hunch-back, next two children, and finally
six soldiers, but no one of them had a uniform, cartridge-box or rifle...

Under Abraham Heyliger we do not hear of cabals and difficulties. Like

a pater familias Abraham maintained law and order in his family, and in
what he simply considered to be an extension of it, the society of Sint
Maarten. That a small group of malcontents at the end of a church service
would have seized him, robbed him from his sword, and put him aboard a
ship to St. Thomas, as had happened to John Philips, was in the case of
Abraham Heyliger simply inconceivable. Sternly, but like a father, the
Vice-Commander maintained law and order. The 35 years of Heyliger’s
rule belong to most peaceful ones of Sint Maarten’s history.
As was the custom in those days, Abraham Heyliger as Vice-Com-
mander also acted as president of the church consistory. Undoubtedly one
of the odd events of Sint Maarten’s history is the fact that once the church
consistory instituted a trial concerning the orthodoxy of the local minister
of the Reformed Church. Heyliger presided over the ecclesiastical court;
we shall revert to this matter later on (page 106).
Owing to the increasing trade, it happened quite often that foreign
notabilities visited the island. As a grand seigneur, descendant of a rich
merchant family, Abraham Heyliger entertained these guests. Apparent-
ly in a way for which there were insufficient cattle in the Company plant-
ation at Point Blanche. Heyliger met the shortage from his own re-
sources. We already remarked that he received no salary nor an allow-
ance for representation.

When in 1776 the North American War of Independence broke out, it

was immediately felt in Sint Maarten too, because the island exported
salt, sugar and consumer and utility articles. Whereas this war caused a
boom period in Sint Eustatius, a warehouse of war materials, for more

62
agrarian Sint Maarten it meant that the importation in question of Ameri-
can goods came almost to a standstill. As a result of this the cost of living
in Sint Maarten rose sharply.

Rodney and St. Maarten

In 1779 the English occupied the French part, which of course also
caused difficulties for the Dutch part. However, this occupation lasted
only two months. The direct English interferences with Dutch Sint Maar-
ten were worse, because the English accused Heyliger of protecting the
North Americans. In 1780 the English schooner Hawke seized an Ameri-
can ship at Point Blanche, without Heyliger being able to do something
about it. A month later — but still six months before the attack on Sint
Eustatius, where Heyliger’s son-in-law, Johannes de Graaff was Com-
mander — the English captain John Robinson showed up in the Great Bay
with a squadron of seven ships. and claimed the North American ships
riding at anchor there. Heyliger replied that he would protect North
American property, apparently a remark meant to face down the English,
because the Vice-Commander disposed of nothing with which to back up
his remark. Evidently the English knew this and their reply was, that in
that case they would immediately proceed to burning down entire Philips-
burg. Heyliger and his Council assembled, and they soon agreed that it
would be wiser to allow Robinson to leave with the three American ships
— there were only three of them — than have the town laid in ashes.
When in February 1781 Rodney conquered Sint Eustatius he sent four
men-of-war to Sint Maarten under captain Thomson together with 500
troops under colonel Edhouse. Heyliger and his Council, knowing that
loitering could only make matters worse, surrendered within the 30 min-
utes set. Edhouse and his men caused quite a devastation, and broke i.a.
the furniture of the church to pieces. Heyliger was sent home. But the
English did not stay long, only some ten months. Already in November
1781 the French drove them away, and Heyliger was re-established in his
office. The prosperity of Sint Maarten had not been harmed. When some
years after Heyliger’s death in 1783 and the short administration of
Gibbes, Rink took over the reigns of power, he could write to the Board of
the Company that Sint Maarten flourished.

Gibbes and Rink

The protection” by the French was over in 1784. Johannes Salomonsz

Gibbes, the ancestor of the many Gibbeses in Sint Maarten, was appoint-
ed Vice-Commander. The family originates from England. A kinsman of
our Gibbes was knighted by the English King. In 1786 Gibbes’ title of
Vice-Commander was changed into Commander. But Gibbes did not
prove to be a success, and — a unique case — in 1790 he was given to
understand that it would be best for him to resign. So he did, and Willem
Hendrik Rink, Lld., born in Tiel, in The Netherlands, was appointed his
successor.*) Sint Maarten has, he wrote in his letter mentioned just be-

*) See J. Hartog, The Courthouse, Life and Work of Dr. Willem Hendrik Rink, De
Wit, Aruba 1974.

63
 Doctor Willem Hendrik Rink, 1756-
1848, commander of St. Maarten
1790-1800 and Governor 1802-1806.

Leila hE CEG E:/

ean’ Wi dad hedaarn ™~

eae

TERS

Sealed will of Johannes Salomons Gibbes, Commander of Sint Maarten from 1785-
1790 and founder of the wide-spread family. You can clearly see the family arms,
three battle-axes: an ancestor of the Commander, Philip Gibbes was baroneted in
1774.

64
fore, 92 plantations, 35 of which for sugar cane, and the salt production
was good. "We are better off here than St. Eustatius, because each year
that island has a notable deficit, while Sint Maarten can shift for itself and
does not have to approach anyone for a subsidy”’.
Rink, born in The Netherlands, lived since 1781 as a planter and lawyer
in Sint Maarten, where he was the owner of the plantation Retreat. Rink
did not need the appointment as Commander; he was independent and
disposed of sufficient means.
Immediately upon his appointment his fresh approach became evident.
There were practically no government buildings. The commander of the
ard lived far away. The housing of the 14 men garrison was insufficient.
According to an old custom the Council met in Fort Amsterdam; traditio-
nal though it was, it was also unpractical, because it was much too far
from town. Rink built the still existing Town Hall, Courthouse, now at the
same time the Post Office. In 1793 this building was finished.

The French in Philipsburg

Earlier in this book we have
paign to Marigot during Rink’s
French part was under Dutch
Netherlands became a French
back, occupied the Dutch part,
already given an account of a kind of cam-
administration (page 42), after which the
rule for some years. When in 1795 The
satellite state in Europe, the French hit
and lay it under a contribution of 25,000
Ss

Pen-drawing of the estate The Retreat, by Samuel Fahlberg, a surveyor, made in

1816, now in the possession of Rob Dubourcq, managing director of Westermeijer
Americas N.V. In 1816 Dr. W. H. Rink, ex-Governor of Sint Maarten, was the
owner. This is one of the very few pictures of a stately Sint Maarten mansion. The
estate has been laid out symmetrically. From the main entrance wide alleys lead to
the living-quarters, each with a spacious front gallery. In the background, center,
is the storehouse, with a sloping drive, so that the carts with sugar cane could
enter easily. To the right of the storehouse — it can only vaguely be distinguished
— you find the sugar mill, a treadmill in this case. You also see the slave dwellings
in the backyard separated by a wall from the garden proper. On the slopes the
sugar cane fields, an ox-cart and some horsemen on the road. A unique picture.

65
A picture form 1950. In the front Sister Magda (died in 1966) with a class of pupils.
From right to left in the front Armelie Lake, Winifred Miranda, Elsa Peterson and
Amelie Rogers. More in the back Floyd Every, Charles and Etienne Beauperthuy.
On the fourth row Marty Carty and Joyce Beauperthuy. The building was erected
in 1923 as St. Mary’s Boarding School, which existed till 1930. After that it became
a regular school, St. Joseph School. The statue of the Blessed Virgin in the niche
in the facade reminds of the years when it was St. Mary’s Boarding School.

guilders annually. Rink, being a clever lawyer, managed to have this

amount reduced. Nevertheless the French squeezed 230,000 guilders out
of Dutch Sint Maarten during the period of 1795 till 1801.

The forts Bel-Air and Trigge

With a view to controlling Great Bay and Little Bay at the same time,
the French at once built a fortification in 1795 on the spot, where Stuyve-
sant had also mounted his battery in 1644. They called this fortification
with two guns Bel-Air. The little fort, favorably located in Stuyvesant’s
case, because he wanted to shell the Spanish fort on the spit of land, was
however too high for the French, who wanted to cover the two bays. Six
years later, in 1801, the English landed undisturbed in Little Bay out of
range of the French guns on Bel-Air.
Thereupon the English themselves started taileline on a fort on the hill
now called Fort Hill after that fort. They called it after their commander,
Fort Trigge. When in 1803 the Dutch returned to the island, Rink finished
this fort, and named it after the province in The Netherlands where he
was born, Fort Gelderland. In 1816 with the definite restoration of the
Dutch authority, it received the name of Fort Willem I.

66
 10.
The Great Depression

On January 24, 1815, the English handed back the French part to
12, 1816, the Dutch were given
France; only a year later, on February
back their part. stances did
Things did not look very promising in the island, and circum
not become any bett er.
hit the island.
In 1819 a hurricane, accompanied by an earthquake,
h
turned
Marigodt first
and offere into heaps of ruins. The then Swedis
Eiupeburg
St. Barths aid.
island
Simson Bay
Worst hit was Simson Bay Village. The lagoon, up to then an inland
lake, got an open connection with the sea. All but three houses at Simson
Bay Village were washed away. The village, already isolated anyway, lost
as a result of this hurricane — a gap in the dam — its overland connection
with Philipsburg, but because another gap had been hit in the spit of land
at Anse des Sables, there now was a connection ‘by boat across the lagoon
to Marigot, a commercial route (page 52 and 103). Another hurricane,
in 1848, caused this opening to disappear again however, so that after-
wards Simson Bay Village lay completely isolated. Untill 1933, when

Until 1933 Simson Bay Village was completely isolated. To the left the former road
to the coast can just be seen, where you then had to take a rowing boat. In the
foreground the road from Philipsburg via Cole Bay to Marigot, made accessible
in 1907.

67
 ATR
IR
Pe
eee
Te
RO
PE

In 1819 a gap was struck in the spit of land isolating Simson Bay Village. As late as
1933 a bridge was built by Lieutenant-Governor J. D. Meiners (above). Later the
gap was filled up and at present Hotel Simson’s Bay Village is located here (photo
P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, 1949).

Lieutenant-Governor Johan D. Meiners had a bridge built across the gap,

it remained like this. Yet the trip to Simson Bay Village was idyllic. First
you had to go to Cole Bay on horseback. There you had to find a row-boat,
and then you had to peddle through narrow openings in the mangrove

The stone bridge built later in the road to Simson Bay Village. The water channel
under the bridge already silted up when the bridge was still under construction
(photo P. Wagenaar Hummelinck from 1955). (In 1970 the bridge was replaced by
the John Sainsbury Lejuez Bridge).

68
 4

H
4

=|
4

rae |
|

il

5 The swivel bridge across the canal between the sea and Simson Bay Lagoon open-
7
ed in 1970, was called the John Sainsborough Lejuez Bridge. The bridge has 8 feet
clear headway (2.5 meters) and for bigger ships it can be opened. (Lejuez, actually
ie
if.
4

from Anguilla, where he was born in 1864, married in 1884 Mary Davis Vlaun from
|qi

Sint Maarten, and emigrated to the United States. After 1884 until the first years
y
¥

of the 20th century Lejuez was a well-known captain of Simson Bay Village (photo
Wilfred Roumou).
\
ah

woods. Finally the picturesque village — 260 inhabitants in 1910 — lay in

front of you, poor and dilapidated by inbreeding and the hookworm
disease.

Plantations fall into decay after 1830

About 1830 people started to feel the effects of the prohibition of the
slave trade in Sint Maarten. The plantations started to fall into decay. It
a
ce
Eerste
ae
an

happened quite often that planters both in the French and in the Dutch
part became bankrupt. Fewer workmen meant less maintenance, and
goon rats and mice abounded in the sugar cane. In Dutch Sint Maarten a
lurid bonus was promised on handing in one hundred rats’ tails: a bottle of
rum. .
In 1848 slavery was abolished in the French part, another reason why
labor became in short supply on the plantations. A compensation of 400
francs per slave was paid. Twenty-five plantation owners and 85 mer-
chants profited by this, an indication of the importance of trade about the
&

4
middle of the previous century. | |
ad In March 1849 the French plantation owners started to conclude con-
tracts with their former slaves, now employees, but without much lasting
success. Because in that very year St. James was the first plantation to be
s cut up. And in 1850 Industrie (Friars Bay) followed, in 1851 the planta-
: tions Rambeau and Concordia followed suit. In the next years Delight at
2 Colombier, Chambard in Quartier d’Orléans, La Montange and Mildrum
at Grand’ Case, and Spring and Hameau du Pont at Marigot followed.
:
»-

=m

Eventually this happened to all estates.

es

se, $a

og
}

69
‘

e
=*

|
 The growing of sugar cane, the heydays of which date back to about
1760 in the French part, was over. In and after 1850 many white French
left the island for that matter.

In the Dutch part slavery was abolished in 1863, but after 1848 a slave
only had to cross the frontier to be free. The mountain track from Cul-de-
Sac in the Dutch part to Marigot in the French part soon became a much
used escape-route.
In the French part, however, one was free it is true, but there was, as
we saw, no work, so one could not earn a living there, and there were no
longer masters who were obliged to provide for their slaves.
Since there was in the Dutch part, on the other hand, a small revival in
the salt production in these very years, there were employment opportu-
nities in this side indeed, and. . . those who had run off returned — with
friends! In 1849 there were 1660 slaves in the Dutch part, and in 1857,
1746.

The revival in the salt industry in the Dutch part was short-lived how-
ever, and when slavery had been abolished by The Netherlands in 1863,
here too the plantations fell into decay, and one could not make much
money in the salt-ponds either. This resulted in the so-called seasonal
emigration.
Each year during some months the seasonal workers went some place
else to make some money. They found employment in the Dominican
Republic, Cuba or Puerto Rico, both Spanish at the time (all three of them
sugar), in the island of Sombrero (phosphate), or later also in Panama
(digging the canal).

The Blue Peter of Captain Hubert A. Hodge, who kept up the connection between
Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius from 1947 to 1961.

70
 rg
French trade via Philipsbu
Except for own consumption there was no agriculture anymore either.
And as a result of hampering customs regulations in the French part, the
for the French part were
gituation in 1853 was that all consumer goods
imported via Philipsburg.

Two harbor projects

- Possibly this induced the French to devise plans to make Marigot a
transatlantic harbor, that would surpass the one of Philipsburg. For
about the middle of the previous century steamships appeared on the
scene. At first these ships followed the old sailing-routes. In that case Sint
Maarten/St. Martin was favorably situated, and the French designed
great docks on paper. The Dutch, who anticipated, that their transit trade
would possibly disappear, thereupon devised even greater plans for the
construction of docks in Great Bay.
None of the two plans ever materialized. "Development funds” were
unknown in the 19th century. It was the age of depression. Instead of
building harbors, measures had to be taken on account of the increasing
number of dilapidated houses. About 1860 — so still before the abolition of
slavery — in the Dutch part there were only eleven plantations still in
operation.
What the situation was like is shown by the figures of public finances.
For example: %,
receipts expenditure
in 1854 f. 8201 f. 27,303
in 1921 f. 38,704 f. 114,002

We did not find any figures concerning the Fiench part, but about the
end of the century only three out of the once 31 sugar mills were still in
operation: Spring, La Lotterie and l'Union.
Dr. Serge Thirioux, who took his doctor’s degree in 1966 on a thesis on
the economic history of French St. Martin concludes, short and to the
point, that the French part at the end of the past century "était dans la
misere” (was in misery).

Frontstreet during the thirties, before the autumobile chased away pedestrians.
To the left the building of the present Windward Islands Bank. Opposite of it there
is now the Drugstore. Front right Mr. Walter Nisbet who died in 1948.
 a Ae
e
a

Sint Maarten and Saint Martin

in dates

800-1300 At various times Indians live or stay in the island.

1498 Wednesday, November 13, Columbus, once past St. Kitts, may
have sighted Sint Maarten.
1516 First mention of Sint Maarten on a map.
1624 October 5, the first European, the Dutch sailor Pieter Schouten,
visits the island.
1627 First mention of the Great Salt Pond by Dutchmen who visit the
island on April 2.
1629 In July or August Captain Giron becomes the first Frenchman to—
visit Sint Maarten; followed in September by a small group that
founded the first settlement.
A Dutch expedition calls at Sint Maarten (December).
1631 Atthe beginning of August Dutchmen settle in Sint Maarten.
1633 The Spaniards drive away the French and the Dutch.
1644 Attempt by Peter Stuyvesant to recapture Sint Maarten repulsed.
1648 Atthe end of January or the beginning of February the Spaniards
leave Sint Maarten. Some days later Dutchmen arrive from Sint
Eustatius and on February 17 Frenchmen from St. Kitts.
March 23, French-Dutch Partition Treaty (see page 39).
The Dutch build their little village at the foot of Fort Hill, the
French in what became known as Quartier d’Orléans.
1648-1672 Dutch Sint Maarten a grantee-concession.
1651-1665 French St. Martin a seigneurie of the Order of Malta.
1661 After Mazarin’s death Huguenots settle in St. Martin.
1665-1713 French St. Martin a dependency of St. Kitts.
1667 John Sim(p)son Commander of Dutch Sint Maarten; maybe Sim-
son Bay is named after him.
1672 Third Anglo-Dutch War, France occupies Dutch Sint Maarten.
+1680 ‘Traders settle at the Bay of Marigot.
1690-1703 The entire island virtually ownerless.
1703 French St. Martin becomes a dependency of Guadeloupe (up to
this day).
Marigot becomes residential area.
From Sint Eustatius also in Dutch Sint Maarten a Vice-Com-
mander is appointed again.
1705 Pere Jean Baptiste Labat O.P. visits the island.
1733 Foundation of Philipsburg (May 15). The Great Bay becomes the
3 harbor of Dutch Sint Maarten.
1735-1746 John Philips Commander.
1737 Construction of Fort Amsterdam, by Commander John Philips.
1738 Construction of the Protestant church in Philipsburg (see 1827).
1748-1783 Abraham Heyliger Vice-Commander of Dutch Sint Maarten.

72
1748 Construction of St. Peter’s Battery, by Vice-Commander Abraham
Heyliger.
1763-1785 Auguste Descoudrelles Governor of French St. Martin.
1766 Shortly after this year the still existing Fort Saint Louis at Mari-
got is built on the foundations of an earlier fortification dating
from 1689.
1768 Foundation of St. Martin catholic parish in Marigot (see 1841).
+1770- +1800 Flourishing salt industry.
+1770- +1848 Flourishing sugar cane plantations.
1779, 1780 and 1781 English attacks.
1780 Martinus Hartman is the first teacher in Sint Maarten known By
name.
1781-1784 French occupy Dutch Sint Maarten.
1783 Foundation of a Jewish congregation (fallen into decay about
1800).
1790-1806 Willem Hendrik Rink, Lld. Commander/Governor.
1793 Construction of the Town Hall-Courthouse.
Capture of Fort St. Louis at Marigot by the Butch: followed by a
two years’ occupation by the Dutch.
1795-1801 The French occupy Dutch Sint Maarten; construction Fort
Bel-Air.
1801-1802 First English interim administration.
Construction of Fort Trigge (after ee called Fort Willem I, and
ceased to be a military fort in 1846)*).
The English put an end to Marigot’s ae trade, as a result of
which this little town falls into decay.
1801 French nuns settle in Marigot (left in 1926).
1802-1810 The Netherlands and France govern their respective parts
again.
1810-1816 Second English interim administration.
1815/6 The island again under France and The Netherlands.
1816-1828 The three Dutch Windward islands form two colonies: Sint
Eustatius and Sint Maarten-Saba (only during these 12 years Saba
belonged to Sint Maarten).
1817 Methodist religion in Dutch and French Sint Maarten.
1819 Hurricane hits the island on September 21; Simson Bay Village
isolated.
Plantation industry starts decaying as a result of the prohibition
of the slave trade.
1823 Institution of a municipal council French St. Martin (see 1838 and
1870).
1827 Construction new Reformed church at Philipsburg (the still exist-
ing building next to Oranjeschool, 1922 pasanggrahan, 1939 house
of the principal of the school).
1829 Construction Methodist chapel, Cole Bay.
1835 Prince Hendrik, the first prince of the House of Orange, in Sint
Maarten (July 15-17).
1837 Revival of the salt industry because of the concession system (page
93).

*) See foot note pages 43 and 49).

1838 July 21st.: New municipality instituted in St. Martin with a maire
and two aldermen (appointed by the Governor of Guadeloupe) and
a council, chosen under census suffrage. See 1823 and 1870.
1841 Foundation of St. Martin catholic parish in Philipsburg (see 1768).
Construction new Catholic church in Marigot (see 1768).
1845 Formation of the Netherlands Antilles: the three Windward Is-
lands and the three Leeward Islands.
1847 Opening St. Martin’s Catholic church in Philipsburg.
Construction Catholic chapel at Cole Bay (burnt down 1872).
Construction Catholic church at Grand’ Case (see 1919).
1848 Abolition of slavery in French St. Martin.
1849 First public primary school in Marigot.
1851 First public primary school in Philipsburg.
Construction Methodist church in Philipsburg (because of its
ruinous condition, termites etc., the church had to be pulled down
in 1978; replaced in 1979 by the present one).
1863 Abolition of slavery Dutch part, followed by construction of
schools at Cul-de-Sac, Prince’s Quarter and Simson Bay Village.
1864 First street-lamps in Philipsburg (July 1).
1870 Universal suffrage in French St. Martin for membership of the
Municipal Council; since 1882 also the maire is elected. See 1823
and 1838. ;
+1848-1875 The end of the sugar cane plantations.
1876 First pier at Philipsburg.

The still existing, but no longer recognizable home of D. J. van Romondt, Com-
mander 1823-1833 and Lieutenant-Governor 1833-1839, Frontstreet 66, now Bool-
chand’s store. In 1835 Prince Hendrik stayed here, the first member of the House
of Orange who visited Sint Maarten.

74
 Backstreet in 1920. In the foreground right St. Rose Hospital, started in 1908. Un-
til 1934 the hospital was located in the Backstreet. When it moved to the Front-
street, the little building right, in the front became the home for the aged. The
building with flag in the background is the police station.
Te
A
Fite
EPRI
See
tCUD
Orn
g
TS
ee
ote
eg
Lt
ss

1881 Post office in Philipsburg (October 1).

1886 Construction of home/office for Lieytenant-Governor in Philips-
burg (burnt down in the night of Monday 12 to Tuesday September
13 1974).
1890 Sisters Dominicans of Voorschoten to the Dutch part; school built
1893.
1894 Construction Catholic chapel St. Petrus Gonzalez at Simson Bay
Village (see 1945).
1898 The be ginning of Catholic instruction at Simson Bay Village.
1907 Road from Philipsburg via Cole Bay to Marigot made passable for
vehicles (May).
1908 Opening of first St. Rose Hospital.
1909 Lieutenant-Governor Abraham J. C. Brouwer gives names to the
alleys between Frontstreet and Backstreet.
1912-1951 Dutch Dominican friars act as priests in Marigot.
1914 First car (a Ford of Louis C. van Romondt; some months later a
second car arrived, a Chevrolet of A. C. Wathey).
First typewriter (in Wathey’s office).
(1919-1921 New Catholic church of St. Martin at Grand’ Case (see 1847).
1919 Philipsburg becomes the seat of government of the three islands
Dutch Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius joined together in
one administration.
abedivels
Ne, Dutch Sint Maarten obtains electric lighting.
1921 Telegraphic connection with Curagao (July 11).
abe
Dezel 1922 Opening pasanggrahan or Government Guest House (in the former
Reformed church (see 1827); 1939 pasanggrahan transferred to a
new building, that after the termination of government exploita-
tion (1955) became Hotel Pasanggrahan in 1962.
1923 End of cotton growing (see page 90).
Beginning of migration to Curacao and a little later to Aruba.

(é
 Beginning of financially better times, because on account of the oil
industry public means grow.
1937 The first hotel in the island, Beau Séjour, in Marigot opened.
1943 Opening Juliana Airport (December 3).
1944 Princess Juliana is the second member of the House of Orange to
- visit Sint Maarten (on March 4; see 1835).
1945 Radiotelephonic connection with Curacao (September 17).
1946 Opening home for the aged Sweet Repose (May 30) in the former
hospital in Backstreet.
1947 Hotel Sea View in Philipsburg opened (October 21).
1948 French St. Martin becomes a canton of the ’arrondissement” Basse
Terre, Guadeloupe (the ’assimilation’”’).
Erection of the frontier monument (March 23).
1949 End of the salt industry in the Dutch part (see 1961).
French government builds new hospital in Marigot.
1950 Prince Bernhard in Sint Maarten, opening new bridge over Fresh
Pond by the Prince.
1950 The people emigrated from Sint Maarten since 1923 start to return
as aresult of the automation of the oil refineries.
1951 The internal government of the Netherlands Antilles reorganised,
four autonomous Island Territories are created: Aruba, Bonaire,
Curacao and the Windward Islands. This last mentioned Island
Territory consists of St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, and has
its own territorial government. The Island Council allocates the
money of the territorial budget, which in case of a deficit is sup-
plied by the central government. This enables each of the islands
to dispose of the money thus assigned as it pleases and to develop
its own initiatives.
Foundation of Orange Benevolent Improvement Association.
Father G. Kemps C.S.Sp. writes and composes the island’s an-
them.

The home of the Sisters of the old St. Rose Hospital in the Backstreet. It was pul-
led down in 1977. The original hospital was altered and is now part of the school
(photo Fred Labega).

76

—e
 S
XK
se aR

|:
LUSLSSSSSDAN ERS EANE ONES REEDNNN Broo LR

St. Rose Hospital in Philipsburg, built in 1934.

1952 Catholic St. Martin’s church in Philipsburg taken into use (May 30;
see 1842). 3
1954 Construction of nunnery or convent in Philipsburg.
1955 Opening Little Bay Hotel (October 23).
Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard in Sint Maarten with incog-
‘nito visit to Friars Bay in French St. Martin (October 23).
Catholic St. Joseph’s Church Quartier d’Orléans taken into use
(June 26).
1956 U.S. Weather Bureau establishes hurricane-warning station.
Construction post office Marigot.
1957 Start of villa construction Lowlands.
Opening Methodist Mission House in Marigot.
Caribbean Atlantic Airlines Inc. (Caribair).
Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT).
The Windward Islanders Shop in Philipsburg is the first real tour-
ist shop.
1958 Princess Beatrix in Sint Maarten (February 13-16).
Windward Islands Airways N.V. (Winair) starts operations; offi-
cially established in 1961.
1959 The beginning of traditional celebration of St. Martin Day on Nov-
ember 11.
Opening Windward Islands’ Bank Ltd. (October 2), first bank in
Sint Maarten.
Start of Windward Islands’ Opinion, a weekly (July 1; till February
1976).
Voice of St. Maarten into the air (December 23).
Construction of Methodist church at Simson Bay Village.
1960 First drug store opens.
Joint Electricity Works St. Maarten founded on fifty-fifty basis by

far
The first radio station (Telefunken) opened in 1921, located on the at the time al-
most unreachable spit of land between Great and Little Bay. In 1984 the telegraph
office was transferred to Philipsburg. At present in one of the buildings of the
former Telefunken station the laundry of Little Bay Hotel has been put up. The
picture dates appr. from 1923, so when the telegraph station existed for two years
(photo Fred Labega).

the Curagao electricity company Ogem and the Central Govern-

ment.
Hurricane Donna sweeps the island (Sept. 4-5).
Peter and Kit Byram convert the former great house of the Van
Romondt’s ”Mary’s Fancy” into an hotel (November). Mary’s
Fancy changed hands a few times, but it is a hotel up till now.
1961 St. Maarten Harbour and Transport Corporation (Jan 17).
Construction power station at Cole Bay, 24 hours a day electricity
in Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten.
Opening first shop Spritzer and Fuhrmann (January 31), (on the
ground floor of the late Walter Buncamper’s house).
North American William Hunter starts construction of Hotel Hun-
ter House (after January 1977, Castle Cove Inn) on Point Blanche
at that time still almost inaccessible; see 1964.
Last recorded salt harvest French part (see 1949).
1962 _First tanker calls at Sint Maarten (January 12).
Sous-préfecture instituted for French St. Martin.
Princess Irene and Princess Margriet visit the island (July 19).
The Curagao Pioneering N.V. (N.V. is the Dutch equivalent of Inc.
or Ltd.), a Japanese enterprise, starts a fishing industry.
Opening of the Lido and Passanggrahan hotels.
1963 Banco Popular Antiliano, after December 8, 1976, called Banco
Barclay’s Antiliano, is the second bank to open its doors in Sint
Maarten (July 11; in 1973 it opens a branch office at Cole Bay).
1964 Opening of Juan Yrausquin Boulevard and Welfare Bridge (called

78
Juliana Airport shortly after its opening in 1948. Only in 1964 the airport was al-
tered for the first time.

*.

A violent hurricane was the one of 4|5 September 1960, named Donna. It caused a
loss of half a million guilders.

79
 after the Welfare Plans) over Rolandus Canal (March 23) to Point
Blanche.
Opening Hotel Caravanserai.
A.C. Wathey Pier put into use (June 3).
1965 New Catholic church St. Mary Star of the Sea at Simson Bay Vil-
lage put into use on January 24.
Opening Banque des Antilles Frangaises in Marigot (April 1).
1966 Founding of General Workers Union St. Maarten.
Opening Hotel Tamarinde.
Town extension started by filling up part of the Great Salt Pond,
the so-called Pondfill.
1967 Land reclaim at Simson Bay for the construction of a yacht-haven.
Opening of hotels Beco’s, China Night, the Lighthouse and Cap-
tain Hodge’s.
1968 Desalination plant put into operation.
The German firm West Indies Distillers N.V. starts making rum
for export purposes (November 11).
Opening hotels Beachcomber Villas, Simson Bay Village and Cen-
tral.
1969 Antilliaanse Bank Unie is the third bank in Sint Maarten (Novem-
ber 11); since 1972 called Algemene Bank Nederland (i.e. General
Bank of The Netherlands).
Opening Hotel Town House.
Bank of Nova Scotia is the fourth bank.
Opening Hotel Prince’s Quarter, Netherlands Antilles side.
Opening hotels Grand St. Martin and Le Pirate, French side.
Foundation of Association of Commerce and Industry.
1970 Opening of John Sainsbury Lejuez Bridge at Simson Bay.
Start of building activities at St. Peter’s, South Reward and Oys-
terpond.
Opening Hotel Mary’s Boon.

The A. C. Wathey Pier at Point Blanche, put into use on June 3, 1964, and named
after Albert Claude Wathey, a well-known politician of the Netherlands Antillean
part.

80
 Opening Hotel Naked Boy, called after the mountain of that name.
Opening St. Maarten Isle, since 1973 Great Bay Resort Hotel.
Opening apartment hotel Devils Cupper.
Opening Mullet Bay Hotel.
Opening Point Blanche Guesthouse.
Opening drive-in theatre.
1971 Start of New Age, a weekly, February 5.
Start of The Star, also a weekly, in June.
Chase Manhattan Bank opens an office (Oct. 29).
Opening Hotel Oyster Pond.
Opening Hotel Island Chalet.
1972 Opening Hotel Concorde and Marcus Guesthouse.
1973 Inauguration Telecommunication Center (June 20).
Opening Hotel St. Tropez, French side, and Blue Waves, N.A.-
part.
1974 Office/home of the lieutenant-governor, built in 1886 burnt down
(September 12-13).
Opening Aambeeld (= anvil) Guesthouse, N.A.-part.
Opening Hotel Petit Place, French side.
First appearance of Windward Islands’ Newsday, a weekly, Dec-
ember.
1975 Opening hotels Sea Side and The Horny Toad.
1977 Opening Hotel de Ville in Marigot (March 20; cost 2,400,000
francs). i,
Opening clinic on Madam’s Estate (June 8).
1978 Establishment of Banque Antillaise in Marigot (Jan. 30). .
New Government Administration Building, in Philipsburg, in-

The old St. J oseph Convent of the Sisters Dominicans. In 1954 the present one was
put into use (see page 139).

81
 augurated (moving began on July 1; cost nearly NAf. 2 million).
Opening hotels Marie Isabella and Red Lobster.
1979 Foundation of a Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the Wind-
ward islands, seat Philipsburg (February 1).
The Daily Mirror, Sint Maarten’s second daily starts to appear
(February 1).
Establishment of the Nederlandse Credietbank (March). upeil
ia
ae
aia
ee

Saw
eMe
at
ne
OS
A
g
e
ri

Opening Great Bay Marina and Hotel Rama.

In May, inauguration of the new methodist church in Philipsburg;
NAf. 645.000, of which NAf. 72.000 has been paid by the Nether-
lands Antilles central government and the remainder by The Neth-
erlands; see 1851.
Two hurricanes hit the island in succession: David during the
night of Wednesday 29 to Thursday 30 August; Frederic a week
later on September 3rd; both cause enormous damage and be-
cause of heavy rainfall, as a consequence of the hurricanes, the
Pondfill (see 1966) gets flooded.
Foundation-stone laying of the 300 millions guilders project of
Westermeijer America Company (Sept. 7; see page 166).
1980 State visit of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus (Nov. 3-5).
Opening Westermeijer’s Bel Air Hotel (Dec. 1980).

The new Government Administration Building of the Windward Islands, in-

augurated in 1978, after the area was flooded during the hurricane David and
Frederic August 29 and September 3rd, 1979. Picture taken from a sport’s plane
by Hart’s Camera.

82
 12.
The way people lived a
hundred years ago

In the last century people in Sint Maarten usually had two meals per
day. Between 9 and 10 they had breakfast”, a quite substantial meal and
for the well-to-do it consisted of shrimps, lobster and fried fish. Dinner
followed between 4 and 5 and then again fish was the main course. Only
from time to time an animal was slaughtered. For this a subscription list
was used to go from door to door until there were enough subscribers to
sell the meat at once. :
Early in the evening people made for their hammocks, and they rose
early again next morning.
In the evenings they drank rum-water, and quite often they indulged in
excessive use of it. Fine wines, liqueurs, porter beer, etc. were also favor-
ites.
Generally speaking, living was expensive, not only because everything
had to be imported — which is still the case — but also because people
spent a lot on expensive clothing, both for men and women.

Father Jan Krugers O.P. was parish priest in Sint Eustatius from 1912-1915. From
time to time he also visited Sint Maarten and took pictures. Here he is on his way.

83
 The Courthouse about 1915 (photo Jan Krugers O.P.).

Trips were made on horseback — also the ladies — or in a small carri-

age, the "buggy”. There was no carriage-letting business, but since there
were no hotels either, and visitors consequently always stayed with
someone, they were also sure of transportation.
The only way to go from Philipsburg to Marigot was on horseback or on
foot via Cul-de-Sac and Marigot Hill. This route was also used by the dis-
patch-rider, or courier who was sent to Marigot by the Dutch lieutenant-

The landingstage in Philipsburg about 1915. In front of the Courthouse is still the
building where i.a. the police was accommodated. This building was pulled down in
1937 (photo Jan Krugers O.P.). See page 24.

84,
governor in cases of emergency — the arrival of an infected ship for in-
stance — or the commander of the French part to Philipsburg. The route
via Cole Bay was only made accessible for vehicles in 1907.
A game of cards at home and a picnic outside completed social life. On a
birthday everyone joined and they danced and sang.
About 1920 there were some simply furnished country seats in the val-
ley of Cul-de-Sac, kept in bad repair, since the owners seldom stayed
there and never for a longer period of time. All families of European
descent had a house in town, in which they usually also had their business
or enterprise.
In the French part the plantation owners kept up their position some-
what more flamboyant, but it may be concluded from travel stories, that
there was actually not much difference.

Poverty

This was as far as the well-to-do are concerned. The ordinary man, at
least with the French till 1848 and with the Dutch till 1863, was, as a
slave, sure of minimum board and lodging, medical care, etc., but for the
rest lived in poor circumstances, not poorer for that matter than the
ordinary country-man in America and Europe in those days. Not even
after the abolition of slavery.

The author together with local researcher Spam van Spanje and policeman Ist
class Hen Ling Soon discuss the ruins of Old Spanish Fort on Signal Hill, Point
Blanche. The difference between the old stone of the fort built in 1633 and the
semaphore built on the ruins in the 19th century, could clearly be distinguished
(photo Wilfred Roumou).
 13.
Neither French, nor Dutch,
but English

It goes without saying that the French, who settled in Sint Maarten in
the 17th century, spoke French, and the Dutch Dutch, be it with a Zea-
land accent, since they primarily came from the province of Zealand.
At present in the French part French is the language only officially
used in school, in church, in government matters etc. In the Netherlands
Antillean part Dutch is to an even greater extent only the official lang-
uage, because in the church English is used, many government papers are
published in English and also education will soon change over to English.
It is undoubtedly a queer situation: a small island, divided in a French
and a Netherlands Antillean part, where English is the native tongue, of a
population, which is ethnically the same, for that matter, at both sides of
the frontier.
How did this happen?
St. Barthélemy, where French is the native language, lies within view.
In the 17th century and especially in the first half of the 18th century
French prevailed in Sint Maarten, owing to the fact that the Huguenots
settled in both parts of Sint Maarten (page 52). In 1667 a Governor of an

Frontstreet about
than is seen here. To the left ’The Cellar”, in those days Cyrus W. Wathey’s home,
and at the opposite side Oswald Hassell’s house, now a shop too.

86
 Frontstreet, about 1944. To the right:
Frontstreet, about 1944, facing east.
Next to the former Catholic church dry goods store of Cyrus Wilberforce
Wathey (died 1959), later he ‘lived
(pulled down in 1951) on the right, the
here, and now it is the shop ”The
residence of teacher Mr. Leonard
Conner (died 1960), then next to it
Cellar”. Next to it another of Cyrus
Wathey’s houses, once the residence
house of postman Mr. Eugene A. de
Lain (died 1961), and opposite Mr. of his son N.C. Wathey. Left the
Conner’s house the residence of Mr. Oranje Café, and then C.M. Wathey’s
house. The topfloor was used as liv
Benjamin Th. Houtman (died 1948).
(Collection Chester Wathey). ing-quarters. (Collection Chester
Wathey).

English island simply calls Sint Maarten a French island. In 1708 a Vice-
Commander is appointed for the Dutch part who spoke French, and even
in 1903 a Dutch Member of Parliament Henri van Kol, heard that Great
Bay was referred to as Grande Baie.
This, however, was an exception. In 1900 English had been the
language of Sint Maarten for a long time already. Van Kol says indeed,
that they did speak of Little Bay and Simson’s Bay.
About the middle of the 18th century — you may well remember the
settlement of Englishmen through the efforts of Philips (page 56) — the
language situation grew critical. If knowledge of the Dutch language was
maintained as a requirement for the passive franchise of the Council, then
the Council would consist of closely related members. Would this require-
ment be dropped however, then one was confronted with the difficulty
that the English-speaking Councillors could not read the documents, laws
and regulations and were at the mercy of the president, the Commander
or Vice-Commander, and the secretary.
As early as 1762 the Reformed Church was looking for an
English-speaking minister in Dutch Sint Maarten. In 1785 lawyer Willem
H. Rink — who later became Commander — pleaded in English, for, as he
wrote himself, there were hardly any members of the Council anymore
who understood Dutch. In Sint Eustatius, that had become Anglicized
long time before 1785, the Government tried to keep Dutch alive artifi-
cially, and Rink finds it difficult that in appeal proceedings — which were
conducted in Sint Eustatius — everything had tobe translated. -
Trade in Sint Maarten was directed on North America: in 1790 there
were in Sint Eustatius 12 firms trading with The Netherlands, and there-
fore carrying on their correspondence in Dutch; in that year in Sint Maar-
ten there was only one.

O7
 The Rev. G. B. Bosch, who visited Sint Maarten in 18 16, found only one
little school, instruction was in English. Maarten D. Teenstra, who was in
Sint Maarten in 1829, found four people who spoke Dutch, but, he writes,
they were born in The Netherlands. In 1843 Sint Maarten’s first parish
priest, Arnold R. ten Brink, started a course of Dutch.
One may find similar notes of visitors to the French part. Of the 40
whites living in the French part in 1740, only 11 were French, so 25% , the
rest was made up by Englishmen, Irishmen plus a few Dutchmen and
Italians.

That both French and Dutch were superseded by the English language
is due to two facts.
Englishmen from North America settled in French St. Martin in an
early stage, and in times of a weak administration in the Dutch part, some
of them settled in Dutch territory too. Philips in the Dutch part and Des-
coudrelles in the French part promoted the settlement of foreigners, and
they were almost always English-speaking. Because of this the white pop-
ulation Anglicized.
The whites, however, constituted an ever decreasing minority as com-
pared with the colored part of the population.
For the benefit of the sugar cane plantations more and more slaves
were brought to Dutch and French Sint Maarten, slaves often bought in
English islands in the neighborhood. Direct importation from Africa took
only place to a very small extent.
In 1687 there were 720 whites in the French part and 278 slaves; a cen-
tury later, in 1786: 431 whites and 2,572 slaves.
In the Dutch part it was no different: in 1715 there were 361 whites and
244 slaves, sixty years later, in 1775 600 whites and 3,500 slaves.

The former waterfront in Marigot.

88
 The sugar cane plantations have caused an ethnic change, first in the
French part, where most plantations were, later in the Dutch part.

Owing to the fact that eventually entire Sint Maarten became an island
of merchants and trade, both in the near surroundings and with North
America, was English, this language became the working language and in
course of time the native language of the Sint Maarteners and the St.
Martinois.

Education has contributed to this. The first instruction in the French

and in the Dutch part has been given by the Methodists, whose English-
speaking minister taught himself.
Government-controlled education started in 1849 in the French part,
and in 1851 in the Dutch part. Instruction was given in French and in
Dutch respectively.
French remained, because the teachers came from Guadeloupe, people
who did not speak English. So the children were instructed in a language,
in which they had never been talked to before. This is still the case.
People learned to speak poor English, but did not receive any further in-
struction in it; French they heard, but did not use, resulting in poor know-
ledge of both of them.
In the Dutch part the schooling system Anglicized much stronger, and
in the nineteen-twenties English had become‘the working language of the
schools, teaching Dutch as a second language in the fourth grade. In the
nineteen-thirties, however, many people of Sint Maarten wanted to work
in the Leeward Islands and this required a fair knowledge of Dutch.
Therefore 1 1933 Dutch was introduced as the language of instruction in
the schools with an hour’s English instruction daily, and in the highest
grades even some lessons in French since the island is bilingual.
After the Second World War, when employment in the Leeward Is-
lands decreased, there came a tendency again to use English as the work-
ing language. On April 22, 1976, it was decided in a meeting of the Execu-
tive Council of the Windward Islands together with the heads of the
schools to use English for instruction with — as before — in addition a
course of Dutch. This change is carried through gradually.

89
 14.
What were the people engaged in
in Sint Maarten in former days?

Before tourism surpassed everything else, people in Sint Maarten tried

all kinds of things to make both ends meet. The best were the sugar cane
plantations and the sugar production (French and Dutch parts), the salt
making (mainly the Dutch part) and cattle-breeding esis emphasis on
the French part).
Prosperity, but in this case only for a small group, was also brought by
trade; this is still the case, and it is the only means of support that sur-
vived tourism.

Tobacco

We have read before (pages 25 and 51) that tobacco growing was the
first plantation of Sint Maarten, and that our island surpassed other is-
lands in the neighborhood in this. Tobacco was exported to The Nether-
lands, the Baltic countries and Scandinavia. With the advent of the sugar
cane plantation, tobacco growing disappeared.
There has even been a pipe factory in Sint Maarten for some years. In
the long run it could not compete with products from elsewhere.

Indigo
Anil or indigo, a shrub from which a blue dye was made, did mean
something but never much. In 1687, almost forty years after the arrival of

The waterfront in Marigot in 1978. Marigot is a lively little town, compared to

what it was in former days (photo Wilfred Roumou).

90
After the Lieutenant-Governor’s office had burnt down in 1974, the island ad-
ministration was temporarily accommodated in this house until the new Govern-
ment Administration Building on the Pondfill was completed in 1978. In the pic-
ture to the right Fred Conner, the telegraph operator, who lived here in former
days. With hand raised D. Molenkamp, head of the radio service.

the French, there were 22 indigo gardens in*the French part; we did not
find any figures concerning the Dutch part, but throughout the 18th
century both parts exported indigo. After that it is not heard of anymore.

Cotton
Formerly cotton was grown in Marigot, Colombier and Quartier d’Or-
léans (French part) and Cul-de-Sac and Bottom Lands (Dutch part), but
with the advent of sugar cane this plantation did not disappear, it 1s true,
but it did decline sharply.
In 1817 Dutch Sint Maarten produced from 5,500 to 6,500 pounds and
French St. Martin 1,200 pounds of cotton.
About 1900 the English made efforts to grow the so-called sea island
cotton in arid Anguilla, Nevis and Montserrat. When this was successful
the Dutch followed suit in Sint Eustatius and soon also in Sint Maarten at
Little Bay, Prince’s Quarters and Cole Bay, all told some 300 acres (120
hectares). D. C. van Romondt, from Dutch Sint Maarten, but owner of the
French island Tintamarre, grew there sea island cotton too from 1902 till
1932 (page 103).
In 1914 the Estate Company Ltd. (N.V. Cultuur Maatschappij Neder-
landse Antillen) working on Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten was esta-
blished,*) which applied itself to cotton and sisal growing with govern-
ment aid. In 1920 this company employed 250 men, and Sint Maarten ex-
ported f. 114,000 worth of cotton, as compared to Sint Eustatius
f. 105,000. We do not have any exact figures of the French part, but there
too cotton was a profitable plantation from 1909 until 1920.

*) See J. Hartog, History of St. Eustatius, p. 130.

9]
 The year 1920 was the climax, it was also the last good year, as in 192]
the price in the world market fell. Unfortunately, this coincided with the
outbreak of a disease caused by the pink boll worm and the beginning of
the migration of workmen to Aruba and Curag¢ao. In 1922 cotton growing
was stopped.

Sugar
In the French part sugar plantations were started at an early date; in
the Dutch part the planters preferred to sell sugar of other islands, main-
ly to North America.
Sugar cane plantations require a lot of laborers, who were imported as
slaves. This resulted in an ethnic change in the entire island: the white
element decreased, except for the enclaves at Simson Bay Village and
Grand’ Case, where people were engaged in fishing. Because of the sugar
plantations Sint Maarten has become a colored island, contrary to St.
Barthélemy for example, where the soil is not good for sugar cane, and
where the population remained white predominantly. We already discus-
sed the linguistic consequenses of this (page 86).
Most of the plantations have always been in the French part. In 1786
2250 acres (900 hectares) were planted with sugar cane in the French
part, 650 acres (270 hectares) with food-plants and 450 (190 hectares) with
cotton. There were 35 sugar mills.
Because of Philips’ population policy plantation activities expanded con-
siderably in the Dutch part too in the 18th century. William Zagers (or
Sagers), whose name is preserved in local names as Zagers Gut, Zagers
Well, etc., had been charged with sugar plantation by Philips. He himself
had his plantation Industry in Cul-de-Sac, where, for that matter, most
plantations were found. In 1789 Dutch Sint Maarten had 92 plantations,
35 of which had sugar as their main product.
Because of the instability of the years after 1800, the number of plant-
ations decreased: In 1818 there were only 32 plantations left in the
French part, and the Dutch had only 23.
Most of the sugar plantations in French St. Martin could be found at
Marigot and Colombier. Quartier d’Orléans never had any sugar. In
Dutch Sint Maarten the sugar plantations were located at Cul-de-Sac, Up-
per and Lower Prince’s Quarter, Cole Bay and a few at Little Bay.
Some more figures: in 1829 Dutch Sint Maarten produced 330,000
pounds of sugar, French St. Martin on the other hand 2,200,000 lbs.

During the last quarter of the 18th and the first half of the 19th cen-
tury, So some 75 years and not more, Sint Maarten was a true sugar is-
land; the French part exceeding the Dutch part by far.

Owing to the fact that afterwards the moneyed interest started to play
an important part, and Sint Maarten did not dispose of ample means, they
could not keep abreast of the times. When elsewhere they changed over
to steam, the people in Sint Maarten continued to manage with tread-
mills. It may be interesting to hear, that in the good sugar days one of the
islets in Simson Bay Lagoon played a minor economic part: there was a
stock farm for mules. The French government paid a 50 francs premium

92
 oe

View of the Great Salt Pond, not yet neglected and reduced by filling. Picture
about 1930.

for each mule bred in Sint Maarten. Others were imported from Puerto
Rico.
After the abolition of slavery many ex-slaVes preferred to grow some
food as an independent small farmer.
The acreage under cultivation in Sint Maarten was too small for mech-
anization. In order to grow sugar cane profitably, it has to be planted on a
very large scale, so that one can keep up a modern central factory.
In 1897 sugar production had stopped, both in the French and in the
Dutch part. They still grew some sugar cane for the production of rum
only. Belle Plaine (French) and Belvédere (Dutch), estates not larger than
50 to 120 acres (20 to 50 hectares), were the last plantations producing
sugar. But technical development had fallen behind to such an extent,
that an investigation in 1902 proved that no more than 50 to 60% was
sapped from the cane.

Salt

The presence of natural salt-ponds or -pans has been one of the reasons
why Sint Maarten was colonized, as we saw. The salt was chiefly export-
ed to New England. Since Sint Maarten never disposed of many ships of
its own, it were ships from New England that came for the salt and
brought consumer articles and foodstuffs at the same time. Both the
French and the Dutch also sold a lot of salt to shipowners from Sint Eus-
tatius, who distributed it over the other islands. Ships from Guadeloupe
or Martinique did not take part in the salt trade; Curacao had salt in
ponds of its own or bought it from Bonaire.
In the course of years several improvements were made to the: Great
Salt Pond. In 1792 the Longwall was constructed, facilitating the drainage
of rain water coming from the mountains via the Fresh Pond. Engineer-
ing was insufficient, however, and the dam broke repeatedly. In 1837 the
introduction of concessions to private enterprises brought a revival of the

93
: , HENS ts eee

Highway from Philipsburg to Juliana Airport. A picture taken by Wilfred Roumou

on the highest elevation, from where you have a nice view. To the left sightseeing-
bus with tourists.

salt industry. In 1850 a canal was dug through the spit of land between
the Fresh Pond and the sea. Along the northern bank of the Great Pond a
dike was built, checking the rain water. In 1852 a 13 feet (4 meters) wide
canal was dug by an engineer officer, T. D. G. Rolandus, draining the east
side, the still existing Rolandus Canal.
At the end of the 18th century the production amounted to approxi-
mately 200,000 barrels of 250 lbs (or 115 kg each) a year.
After, because of the adverse times, the salt production had come to a
standstill during the period of 1797 until 1817, a new start was made. One
of the people who played a part in it was Abraham Heyliger Lucas’ son,
the same one who has been mentioned before (page 42) as the man who
led the expedition to Marigot in 1793.
Some years later, in 1850, a production of 337,000 barrels was reached.
From 800 to 1,000 people found employment in these activities.
In 1858 a French officer from Martinique, Fran¢ois Perrinon, founded
the Company for the Making of Salt (Maatschappij tot Zoutwinning) in
Amsterdam. Perrinon held a part of the Great Pond in the Dutch part and
the pond at Grand’ Case in the French part in concession. He died in 1861,
but his work was continued, and in 1862 the small factory at Foga was
built, the ruins of which can stillbe seen. |
Since as a result of the Civil War in the United States (1861-’65) salt
sales stagnated, a new company had to be founded in 1867, the Company
for the Exploitation of Saltlakes (Exploitatie Maatschappij van Zout-
meren) in order to raise money. But as advantageous the frontier was for
the trade, as hampering it was for the salt production. Tools and plants

94
Melodiously and to support the rhythm of carrying salt, the people called out:
»Mark, mark, mark, Mr. X”. At the last "Mark Mr. X” the salt was thrown on the
heap, and Mr. X. had to note it down on his list. Women also helped bring in the
salt production. A scene of 1925.

could not be moved freely between Grand’ Case and the Great Salt Pond.
When finally in 1872 one started to modernize a little and the steam mill
was introduced to crush the crude salt, one had to build two of them, one
in the Dutch and one in the French part! This made the finished product

Salt production in 1923.

95
 Johan Diderich Meiners,
Lieutenant-Governor from 1930 till 1943.

unnecessarily expensive, and this while the neighboring islands competed

sharply.
One, indeed, did not keep up with the times sufficiently. The bottom of
the ponds in Sint Maarten was not adequately kept clean. There were no
sheds, and the salt was stored in the open air, causing substantial losses
when it rained, and in dry weather the salt hills were covered with dust
and the like. When protection laws (import duties) were introduced in
those countries to which the salt was exported, and as a result of the oil
industry in Aruba and Curacao wages increased in the Windward Islands
too, the salt industry was no longer profitable. After 1923, for that mat-
ter, the men left the island to work in Curacao and soon also in Aruba,
In 1921 salt exports amounted to f. 59,539, in 1938 f. 5,913.
In 1949 the salt making activities in the Great Pond came to a standstill.
The pond at Grand’ Case continued its operations some more years. In
1961 they had an output of 3,500 tons of salt. Some 30 to 40 men worked
there, practically all of them from Anguilla. But shortly after 1967 — no-
body could give us the exact year — activities ended here too. Part of the
pond was filled up in order to obtain a flat piece of land for the runway ofa
small airfield. At the end of 1971 this airfield, called l’"Espérance, was —
taken into use (page 155 and 165).

Agriculture
After the abolition of slavery a new class of small farmers sprang up,
who grew vegetables, yams, batatas, etc., mainly for their own consump-
tion. In the Dutch part attempts have been made in the nineteen-twenties
and later to promote agriculture and for that matter also cattle breeding,
by sending agriculturists, and even by appointing a skilled estate man-
ager to be Lieutenant-Governor (J. D. Meiners 1930-1943), and finally by
laying out experimental gardens.

96
Attempts to promote cattle breeding made in the nineteen thirties, were, if you
see these bony animals, not very successful (photo from 1942).

In 1938 exports through the Agricultural Service of Sint Maarten

amounted to f. 4,946.18, in 1941 to f. 37,368.48. A fine result at first sight.
But the Agricultural Service cost a lot more!
In 1942 the Government bought up the plantations St. Peter’s, Reward
Saunders and Clarks: a new experimental garden would be laid out on St.
Peter’s estate; the other three would be issued in small lots to farmers
and cattle breeders. At the same time the farmers started shipping the
products of Dutch Sint Maarten to Curacao through the Agricultural
Service, where they would be marketed through the intermediary of the
Department of Agriculture, Stock breeding and Fisheries.

The results were only due to the diligence of the agriculturists in ques-
tion. The experimental garden became in fact a nursery garden where
sowing seeds and plants were produced for the small farmers. As nurse-
ries they remained till 1962, when the Agricultural Service in Sint Maar-
ten was discontinued.

In the French part development has been more or less the same, with
this difference that the small farmers there had to manage it themselves.
No government assistance was offered there, but many Frenchmen could
make use of the Dutch aid in an ingenious way (see following pages).
A year before the Agricultural Service in the Dutch part was discon-
tinued, Guy Lasserre concluded in his thesis published in 1961, La Guade-
loupe, that in French Saint Martin agriculture was still only practised for
own consumption.

97
The Vineyard, built in 1871-’72 by Louis A. van Romondt, the merchant who was
to import the first car in Sint Maarten in 1914. Later the house was owned by
Louis Constant Fleming of the well-known trade house in Marigot; L. C. Fleming
was also mayor of French St. Martin for many years. In 1988 miss J. C. Buncamper
purchased the house (photo J. H. Zonneveld).

Hay
For some years hay was one of the best products of Dutch Sint Maar-
ten. Using the old cotton presses, which had been preserved here and
there, it was pressed into bales, which were shipped to Curacao as cattle
feed. It could be sold there at a reasonable price, because . . . the govern-
ment paid the freight.
The peak year was 1942, when hay exports amounted to f. 31,340. In
consequence of the Second World War shipping facilities diminished, so
that the exportation after 1942 gradually stopped. After the war it has
been tried to resume hay exports, but the efforts failed. The last figure
we could find dates from 1953: 180,500 lbs. (82.000 kg) at f. 10,176.
With the advent of tourism the exportation of hay came to a standstill
in about 1956. No more hay is made in Sint Maarten.

Grape-culture
Even if the product does not fall within the present subject of agricul-
ture, it deserves mentioning as a historic curiosity that in former centu-
ries there was a quite substantial grape-culture. The grounds used for
this could be found at Vineyard which took its name from it, Upper Foga
and Lower Madam’s Estate. In baskets of 2 bushels the grapes were ship-
ped to Sint Eustatius, then in its Golden Age.

Cattle breeding
We did not find much information on cattle breeding in the earliest
times. Of other islands one reads every now and again that pirates and

98
 Bringing animals ashore was still done in this primitive way in 1930.

wanderers robbed cattle and goats, but in the case of Sint Maarten one
does not hear of it.
The first figures known date from 1816: there were at that time 705
cows in the Dutch part and 360 in the French part, curious because it was
the French part rather than the Dutch where later cattle breeding be-
came important.
These figures suggest, however, that in the 18th century cattle breed-
ing must have been rather important, because from 1795 till 1816 it was a
hard time for entire Sint Maarten. The cattle was not only intended for

Until some 25 years ago hay (fcr the cattle in Curacao) constituted an important
export product of Sint Maarten. In 1942 exports amounted to 30,000 guilders. This
is a picture of that year’s activities.

99
One of the means by which it was tried to bring a certain prosperity was after 1939
the making of hay. It was exported to Curacao, where it was used as cattle feed.
One did reach an annual turnover of 25,000 guilders. After 1953 the export of hay
declined, the tourist boom started. The old cotton presses which had been pre-
served here and there, and which went from estate to estate, were used for
making bales. A picture of 1942.

private consumption, but more so also for export. The latter was con-
siderably more important than the former. There were not many people
in Sint Maarten who could afford meat. About 1875 140 cows, 50 sheep
and 90 goats were exported per year.
Just as was the case with agriculture the government has often tried to
improve live stock, i.a. by the import of breeding bulls and ’milking short-
horn” bulls (in 1932, to boost dairy produce).
Until 1936 the cattle were mainly exported to surrounding islands,
afterwards also to Curacao, since — as has been observed under the head-
ing hay” — the government paid the freight. Also the French could take
advantage of this, if they owned a plot of land in the Dutch part, because
then they could become a member of the Agricultural Association. For its
members transportation was free. Because of this after 1936 exports rose
naturally. A peak year was 1946 with 562 head of cattle; since then num-
bers decreased gradually and at present it is negligible.
As far as the Netherlands Antillean part is concerned, cattle breeding
and cattle exportation ended about 1956, because people could earn a bet-
ter living in the tourist industry. The Agricultural Association mentioned
before, we were told, died a quiet death.

From the French part cattle is exported in ships from St. Barths — the
people of Saint Martin are no sea farers — to Guadeloupe and other
French islands.
They also keep dairy cattle. There is a French owned pasteurization
plant at Cole Bay, on the Netherlands Antillean side for that matter, for

100
milk, the production of yoghurt, etc. Milk production, however, is insuf-
ficient for the entire island.
The French part has become a true cattle breeding area, and — dr.
Thirioux observes laconically in his thesis — "chose assez rare aux An-
tilles: les 6leveurs connaissent leur métier et l’aiment”.

After trade and tourism, cattle breeding constitutes the most valuable
asset of the French part.
Recent figures of cattle counts are not available, which is an indication,
for that matter, in the Netherlands Antillean part, of the small value at-
tached to it, and in the French part just a matter of nonchalance. The
latest French figures published in 1964 are apparently nothing more than
just estimates.

Netherlands Antillean part French part (1964,

(1952) Thirioux)

horses 80 20
donkeys 112 2
cows 1750 3000
sheep 1540 3000
goats 750 3000
pigs 625 i

In the welfare plans of the last few years for Netherlands Antillean Sint
Maarten agriculture and cattle breeding have not been considered
anymore as means of subsistence.

Dairy
In 1905 people produced butter in Sint Maarten. We do not know when
it started. We already said before that it was attempted in 1932 to pro-
mote dairy produce by the importation of ”milking shorthorn” bulls. But-
ter was still produced in the nineteen-forties. From our own experience
we know that it was not bad indeed. The importation of canned butter
caused this industry to disappear.
The production of cheese was also attempted, but it has never been a
success, supposedly because of the temperature.

Fishing industry
Fishing, except for local use, has never meant much. We already read,
that in the old days the well-to-do at any rate had fish twice a day.
Practically the only places where fishermen lived were (and are) Sim-
son Bay Village and Grand’ Case.
In 1907 Dutch Sint Maarten — we did not find any data of the French
part — counted 55 fishing boats, 28, so half of them!, were rowing boats.
As said before, about 1923 an exodus of men started. The fishing indus-
try, which was at that time of minor importance already, fell off even
more.
Fishing has not completely disappeared. At Grand’ Case and Simson
Bay Village there are still some fishermen going out to sea. But fish is im-
ported in Sint Maarten since the nineteen-forties already, Sint Maarten
an island in a sea full of fish.

101
Great Bay at Philipsburg in 1955, facing the steep and rocky shore leading to Point
Blanche. There are only a few fishermen busy with a beach seine.
(photo P. Wagenaar Hummelinck).

After the opening of Juliana Airport in 1943 they started to despatch

lobster. When this became a success (25 thousand guilders per year), they
even founded a factory to can the lobster. The factory has been in oper-
ation for one year only; it was housed in the building now accommodating
the laundry of Little Bay Hotel.

Great Bay at Philipsburg 18 years later, in 1973, as seen in the opposite direction,
from the road leading to the A. C. Wathey Pier, a bay often bustling with activity
after the expansion of tourism, which has brought about many changes in the is-
land’s scenery (photo P. Wagenaar Hummelinck).

102
 The Japanese large-scale fishing enterprise that was established in Sint
Maarten in 1963, will be discussed later (page 156).

Trade
In old times Sint Maarten was just as favorably situated for trade as
Sint Eustatius, but the skippers preferred the open Orange Bay of the
latter island to the bays of Sint Maarten, where shallows obstructed the
entrance. Yet trade was an important industry.
In the first place there was the unguarded frontier in the island itself.
In the last quarter of the 18th century French merchants even built ware-
houses in Marigot in view of the deliveries from Simson Bay Village. This
was a contributing factor to the making of Marigot, since for this trade it
had amore favorable position than Quartier d’Orléans (see pages 50, 167).
In old times it were the local products of the plantations, agriculture
and cattle breeding which were exported, and consumer articles and
foodstuffs which were imported. Whereas in the 19th century conditions
in Sint Eustatius grew worse and worse, in Sint Maarten trade became
more and more important. In the course of the 20th century and especial-
ly during and after the Second World War Sint Maarten and St. Martin
became an island of merchants, whereby trade is absolutely not restricted
any longer to local products. Both nationalities are free of import and ex-
cise duties, as a result of which there is no check on imports or transit
trade. Data for obvious reasons on this matter simply do not exist. The
Netherlands Antillean part, which has the best‘sea and air connections,
profits most by the trade. The merchants of French St. Martin have post
office boxes in Philipsburg!
The Sint Maarteners and the St. Martinois are islanders, but no sea
farers; they have land, but do not grow anything; they have pastures and
are engaged in cattle breeding mainly for export. They produce little, but
anything may pass in transit. Where elsewhere frontiers are a trade bar-
rier, here it is a benefit to trade. This is in fact its only meaning, at both
sides of it live the same kind of people, who speak English together and
who reckon in dollars. The guilder and the franc are currencies in Sint
Maarten which are practically only accepted at the post office and at the
tax collector’s.

Tintamarre

In the economic history of Sint Maarten, the small islet of Tintamarre

or Flat Island, belonging to French St. Martin, played a part in the first
half of the 20th century. A remarkable islet, also interesting in its geolo-
gical history, — no further under discussion in this book, — for Tinta-
marre came into existence in the same way as the Lowlands cr Terres
Basses, which were also separate islands in prehistoric times; later they
were connected to the main island by sandy ridges which formed coastal
strips. Tintamarre remained unconnected.
From 1902 till 1931 it was inhabited by Diederik C. van Romondt who
was engaged in some cattle breeding, mainly however in cotton growing.
For the people working for him he founded a shop in the island, and in
1913 he imported 30,000 Dutch cents, which were circulated among them
as a currency of his own. Dutch cents were seldom used as a means of pay-

103
 ment in the Windward islands; Van Romondt attributed an exchange
value of half a penny to each cent. Those who left could exchange their
cents saved for current coins in Sint Maarten.
Governors of Guadeloupe and the Netherlands Antilles visited this re-
markable society, and when after the visit of a French journalist in 1913 g
report was published in ”Le Journal” in Paris under the heading of ”Le roj
de Tintamarre”, who as a bachelor spent his days in an isolated island by
playing Mozart and Gounod, Van Romondt actually received letters from
several francaises, from which it appeared that there were ladies, who
were quite willing to cast their lots with him. Van Romondt remained a
bachelor until his death in 1948.
In 1931 Tintamarre went over into the hands of Louis Constant Fle-
ming, the then mayor of French St. Martin. Van Romondt left and moved
into his country house Mary’s Fancy. When one day we visited him there,
he lived in grand seigneur style. There was no electric lighting yet, and
two torch bearers met us at the gate and strode in front of us to the coun-
try house, where ”D.C.”, as he was called, waited for us on the steps.

In 1961, William Hunter, an American who was in the advertising business

in New
York, built a hotel on the cliffs over Back Bay, Pointe Blanche. No one lived there
at the time and there were no roads either. Everything had to be transported
by
boat around Pointe Blanche. It took Mr. Hunter one and a half years to build his
hotel and though it received guests from the latter part of 1963, the real start was
June 1964, when JuanYrausquin Boulevard was opened. Mr. Hunter called the
hotelafter himself Hunter House. In 1974 he sold the hotel to two Sint-Maarteners
E. F. Buncamper and G. D. Beauperthuy, who called it Castle Cove Inn. Terry
Kingdom, who saw the world as chief-steward on board, became it manager.
(Photo Wilfred Roumou).

104
 15.
Church history of Sint Maarten/
Saint Martin

It goes without saying that in old times only the Reformed Church, a
part of the Reformed Church in The Netherlands, was to be found in
Dutch Sint Maarten. This is the Church known since 1816 as the Dutch
Reformed Church. The foundations of the building of the Reformed
Church of Dutch Sint Maarten can still be seen at the crossing to Cul-de-
Sac. John Philips’ grave is there too.
Some years after the foundation of Philipsburg a new church was built
in the town (page 58), and when it was devastated by the hurricane of
1819, a new church was built in 1827, after having first made shift for
some time. This new church is the still existing building right next to
Oranje School, now a class-room, but recognizable as a church by its cruci-
form.
When in the 18th century English became more and more dominant,
the sermon was delivered every other Sunday in Dutch and in English.
Because of the immigration of many English-speaking people, a typi-
cally English Presbyterian church was even established in addition to the
Reformed Church.

The floor of the former Reformed church in the churchyard at Cul-de-Sac dating
from the days that Philipsburg did not yet exist, and the whites had their center
here. After the foundation of Philipsburg in 1733 a new church was built in the
town some years later, using the stone of the old one. John Philips has been buried
in the midst of the foundation, which was possible since at his death in 1746 the
the church had been pulled down already (photo Wilfred Roumou).

105
 In 1758 there was a vacancy in the Reformed Church,
and although the
congregation looked for a bilingual minister for four years,
it turned out
to be impossible to find one. Finally the Rev. Barak Houwin
k was appoint-
ed, who did not speak English, and consequently soon preach
ed for empty
pews.
Naturally it so happened that the Rev. Houwink met
his colleague of
the English Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Johann
es Runnels, a native of
Sint Eustatius, who had been a member of the Reform
ed Church at first,
but who had changed over to the English Presbyterian
Church after his
studies in the cities of Groningen and Utrecht. So Houwin
k asked Runnels
to preach for him in English every other week. This
happened, but pre-
sently the church consistory suspected the Rev. Runnel
s of feelings about
the predestination, not in accordance with Calvini
stic doctrine. Asusual
in those days, they discovered or thought they discov
ered more flaws in
Runnels’ views. Runnels should teach for instance
that the mysteries
could be known by reason. Also he should not explain
the source of evil in
the orthodox way. Moreover the Vice-Commander,
Abraham Heyliger P’s
son, declared that he had detected that Runnel
s denied the doctrine of the
Holy Trinity.
Consequently the Rev. Runnels became involved in
a trial concerning
the orthodoxy of his teachings.
The church consistory, consisting of the Elders and Deacons
of the Re-
formed Church, acted as court, with the Vice-Commander
Abraham Hey-
liger as President. What followed was a trial in optima forma,
because
Runnels had a tongue in his head. As a trial it was altogether
wrong of
course. Apart from the Rev. Houwink, among the elders
and deacons
there was not a single theologian qualified to express an opinion,
and Hou-
wink did not speak English.
Vice-Commander Heyliger put forward that he considered
the Rev.
Runnels to be a Remonstrant, and he thought it dangerous
that such a
man preached, because "the pious residents, who do not
know the differ-
ence between Reformed and Remonstrant take his teachings for
granted”’.

Old Methodist Manse, pulled down in 1931 and replaced by the

present one (photo
Fred Labega).

106
 Therefore the consistory declared Runnels to be unorthodox, and im-
posed on him a prohibition to preach. Apparently the Rev. Houwink was
s0 shaken by the events, that he found the trial a reason to request a
transfer to Curacao, a request which he withdrew some time later when
the emotions had cooled down.
Even more curious than the trial and sentence is the fact that the Com-
mander of Sint Eustatius, so a representative of the temporal power,

Above the old methodist church of 1851, because of its ruinous condition pulled
of the
down in 1978 (photo Helen Marcus); next page the new one of 1979, a replica
built
old one (photo Wilfred Roumou). Some small differences: the old church was
the new one with shingles; the windows are not quite the same; and
with planks,
Helen Marcus
the wires which hampered Wilfred in 1979 were not yet there when
took her shot.

107
 changed the consistory’s sentence: outside the church Runnels was
allow-
ed to preach. A rather peculiar decision.
Although one would expect such a trial concerning a minister’s
ortho-
doxy rather in Europe than in a colonial island, it proves at
any rate that
the small circle of white members of the Reformed Church in Sint
Maar-
ten took the Reformed faith quite seriously. Heyliger may not have
been
a theologian, he rightly saw Remonstrant traces in Runnels’ views.
Also
correct was his opinion that ”the pious residents” possibly would
not
understand the difference.
Proceedings like this, however, are always proof that the people
are in-
terested in matters concerning the Church or theology.

With the trial Runnels’ role in Sint Maarten is over. He

did not care a bit about
the trial nor the sentence and left for Sint Eustatius, where
he made a striking
career for a minister. He became a member of the Council, after
that captain of the

108
civil defence, and in 1785 even Governor ad interim, all of them posts that were
impossible to hold if you were not a member of the Reformed State Church. But
Runnels managed to induce the church consistory of Sint Eustatius, apparently
more liberal than the one of Sint Maarten, to admit him as a member of the Re-
formed Church in 1787. In 1803 Runnels died, leaving behind an estate and a for
those days unusually large library of 750 books and a sugar plantation.

The Reformed Church disappears

We already read that in the second half of the 18th century the Dutch
language was gradually replaced by English. The disappearance of the
Dutch language has historically been one cf the causes, through which
also the Reformed Church, a typically Dutch institution, disappeared
from the Windward islands.

Methodism
In 1786 Methodism came to Sint Eustatius, more or less simultaneously
with the settlement of this form of christianity in the neighboring islands.

The start of Oranjeschool. A picture of 1922. Constructions were started on July

21, 1919, under Lieutenant-Governor G. J. Tijmstra, who had just arrived a month
earlier and found the plan quite ready. This plan was made by Ir. F. S. Lange-
meijer, an engineer of Ways and Works in The Netherlands, who stayed in Sint
Maarten from 1918 till 1920 in connection with an inquiry into the harbor situation.
The school was built on a cemetery already a long time in disuse, and which was
located next to the former church in which the government school was accommo-
dated since 1851. The new government school was inaugurated by Tijmstra’s suc-
cessor J. van der Zee on October 31, 1921 (so it took a long time in building it), and
its first head was Miss M. C. Slothouwer, who stayed in Sint Maarten until 1984.
At the inauguration in 1921 the church (former government school) was vacated
and turned into a pasanggrahan (photo page 110). In 1923 Lieutenant-Governor
Richard J. (”Hensi”) Beaujon built the east wing extension. Although modernized
of course, you can easily recognize the former government school in Oranje School
(look at the windows etc.).

109
Part of the Oranje School, in old times a church. When Philipsburg was founded in
1733, it was quite a walk to the church at Little Bay. In 1788 this church was pulled
down, anda new church was built in Philipsburg using the same material. In 1781
the English destroyed the furniture, and in 1819 a hurricane devastated this
church. On the foundations of the old church a new one was built then in 1827
(above), which, since Protestantism had meanwhile disappeared, became the
government school in 1851. On the adjacent cemetery the public school was built in
1919-1921, the building pictured above was then made pasanggrahan. In 19388-’39 a
pasanggrahan was built some place else (now Hotel Pasanggrahan) and the above
building then became the home of the head of the school. When the school grew too
small the principal moved to elsewhere and classrooms were set up in the former
church. The flag on the building (three white balls in the red bar) was tie Gover-
nor’s flag until 1966. This picture was taken during the visit of Governor Nicolaas
J. L. Brantjes in 1922.

110
A little later it was brought from Sint Eustatius to Saba, where it did not
hold out, however, and disappeared after a few years. Rather late, only in
1816, a Methodist lay preacher John Hodge from Anguilla brought Meth-
odism to Dutch Sint Maarten, where he preached under the great tree by
the present Methodist church at Cole Bay. Since also slaves from the
French part attended these sermons, Methodism found adherents in the
French part too.
Methodism directed its attention to the illiterate lower classes. But
when the Reformed Church disappeared, gradually also whites joined this
new Church.
In the Dutch part Methodism spread quickly, because there was no
other church active here (the catholics started as late as 1841), and al-
though in the French part the government officially only admitted
French-speaking missionaries, English-speaking evangelists managed to
get in after all, and recruited followers. It may be said that about 1850 all
slaves of both nationalities are Methodists.
In Philipsburg the Methodists soon disposed of a center. Mrs. Louisan
Augusta Illidge, born Gibbes, became a member and made her home, the
still existing Brick Building, available for church services.
The fast growth made the building of a church necessary: in 1829 a
chapel at Cole Bay, in 1851 the church in Frontstreet, which in 1979 be-
cause of its ruinous condition had to be replaced by the present building.
The growth of the Methodist church is phenomenal. There are 5 par-
ishes in the French part, 3 in the Dutch part, éach with a church building
of its own. The parishes in the Netherlands Antillean part are larger how-
ever. For figures on this we refer to the following pages.

The Roman Catholic Church

As early as 1664 friars from the French part of St. Kitts visited French
St. Martin at regular times. Labat, who visited the island in 1705, even

The methodist church in Cole Bay.

111
Roman catholic rectory in Philipsburg. The house was built in 1820 and fitted up
as a rectory in 1844 (photo W. Roumou).

found a little church here. On July 3, 1768, at the inauguration of a new

church, a secular clergyman, called Guary, was appointed parish priest.
Whether there is a relation between this new church and the little one of
1705 we do not know. The new church was dedicated to St. Martin of
Tours.
In 1794 French Saint Martin had to do without a parish priest again,
because in consequence of the French Revolution — the triumvirate Rou-
vellet and friends was in office under Dutch supervision, apparently they
could not keep order and tranquility — the clergy had to flee to protestant
Anguilla. The church was burnt down.
Did one priest stay behind, or did a revolutionary minded parish priest
accompany La Bruyére, the commandant sent by the National Convention
in 1795? We read at least, that La Bruyére instituted a government under

St. Martin’s Church in Marigot dating from 1842.

112
St. Martin’s Church in Philipsburg, consecrated May 30, 1952. A quarter of a cen-
tury ago the cost of building this church amounted to 132,659 Antillean guilders!
See next page.

a maire. The first maire, appointed, certain Granier, stayed in office only
a short time, and as his successor ”the parish priest Coutant” was ap-
pointed mayor.
Nothing is known about the man. Not before 1839 officially a resident
parish priest was appointed again. This one, an Irishman, the Rev. A.
Wall, in 1841 built the still existing church at Marigot, followed in 1847 by
a second church at Grand’ Case; both dedicated to St. Martin of Tours.

113
The roman catholic St. Martin’s Church in Philipsburg of 1844, as many have
known it. It was pulled down in 1950.

The church of Marigot was extended in 1871; the one of Grand’ Case was
pulled down in 1919 and replaced by the present church, which was dedi-
cated in 1921.

French sisters, who worked in French St. Martin since 1801, had a
small hospital there. In 1867 a somewhat better hospital could be built, as
a rich colored woman, Mrs. Mauras, legated 5,000 francs for this.

114 |
 Father Willibrordus de Barbanson
Father Bruno Boradori O.P., parish
priest of Netherlands Antillean Sint O.P., parish priest of Netherlands
1957-1965. Died in Saba, Antillean Sint Maarten 1946-1957,
Maarten
where he was buried. builder of the St. Martin’s Church in
1952.

Unfortunately the sisters left for lack of money in 1926. The hospital
then fell completely into decay. Only after the’*French Government had
the present hospital built in 1949, French St. Martin disposes of proper
care for the sick.

- French St. Martin belongs in church matters to the diocese of Basse-

Terre et Point-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe). About 1910 this diocese could no
longer provide parish priests for St. Martin. Thereupon in 1912 an agree-
ment was concluded with the then Mission of Dominicans of the Nether-
lands Antilles, that it would also provide parish priests for Marigot and
St. Barthélemy. This arrangement remained in force until 1951, and
French St. Martin had a Dutch Dominican friar as parish priest. Of one of
these Dutch parish priests of St. Barths, father Irenaeus de Bruyn O.P.,
who has done a lot for that island, one may still find a memorial tablet in
the hospital at Gustavia.
It were the Dutch parish priests, Dominican friars, who in 1919-’21
have seen to it that the new church was built in Grand’ Case.
In 1955 a new church was put into use in Quartier d’Orléans, dedicated
to St. Joseph. |
The service of the Dutch parish priests rendered to the French was in a
way a reciprocal service, because before 1841, when there was no priest
in Philipsburg yet, the French priests assisted the Catholics — there were
not many of them — in the Dutch part.*)

*) In Guadeloupe the Congregation of the Holy Spirit i.a. is active. Quite a few
Dutchmen are also members of this Congregation. Since 195} these Dutch
priests have been appointed in French St. Martin by the bishop of Basse-Terre
et Pointe-h-Pitre, a) because of the fact that the island is bilingual, b) because
the French can master English only with great difficulty, and English is the
working-language of French St. Martin.

115
 The Roman Catholic church at Simson Bay
Village, dedicated to Blessed Mary,
Star of the Sea, built in 1965 (photo Wilfred
Roumou).

In 1841 the Catholic parish of Dutch Sint Maart

en was founded. There
were 46 Catholics. Five years later there were
160, since many Catholics
who had joined the Methodists in absence of
a priest, now returned.
Catholics and Methodists both wanted to be
a church for the common
people. This repeatedly led to conflicts. Anti-
Catholic campaigns at the
one side and charges with heresy at the other.
In fact this only ended at
the end of the nineteen-thirties.

In 1847 a chapel was built at Cole Bay, which

could be used by the
people of Simson Bay Village too. This chapel
burnt down in 1872 and was
never rebuilt. In 1894 a new chapel was built,
now at Simson Bay Village
where most of the churchgoers lived. In 1965
this chapel was replaced by
abeautiful stone building, dedicated to St.
Mary, Star of the Sea.

The old St. Martin churchin Philipsburg from 1844, was enlarged in
1930, but became so dilapidated in course
of time, that it had to be pulled
down in 1951. In 1952 the present St. Martin church
was dedicated.
Because the population is moving away from
Philipsburg and Cul-de-
Sac’s population is increasing, a new Roman Cathol
ic church was built at
Reward in 1978-’80.

The Anglican Church

In former days there was temporarily an Angli
can church in Sint Maar-
ten. It had disappeared a long time ago already,
when about 1945 because
of the continual migration of the people, a new
Anglican parish sprang up,
which now disposes of two buildings: a church
in Philipsburg (1948) and
another one in Marigot (1953). The island consti
tutes one parish however,
which belongs to the diocese of Antigua.

116
 Of the appr. 450 members 125 live in the French part, 325 in the Neth-
erlands Antillean part. Almost all Anglicans are foreigners, originating
from practically every island from Jamaica to Trinidad. Moreover it is a
parish on the move, because the members come and go almost per month.
There are only a few second generation St. Maarteners a member of the
Anglican parish.
It goes without saying that both in Philipsburg and in Marigot only
English is used.

Seventh-day Adventists
About 1950, Atkins Rogers, someone from Anguilla, started the Church
of the Seventh-day Adventists in the Dutch part. This group grew so
large that they built two churches: at Marigot (1967) and Cole Bay (1976).
Sixty-five per cent of the members in the Netherlands Antillean part
come from English-speaking islands, those in the French part almost all
from Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe. In consequence of this English is
used in Philipsburg and French in Marigot. Because of this language bar-
riers there are hardly any connections between the two parishes, which
moreover administratively belong to different groups: Philipsburg is un-
der the jurisdiction of St. Croix, Marigot under Guadeloupe.
The Adventists built a third church at Zagers Gut and a fourth one at
Grand’ Case.

Other groups
A small group is the Church of God of Prophecy, a pentecostal group
working in Sint Maarten since 1955, headquartered in Cleveland, Ten-
nessee. This group has a small church of its own.
The New Testament Baptist Church, a branch of the Baptist Church in

hapel of St. Peter Gonzalez at Simson Bay Village, built in 1894 and in use till
1965 (photo Wilfred Roumou).

117
The number of Jews has always been small in Sint Maarten, but mainly as a result
of the trade on the British colonies in North America, their numbers swelled about
1770. In 1783 it was decided to found a congregation. The synagogue was on the
plot of land between Frontstreet and Backstreet at the east side; the entrance was
in the Backstreet. After 1800 the congregation decayed. As early as 1820 the syna-
gogue was a ruin. Behind the West-Indian Tavern the remnants of the walls can
still be seen (photo Wilfred Roumou).

the United States, is active in Sint Maarten since 1956. Having no more
than 20 members, this group nevertheless succeeded in opening a church
building of their own in 1960. At present the congregation has 90 mem-
bers, but on Sunday mornings there are often 200 churchgoers.
The Glad Tidings Mission, under the auspices of a Canadian missionary
society, is active in Sint Maarten since 1961 and in French St. Martin un-
der the name of The Bible Church.
The Jehovah Witnesses, finally, started in Marigot in 1945, from where
they came to Philipsburg in 1951.

The pastors of the churches large or small all get the opportunity to
speak on television. This contributes to no small extent to the growth of
especially the small groups, their very pastors manage to get a hold on
the viewers.

118
The Jews
In 1735 we hear for the first time of a Jew in Sint Maarten, a certain
Jacob Gomes, who had four slaves and thus belonged to the well-to-do. At
first the number of Jews was undoubtedly small, but, as we know, econ-
omic conditions showed a constant upward tendency under Philips and
Heyliger, and among the many whites who settled in the island during
that period were also Jews. In 1783 they ask permission to found a con-
gregation. They obtained this permission, and shortly after the syna-
gogue must have been built at the east end of Backstreet. Some remnants
of it can still be seen.
plot of
At the other end, so the west end of Backstreet, they acquired a
see
land for a cemetary. Not much is known of this congregation. We do
they
that there are also graves of Jewish children, which proves that
lived in the island from father to son.
During the decline in and after 1800 the Jews disappeared. In 1828
e.
someone who visited the island wrote about the ruins of the synagogu
Up to this day, as we heard ourselves in 1977, a path along the former
Jewish cemetary is still called in popular language "Jewish Cemetary
Alley”. And a person who had built a house on that spot, assured us that
he found human bones while digging.
start-
About 1930 Jewish businessmen from Curag¢ao, Ashkenazic Jews,
in
ed to open shops in Sint Maarten. At present some thirty Jews live
ion, it
Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten, who did not found a congregat
In
is true, but they do assemble in their House of Prayer at regular times.
1964 the first Jew of this group, Julio Meidt, was circumcised.
As to the French part, we do not have any data on the Jews.

OR

Street scene of Philipsburg. The cars parked on the pavement almost completely
Indian
block the entrance. An interesting fact is that in the backyard of the West
a few
Tavern the remnants of the former synagogue can be found, together with
graves (photo Wilfred Roumou).

119
 Dutch Sint Maar
ten
Figures in the French St. Martin
first row: census
1976, supplied May First row: census ‘
by the civil regist 1966, More ren.
These show ho ration. figures are not q
w many person obtainable. Begj
sider themselves s con- figures stated hi.
as belonging to Suggest rather
a cer- mation than the a
results of a Census
. ~*~

atholic,

statement of
the church Statement of
Roman Catholic
Methodist 4144 the church
Anglican 3696 2500
Seventh-day Adventist 971 800
825
Protestant*) 244 425 126
Dutch Reformed 24 200 also 200
Church** 72 26
Lutheran Church
Presbyterian 17
Moravian Brotherhood 26
Apostolic Congregation 46
Pentecostal] Church 3
Church of God of 20
Prophecy 100
Jehovah Witnesses
Jews 41 20
33 20
Mohammedans
Buddhists 22
Hindu 7
Bahay 65
None 1
Unknown 87
970

tes re eG
*) Protestant
is @ vague def
everyone who is inition, not sa
ying much, be
not a Catholic. In cause it usuall
estant churches consequence of y includes
wil] not be very this the figures
asa Protestant exact: the one Lu of the Prot-
, the otherasq theran had hims
**) The Dutch Lutheran, elf registered
Reformed Chur
that these 72 Peop ch does not
le are probably exist in Sint Ma
arten any lon
European Dutchm ger, so
en ,
120
 16.
Cultural and Social Life

We do not have much factual knowledge of cultural life in former cen-

turies. Actually cultural and social life started to develop about 1950, al-
though there were some clubs or associations before.
When in 1952 Sint Eustatius got its first steel band, some bands were
organized in Sint Maarten too. Names and compositions change constant-
ly, without harming the quality for that matter. Because of the growing
tourist industry the steel bands also have an economic significance, be-
cause they perform in the hotels and brighten receptions and congresses.
In 1958 John Ch. Larmonie founded the Philipsburg Community Brass
Band, a wind-band of more than 20 members.
Some combo’s complete this survey.

In 1932 it was the first time that a film was shown in Dutch Sint Maar-
ten, and in 1938 a French company working in Marigot started to give
performances in Philipsburg too. Later the tables were turned, because
at present there is a cinema and since 1970 a’drive-in in the Netherlands
Antillean side.
Some 100 films are shown annually, not too bad indeed for an island of
these dimensions. Since the only cinema in the French part has been
closed for years already, the St. Martinois go to the Netherlands Antil-
lean part or this amusement.

Among the cultural activities are also lectures, declamation nights and
performances of — usually — amateur dramatic clubs, which at the same
time pursue the improvement of the welfare of its members, namely:
The Philipsburg Mutual Improvement Association, founded in 1932 by
Lionel Bernard Scott (1897-1966), originally a contractor, but a man who
has been working in the social and political field so intensively (he was a
local councillor and after 1955 a member of the island council), that not
only was a street named after him, but Scott was also the only Wind-
warder in commemoration of whom a special postage stamp was issued
bearing his portrait (page 169).
The P.M.I.A. disposes of its own building since 1943; the present club
building dates from 1952. The P.M.I.A. restricts its activities to the Neth-
erlands Antillean part and has 80 members (1977).
In 1910 some Windwarders living in New York organized the Orange
Benevolent Society there, an association that still exists. In 1951 the St.
Eustatius Orange Benevolent Improvement Association and the St.
Maarten Orange Benevolent Improvement Association were founded in
these two Windward islands. The three associations have nothing to do
with each other; the only thing they have in common is in fact their letter
paper, orange colored and apparently with the necessary changes (ad-
dress, etc.) of the same printer. In fact they do not know much of each
other. The O.B.I.A., as it is called, in Sint Maarten is without any doubt

121
 In 1933 Wilhelm Netherwood started De Bovenwindsche Stemmen, in
spite of its Dutch name completely in English. Hardly had N etherwood
started or an opponent, Anthony R. Waters Gravenhorst Brouwer, began
in 1934 with De Slag om Slag, in which he went that far that he ended
in prison several times. In such cases De Slag om Slag did
up
not appear tem-
porarily. "Hier duldt de grond geen dwingelandij, waar
vrijheid eeuwen
stond” (here the earth does not tolerate tyranny, where
freedom prevail-
ed for centuries), was the flaunting motto of his paper.
Until his death in
December 1939 Brouwer kept up the polemic. Nether
wood kept fulmin-
ating against everything Brouwer had stood for in his
life, but because of
the Second World War ata given moment in 1942 no
more stencil mate-
rial could be obtained in the island, and that was the
end of De Boven-
windsche Stemmen too.
As late as 1959 Sint Maarten got a newspaper again, the
Windward Is-
lands Opinion, actually the first newspaper, a weekly,
founded and man-
aged by Joseph H. Lake, sr. and Raphael Christian.
The paper continued
to appear, after February 1975 even as Sint Maarten’s
first daily, until
Lake’s death on February 28, 1976.

Shortly after his death, in December 1976, Lake’s son, J. H. Lake,

jr.,
together with David R. A. Christian started the Windward Islands’
News-
day, at the outset appearing three times a week and daily after
October

Joseph Husurell Lake

(1925-1976), founder
of the Windward
Islands’ Opinion in
1959 and also founder
of the newspaper
press in St. Maarten.

124
 Present day newspapers of Sint Maarten (photo Wilfred R

1st, 1979, and meant to continue the work of: Lake, sr. Just as was the
case with the Opinion in its days, Newsday intended to be a paper for
Netherlands Antillean and French Sint Maarten; it had an editor for each
part of the island. Theoretically the Newsday also pretended to be the
newspaper for Saba and Sint Eustatius, but the number of copies sold in
these islands was not very large. Newsday, however, came out only for a
brief period.
Meanwhile, in 1971, a teacher, Crispin A. Bruce, and a civil servant,
Mervin F. Scott, head of the Department of Education in Sint Maarten,
started the weekly New Age, a general newspaper. Since the chief editor
Scott is also active in politics, New Age — pithy ‘and to the point for the
rest — bears of course a certain mark. One thousand copies are printed,
half of it is sold in Sint Maarten. The rest is distributed over the other is-
lands of the Netherlands Antilles, the United States and among Wind-
warders in The Netherlands.
In June 1971 Allan S. Richardson began a weekly The St. Maarten Star,
also having a circulation of 1,000. This paper was only meant for the Neth-
erlands Antillean and the French party of Sint Maarten. On January 4,
1978, Richardson changed the name of his paper into The Clarion.
Finally in February 1, 1979, the first issue of the Daily Mirror, appear-
ed, Sint Maarten’s second daily (as has been said, Joseph Lake, sr. chang:
ed his W.I. Opinion in February 1975 into a daily, which untimely ended
with his death a year later). Editor-owner of the Daily Mirror is David R.
A. Christian, who has been mentioned before as co-editor of the W.I.
Newsday. It is an independent paper, which after a starting period in
which it was printed at Marigot and at Philipsburg, is now produced in
Puerto Rico, from where it is flown to Sint Maarten every day, where it is
distributed the next morning as a morning paper, both in the French and
in the Netherlands Antillean part. When we were writing this it had a cir-

125
 culation of 500 copies, but there are plans for expansion to the other
islands.

The Voice of St. Maarten

The radio station The Voice of St. Maarten started transmissions
on
December 23, 1959. It was set up by Marius de Pree, who at
the time
worked for the Central Telecommunication Service. It was a complete
ly
private enterprise, that soon proved its value, since at the approach
of a
hurricane warnings could be broadcast.
After De Pree’s departure the transmitting licence went over
into the
hands of N. Ch. Wathey, a businessman. In 1962 they moved into a some-
what better studio in a former guard-room of Fort Amsterdam.

Club building of the Philipsburg Mutual Improvement Associat

ion. From left to
right: William Benjamin Romeny, warden; Curtis Alexis
Arnell, president, Jose-
pha Dollison, matron, James Augustus Wilson, assistant
recording secretary,
Albertha Hughes, one of the members. On the wall are pictures
of Da Vinci’s Last
Supper, Queen Juliana and — the three together — Presiden
t Abraham Lincoln,
John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King. Under
the portrait of Her
Majesty the club’s standard with the letters F.L.U. (Friends
hip, Love and Unity).

The Voice of Sint Maarten can also be received in Saba and

Sint Eusta-
tius.
Transmissions are of course in English.

The Dutch Program

There are in Sint Maarten some 240 adult European Dutchmen,
people
who practically all know each other and associate with each other.
In 1976
some European Dutch teachers, working in Sint Maarten,
took the initia-
tive to do something for this group. For this purpose the Foundat
ion
Dutch Quarters was established. It was given this name because
the
people who took the initiative looked upon themselves as quarter-master
s
and because the four of them managed to obtain four times fifteen
min-
utes, so a full hour of air time. This Foundation composes a one
hour pro-
gram for The Voice of Sint Maarten in the Dutch language. The
"Dutch

126
program”, as it is called, deliberately does not only focus on the European
Dutch, but also on the Dutch-speaking Antilleans of the Leeward and
Windward islands. Gradually this group developed into a kind of club,
that also organizes cultural and social activities.

Television

In 1973 the West Indies Television Network started with color t.v. The
studio is in Sint Maarten, the transmitting installation in Saba (see our
book History of Saba, page 118 etc.).
West Indies Television Network was originally a private enterprise. In
course of time it could not manage financially and technically, so that in
August 1977 it was decided to found a government owned enterprise
charged with the exploitation of the television station.

The building of the St. Maarten Council on the Arts (Cultural Center). Up to now
the Jubilee Library is accommodated in this building too (right wing in this pic-
ture) (photo Wilfred Roumou).

Council on the Arts

On January 28, 1960, the Cultural Center St. Maarten was founded; in
1975 the name of this foundation was changed into St. Maarten Council on
the Arts. It is an associate foundation of the Dutch Foundation for Cul-
tural Co-operation with the Netherlands Antilles (usually called Sticusa,
which is the Dutch acronym for "Stichting Culturele Samenwerking”),
which also has such associate foundations in Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba,
Bonaire and Curacao. The Sticusa finances these Antillean foundations.
The Council on the Arts promotes cultural and artistic life in the most
general sense.

Philipsburg Jubilee Library

At the occasion of the silver anniversary of the reign of the late Queen
Wilhelmina in 1923, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library was founded. It led
an independent, but sometimes financially hard life until 1968, when the

127
 Philipsburg Jubilee Library.

Cultural Center St. Maarten (now St. Maarten Council on the

Arts) took
it under its care in a new foundation especially set up for this. In
1968
namely the Cultural Center was built, the building of the present Council
on the Arts, to which the Sticusa contributed substantially. It is used
jointly by the Council on the Arts, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, and
—
when it still existed — the Film League St. Maarten. The building dis-
poses of a spacious auditorium.
One wing is taken up by the library. The Philipsburg Jubilee Library is
one of most flourishing libraries of the surroundings. It possesses 7,000
volumes and reaches an annual loan of 37 ,000.
It is remarkable that in Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten people
read more in Dutch than in English. This may be explained as a possible
result of education, which was until recently Dutch. Of the number of
adult members no more than 38% and of the children not even more than
6% come from Europe. Remarkable, no doubt, since in Saba and Sint
Eustatius where education indeed was also Dutch until recently, practi-
cally no Dutch books at all are taken from the libraries.

In the French part no paper is published: there is no library either.

Club life is unknown.
Some years ago a beautiful Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture was
built on Sandy Ground just outside the capital, in which a library would
be put up. It would also serve for performances, exhibitions, etc. When
we closed our manuscript — January 1978 — there had not been any
ac-
tivities as yet however.

128
 17.
The People of the Island

Both Dutch and French Sint Maarten were in old times a refuge for
many nationalities. From those who passed through some people also
stayed behind and because of this we see a cosmopolitan white population
at an early date already. We also remember that through the efforts of
Commander John Philips whites settled in the Dutch part about 1740, and
through the actions of Governor Auguste Descoudrelles in the French
part about 1770.
In 1775 there were 80 white families in the French part, only 31 how-
ever were French by birth, the rest were English or Dutch.
In the Dutch part there were 70 white families and no more than 20 of
them had a Dutch name. Here too the vast majority were of English-
speaking origin.
A very special group of whites was, and still is, found at Simson Bay
Village. Perhaps they are descendants from Sweden and possibly some
Zealanders.*)

The Swedish colonization in the Caribbean started only in 1784, so that

Simson Bay Village would date from after that time. Historical data on
the fair-haired and blue-eyed white inhabitants of Simson Bay Village
have not been found as yet.
Remarkably enough there is a similar ethnic enclave in the French part
at Grand’ Case, and just as is the case in Simson Bay Village with a
nucleus of the former fishing population. Here too nothing is known about
the origin; a connection with the white population of French St. Barths is
not apparent. Presumably the village is named after the Great House or
Grande Case of an estate, but even about the location of this house noth-
ing is known. Both in Simson Bay and in Grand’ Case the secluded char-
acter is disappearing through gradual mixing.

The colored
Because of the sugar plantion the number of slaves grew constantly.

*) According to prof. dr. J. Boeke in Encyclopaedie N.W.I., 1917, page 631. — Wil-
liam Stapleton, Governor of the British Leeward Islands, informed his Govern-
ment in London in a letter in 1680 that ’John Sympson, Governor of St. Mar-
tin’s, took back the island of Saba after the English had occupied it in 1665”.
This is the only mention of a Sympson, who played a historic part; unfortuna-
tely it is also the only record of John Sympson as a Commander; in Dutch ar-
chives we did not find Sympson’s name, nor anything on his commandership.
But since this for the rest unknown John Sympson has been a historic figure, it
would not be impossible, that Simson Bay is named after him. Was there a vil-
lage in 1680 already? If so, then it would be much older than the Swedish col-
onization.

129
 Simson Bay
fisherman.

French St. Martin 1687 — 278 slaves

: 1787 — 2572 slaves
Dutch Sint Maarten 1715 361 whites 244 slaves
1780 600 whites 3500 slaves

Proportions whites to colored

For comparison: in 1715 there were in Sint Eustatius many more slaves
than whites already. The promotion of sugar plantation under Philips and
Descoudrelles did not only bring more whites, to the island, but also many
more slaves: in 1740 there were in the Dutch part 2.5 times as many
slaves as whites. In the true sugar islands the ratio was quite different. In |
Nevis, for example, there were 8 times as many slaves as whites, in Gre-
nada 24 times, in Santo Domingo 7 times as many, just to mention a few
countries. In Dutch Sint Maarten the ratio 1 : 6 was the highest, and 1: 5
the normal one.
We have seen before how the settlement of English-speaking whites
and especially the forced arrival of the negroes, who usually came from
English-speaking islands, caused the disappearance of both the Dutch and
the French language, and made of Sint Maarten as a whole, in spite of the
frontier, an English-speaking island. And not only English-speaking, but
also — again in spite of the frontier — it made it one people, ethnically the
same in the French and the Dutch part. A people also bearing to a certain
degree the mark of the English culture, as we saw in the previous chap-
ter.

Abolition of slavery -
In 1808 Great Britain and the United States abolished the slave trade;
when The Netherlands was freed from the French occupation in 1814, it

130
joined them.
The flight of slaves was a phenomenon that occurred everywhere and
always. A slave always thought to be better off somewhere else. So they
fled in all directions. From Sint Maarten to St. Barths for instance, but
just as often the other way round.
After the abolition of slavery by France in 1848, a very odd situation
arose in Sint Maarten, because one could cross the frontier without much
difficulty and was a free man. We already said that most of them returned
to the side where one could find a job (page 70).
Because of the fact that after 1848 the slaves in the Dutch part had of
course also become free de facto, the Dutch Government stipulated, when
it abolished slavery in the Dutch colonies in 1863, that, where elsewhere
it paid a compensation of 200 guilders to the owner of each slave freed,
only 30 guilders would be paid in Sint Maarten. It is quite understandable
that this met with objections of the slave owners, and after arduous nego-
tiations this amount was raised to 100 guilders per slave set free. In total
1890 slaves were set free in Dutch Sint Maarten in 1863.

The emigration of the population

In 1918 Shell Curacao N.V. started its refinery in Curacao. In the years
which followed the seasonal migration (to Cuba, etc. page 70) mentioned
before changed into a migration with a more permanent character to
Curacao. After 1929, the year in which Lago Oil.and Transport Company
drift
Ltd. started the refinery in Aruba, this migration was followed by a
to Aruba. In due course the latter assumed greater proportion than the
former, because English is the working language of the American com-
pany in Aruba, the native tongue of the Sint Maarteners. As a result of
this migration to the Leeward islands the population of Dutch Sint Maar-
ten decreased sharply. At first it were mostly men who left, but soon also

Simson Bay Village. To the left the former police station (photo Wilfred Roumou).

131
 Frontstreet in westerly direction. A picture
of about 1930.

girls and women went to Aruba or Curacao as househ

old staff. At the
same time prospects in Dutch Sint Maarten brightened
as a result of the
flush of money to the Treasury, so that after
the emigration of own
people, pretty soon already an influx of foreigners
could be seen. Unlike
Saba, the men—women ratio of the total population was
not seriously af-
fected by this migration:

1915 3282inhabitants viz. 1413 men (43% ) and 1869 women

1930 2335 inhabitants viz. 984 men (42%) and 1351 women

As a result of the migration to Aruba and Curacao the

number of inha-
bitants of Dutch Sint Maarten continued to decline
until 1951, when it had
1458 inhabitants, 582 men (39% ) and 876 women,
the lowest point.

Money order economy

The inhabitants who had left sustained their families
by transmitting
money by money-orders, so that one started speaking
of a money-order
economy or remittance economy. This is not a typical phenom
enon of the
Netherlands Antillean Windward islands, it is found in
many Caribbean
islands. The figure did reach a high level, though, as a result
of the explo-
sive oil boom: 527,000 guilders in 1955, more than half a million
on a popu-
lation of 1607 inhabitants, so 328 guilders per capita of
the population!
Population explosion-
1951 marks the lowest population figure of Sint Maarten,
viz. 1458 per-
sons. We do not dispose of that year’s figure of the French
part.
In 1950 Shell Curacgao started the company’s automat
ion, Lago in
Aruba did so in 1953. Although first the foreigners who
worked with the
refineries were fired, in the long run this was also the
fate of the Nether-

132
The well-known choir of the Anglican church of St. Simon and St. Jude in Philips-
burg. Dutch Sint Maarten counts appr. 325 Anglicans. The church dates from 1948.

lands Antilleans, so among others the Sint Maarteners. Many ex-oil work-
ers or their children returned. Because of this the number of inhabitants
increased after 1951, and also because after 1955, when Little Bay Hotel,
the first tourist hotel, opened its doors, job opportunities in this sector
sharply increased. Some tens of hotels opened their doors. We shall come
to that later on.

As a result of the economic revival which the island as a whole since

then enjoyed, the population increased sharply. The period of 1962-1972
forms the years in which this increase was spectacular; after 1972 the an-
nual increase is minimal, as can be concluded from the figures. In 1961
Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten counted 2928 inhabitants, in 1972
9006, approximately three times as many!

The Anglican church of

St. Philip and St. James
in Marigot lies pictures-
quely amidst greenery
and flowers. It was built
in 1953. French St. Mar-
tin has some 125 Angli-
cans.

133
 In 1801 the English, who then occupied Sint Maarte
n, started to build a fort on the
hill which was called ‘Lammerenberg” (Lambs’ Hill)
in former days and which was
later called Mount Pleasant, but ultimately was named
Fort Hill after the fort.
After their commander the English called the fort
Fort Trigge. But before it was
completed Sint Maarten was Dutch again, and Govern
or Dr. Willem H. Rink fin-
ished it in 1803, and gave it the name of Fort
Gelderland after the provinc e where
he came from. It was not finished yet, when The Nether
lands became a satellite of
France, and in 1808|9 the fort was completed with
the aid of French engineer of-
ficers. The French-minded Governor Jan Verveer
gave if the name of Fort Louis
Napoleon, after the ”King of Holland”, Napoleon’s
brother. In the subsequent
English period it was again called Fort Trigge, and
since 1816, when Sint Maarten
became definitely Dutch, it was Fort Willem I after
the first King of the Nether-
lands. As early as 1819 the fort was devastated by
a hurricane; it was only partly
rebuilt. In 1846 the fort was abandoned (photo Wilfred
Roumou).
Survey
A survey of the numbers of the population shows
surprising aspects.
Dutch part
French part
white free slave total white free slave total
1675
720 278 998
1750 666 1903 2569 40 to 50 431 481
L775. 639 3518 4157 431 2572 3003
1818 715 293 2551 3359 315 107 2946 4268
1848 1122 1668 2790 600 2832 3432
1880 3142
1951 3444
1458
1954 1597
1961: 3364
2928
1972 9006
1977 1371
1978 7365
12207
8950
The earliest figures are not very reliable naturally,
since the counts were car-
ried out pretty carelessly.

134
 and the Nether-
Actually the number of inhabitants, both of the French
some thousa nds of for-
Jands Antillean part, is much larger. For there are
d illegall y and conseq uently are not re-
eigners in the island, who entere
gistered.
olitan char-
The population of Sint Maarten has always had a cosmop
aliens official ly residin g in the island is not parti-
acter. Yet the number of
In the Nether lands Antille an part there are approximately
cularly large.
appr. 500 or 6.5% . The
450 or 4% of the population, in the French part
always been even more cosmop olitan than the Nether-
French part has
Charbo nnier, Petit,
lands Antillean part. Family names as Beauperthuy,
Dutch names as Van Heynin gen and
and the like interchange with purely Fle-
as Bridge water and Gumb(e )s. The well-k nown name
English ones
domina tes howeve r, not
ming should be of Swedish origin. English
h in 1960 in the civil registr ation in Mari-
French. According to a researc
.*)
got 75% of the names registered there appeared to be English
n the proport ions are roughly the
In Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarte
from the returns of the Civil Registr ation Service in
same. As appears
and there are hard-
1977 approximately 80% of the surnames are English
The English names of both Nether lands An-
ly any purely Dutch names.
Sint Maarte n are names, for that matter, found in al-
tillean and French
always been
most all surrounding islands. Interinsular migration has
strong.

many inhabi-
We have seen before that under Philips and Descoudrelles n at the
from the North Americ an contine nt settled in Sint Maarte
tants
re, from which
instigation of the Government. Legal settlement therefo
popula tion develo ped. But the 17th and
the nucleus of the island’s white
y are also full of illegal settle ments, also whites, people who,
18th centur
d plots of land in the Dutch
once settled in the French part, also usurpe
part.
and civil ser-
What happened in the past, when there were no police
to-day in precise ly the same
vants to check this illegal settling, happens
do have police and civil servant s. As far as this is con-
way, now that we
parts — indeed illegal
cerned nothing changed in Sint Maarten — both
figures which are to follow, has largely in-
settling, as appears from the
time howeve r of colored people, who settle in the island
creased, this
ement of the
without a permit and in their turn contribute to the enforc
colored part of the populat ion.
difficult to
Since it is a fact that there is plenty of work and that it is not
while inspect ion at the frontier does
enter the island without documents,
infiltra te especial ly via the French part, or they
not exist, many aliens
people who entered
just enter as tourists, stay and start working. These
islands — often
illegally are often from the neighboring English-speaking
ca — or come from Haiti. Accordi ng to the annual police
Anguilla, Domini
staying illegall y in the island,
report of 1976 there should be 4,000 persons
and 2,500 in the French
1,500 of them in the Netherlands Antillean part
part.
part 12,207 +
This means that there live in the Netherlands Antillean
+ 2,500 = 11,450.
1,500 — 13,707 persons, and in the French part 8,950

*) G. Lasserre, La Guadeloupe, 1961, page 831.

 The whole of Sint Maarten then has 25,157 inhabitants or 759 per
square mile.
The N.A. part of the island, 14,2 square miles, has 1,048 inhabitants per
square mile.
The French part, 20,2 square miles, has 572 inhabitants per square mile.
This means that the Netherlands Antillean part is the most densely
populated area of the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba 819, Curacao 858 per
square mile.*)

Spiritual change
The thousands of returning Sint Maarteners caused, not only because
they returned with their savings, an economic change, but they also caus-
ed a social, cultural and religious revolution since the change they had
undergone in Aruba and Curagao made them different from those who
had stayed behind. The presence of another four thousand aliens who en-
tered illegally for a variety of reasons also had its impact.

Before the opening of the Juliana Airport in 1943 Governors rarely visited
the
Windward Islands. Governor G. J. J. Wouters (1936-1942) however
made a rule of
visiting each island every year at least once. A man-of-war took the Governor
(and
his family) to St. Maarten. Here Lt. Gov. J. D. Meiners, in the then
official dress
white linen suit, stiff collar, black tie and tropical helmet, welcomes Governor
Wouters, while officers and officials stand to attention.

*) For those who are unfamiliar with the Anglo-Saxon system the
following may
be of use:
The total surface of Sint Maarten is 86 km2; there are 138707 + 11450
= 25,157
inhabitants, or 292 per square kilometer.
Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten is 34 km2: with 13,707 people this means
403 persons per square kilometer.
French Saint Martin is 52 km2; there are 11,450 inhabitants, or 220 per square
kilometer.
(Aruba 315, Curacao 330 per square kilometer).

136
 18.
Political Development

When Sint Maarten was colonized again in 1648, the Dutch part formed
a grantee-concession and the French part became a seigneurie some years
later, terms which we explained before (page 49, 50). In 1672 — earlier
than Sint Eustatius — the Netherlands West India Company took over
Sint Maarten from the grantees, even if it took until 1708 before it pro-
vided its possession with a reasonable administration. At an even earlier
date the seigneurie of French St. Martin had come to an end.

The Dutch part

After 1672 a chaotic period followed, one in which the French were
often the masters. In 1708 the Netherlands West India Company appoint-
ed a Vice-Commander, Francois Lemaire, mentioned before in connection
with the witch trial (page 53).
The Vice-Commander of Sint Maarten had at his side a Council of 4
members elected by the citizens, so quite different from for instance
Curacao, where the members held their office qualitate qua or were ap-
pointed.
Although Sint Maarten was practically independent from Sint Eusta-
tius under Philips (1735-1746) and Rink (1786-1806), the dependency of
Sint Maarten on Sint Eustatius was only officially ended in 1828.

After 1816
The provisions of the Convention of London of 1814, under which
France and The Netherlands regained the disposal of their West Indian
possessions, was carried into effect in Marigot on January 24, 1815, in
Philipsburg only over a year later on February 12, 1816. In pursuance of
the government regulations-1816 three colonies were created: Surinam,
Curacao with the islands of Aruba and Bonaire, and Sint Eustatius with
the islands of Sint Maarten and Saba. The Governor of the last mentioned
colony resided in Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten was administered by a
Commander.
The Governor in Sint Eustatius was the Commander’s superior, but the
Council of Sint Eustatius had no say in the matters of Sint Maarten. The
latter had a Council of its own, consisting of the government bookkeeper
and five non-elected members. So a fundamental change with regard to
the former system of elected councillors. The Commander was president.
When there was a vacancy the Council itself submitted a receommenda-
tion of three candidates, from whom the Commander appointed one.
Only the commander had a right to move in the Council.

Sint Maarten independent of Sint Eustatius

In 1828 Sint Maarten was made independent of Sint Eustatius. Each is-

137
 Lower Front Street about 1915 (photo Jan Krugers O.P.).

land got a Commander, appointed by the Dutch Government at the re-

commendation of the Governor-General in Paramaribo (Surinam). Each is-
land was to get a municipal council, but as there were not enough eligible
candidates in Sint Maarten in the opinion of the Dutch Government, no
municipal council was instituted in this island, but Sint Eustatius did get
one. In 1833 both the municipal council of Sint Eustatius and the Council
of Sint Maarten disappeared, for that matter. Each island got a Colonial
Council instead, actually not much different from the old Council: when
there was a vacancy the members submitted a recommendation from
which the Governor-General in Paramaribo chose one (under the old
system the Commander chose somebody).
On the conversion of the Council into Colonial Council in 1833 the Com-
mander received the title of Lieutenant-Governor.
For practical reasons the administration set up in 1828 was dissolved in
1845. Surinam was separated from the union of the three colonies men-
tioned, so that two remained: the group of Leeward Islands and the group
of Windward Islands. It was considered to restore the situation of the
years prior to 1828 and to place the three Windward Islands as one sepa-
rate colony directly under the Government in The Netherlands. The
Dutch Government, however, considered them too insignificant for this.
This has been the cause that the Windward and the Leeward Islands,
which had never had anything to do with each other before, stayed to-
gether in 1845. Since then the six islands constitute the political unit of
the Netherlands Antilles, though this name was given only officially in
1948.

Sint Maarten mentioned first

In the government regulation which after the separation of 1845, was
completed in 1848, Sint Maarten is mentioned for the first time before
Sint Eustatius.
Each of the three islands remained, as was stipulated in 1828, equal in
rank. Each had its own Lieutenant-Governor. By the sequence it appears

138
however that Sint Maarten at this time had become more important than
Sint Eustatius.
Since there was no longer a Governor-General, it was stipulated that
the Lieutenant-Governors would be appointed by the Dutch government,
the so-called Crown.
The Colonial Councils instituted in 1833 disappeared in 1848. The gov-
ernment of the colony now consisting of six islands was centralized in
Curacao. Here came one Colonial Council which would serve for the whole
colony, so for all islands. In the islands outside Curacao, so including Sint
Maarten, an Advisory Commission was instituted, consisting of two mem-
bers recommended by the Lieutenant-Governor and appointed by the
Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, subject to the approval of the King,
that is to say the Dutch Government.
When compared with the form of government in the oldest colonial
times, this meant a considerable restriction of powers.
The Advisory Commission could only make police regulations, impose
small fines or punishment, etc. In the absence or default of the Lieute-
nant-Governor, the oldest member acted as deputy Lieutenant-Governor.
In 1865 the Advisory Commission was replaced by the Council of Policy
(policy stands here for political powers). The Council of Policy had two
members, called local councillors, who were elected. Naturally, in ac-
cordance with the spirit of the times, the franchise was limited to the
well-to-do citizens.
te

A movement independence of Curacao”

During the 18th century there were continuously difficulties in Sint
Maarten about the island’s subordination to Sint Eustatius. From 1816 till
1845 Sint Maarten was a part of the great unit of the so-called West In-
dian Possessions, the combined Dutch colonies in the Caribbean area to-
pes

St. Joseph’s Convent of the Dominicans Sisters, completed in 1954.

See also page 81.

139
 gether with Surinam. When in 1845 the West Indian Possessions were
dissolved, Sint Maarten — just like the other two Windward islands —
became subordinated to the central Government in Curacao. There have
been instances at that time that the slogan "independent of Curacao” was
heard in the island. It is true that Sint Maarten had been under the cen-
tral Government in Paramaribo before 1845, but Surinam was a long way
from and no competitor of Sint Maarten. Curacao was: both islands ex-
ported salt and that of Sint Maarten was better. Moreover about 1850 the
shipping connections improved a little bit, resulting in more interference.
The same as what happened on a larger scale between The Hague and
Willemstad, where the Governors after 1850 more and more were kept an
eye on and rapped over the knuckles.
In 1863 discontent with being subordinated to Curacao was openly ex-
pressed for the first time on the matter of the compensation which the
Dutch Government was willing to pay the slave owners on the abolition of
slavery (page 131). A fierce agitation was carried on against Curacao.
This happened again in 1889 on account of the restrictions imposed on
frontier traffic (page 47), and once more in 1911, this time because the
Sint Maarteners felt there worked too many officials from Curacao in the
island. Finally this slogan was again heard in 1919, now because of the
interference of the Central Government in Curacao in what were con-
sidered internal affairs of Sint Maarten.
As a result of the increased flow of government funds from Curacao to
Sint Maarten separatist voices were less often heard, but discontent re-
mained with Curag¢ao interferences.

1919 Sint Maarten becomes the capital island

The system of 1848, so one Lieutenant-Governor with a Council of
Policy in each island, remained in force until 1919, when the three Wind-
ward islands were placed under one Lieutenant-Governor (in Sint Maar-
ten). This change was made since there was a certain rivalry among the
three Lieutenant-Governors, who each defended the interests of their is-
land, whereas the interests of the one island were not always in keeping
with those of the other. In this respect the Governor was powerless for,
as has been observed, the Lieutenant-Governors were appointed by the
Crown, and were permitted when differences of opinion arose to com-
municate directly with the Dutch Government, without consulting the
Governor. Therefore it was also stipulated in 1919, that the Lieutenant-
Governor (one henceforth) of the three Windward Islands would be ap-
pointed and dismissed by the Governor from now on. In Sint Eustatius
and in Saba the Lieutenant-Governor was replaced by the tax-collector,
who received the title of Assistant Lieutenant-Governor in 1937, changed
into Administrator in 1951.

Little political interest

The public interest in the Council of Policy was minimal. Not only in
Sint Maarten, but in all islands. The number of voters was indeed too
small to arouse wide interest. In 1900 13 of the 54 voters took part in the
elections in Sint Maarten. In 1926 only 22 of the 105 went to the polls. In
1934 56 of the 77, and in 1942, the last time that elections were held for

140
Beautiful town dwelling, built by S. J. Kruyhoff about 1934. Kruythoff was a
teacher of Oranje School and he is the author of the well-known book "The Nether-
lands Windward Islands”, published in 1938. For some: years a shop, The Bee Hive,
was established in this building; it was pulled down in 1977.

the Councils of Policy, 7 of the 113.

Also the number of meetings was not large. For example 3 in 1926, 11 in
1933, 5 in 1934 and 5 in 1940.

Colonial Council

In the Colonial Council, whose jurisdiction extended over all islands and
of which all 13 members were appointed, a Sint Maartener could theoreti-
cally also be chosen. Since, as a matter of cause, communications between
the islands took up far too much time in the 19th and the first half of the
20th century, in practice however only persons residing in Curagao were
appointed councillors. There was never a Sint Madrtener among them.

The States

In 1938 the Colonial Council was replaced by the Staten, usually trans-
lated as States.*) An important difference was that of the 15 members of
the States 10 would be elected. One of them was the representative of the
three Windward Islands; he was elected by the combined body of voters
of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius. To be qualified to vote one had
to be assessed for a certain amount of taxes or have an education equal to

*) Note of translator: States” is the literal translation of the Dutch "Staten”,

which stands for House or Houses (of Parliament). House would have been a
better translation perhaps, but for some reason or another it is not used locally.
The word ’Staten” also occurs in "Staten Island”, once part of a Dutch colony.

141
 seven years of elementary schooling. These requirements were met in the
three Windward Islands in 1937 by 140 persons (7% of the male popula-
tion), the same percentage as in Curacao, but higher than Aruba (5% ) or
Bonaire (1.2% ). A sub-division according to the three islands in the year
1937 is not known any more.
In 1941 there were 39 people entitled to vote in Sint Maarten, just as
many as in Sint Eustatius, so also 39, and 23 in Saba.
At the introduction of universal suffrage in 1948 it was stipulated that
each island would elect a member for the States. The number of people
qualified to vote rose in Sint Maarten from 60 in 1945 to 578 after the in-
troduction of universal suffrage. Only one list of candidates was submit-
ted however, one which was allied with the National People’s Party in
Curacao, with as the No. 1 candidate the Sint Maarten landowner William
Rufus Plantz, who lived and worked in Curagao as a civil servant. Conse-
quently, he was automatically elected.
With the coming into force of the Interim Regulation in February 1951

The first group of girls of St. Mary’s Boarding School, started in 1924 (the building
of the present St. Joseph School). Left top Sister Borromea, right top Sister Pan-
cratia; left bottom Sister Dosithea, right bottom Sister Floriberta. The girls, back
row: Christine Ledée, Germaine (family name could not be recovered), Lucilla
Magras-Laplace, Anastasia Buncamper-Blanchard (Carl Buncamper’s wife,
deceased), Agathe Ledée-Brin; front row: Henriette Morion-Ledée, Alberta Blan-
chard-Ledée, Marie Gréaux. All girls came from St. Barths, except Henriette
Morion-Ledée, who came from Marigot. Marie Gréaux lives in the Frontstreet in
Philipsburg. The Sisters Borromea and Pancratia are still living, the other two
died. °

142
The bridge from Great Bay to Cul-de-Sac across the Freshpond, about 1930. In
1955 this bridge was rebuilt and is now called Prince Bernhard Bridge.

— the beginning of the autonomy of the Netherlands Antilles as a whole

— there came an end to the representation of each of the three Windward
Islands in the States. With the exception of the years 1948-1951, when
each island had its representative, since 1938 it has in fact always been a
Sint Maartener who represented the Windward Islands in the States. Na-
turally this quite often caused discontent in Saba and Sint Eustatius.
As aresult of the large-scale migration of Windwarders to Aruba, until
1953 often a second Windwarder became a member of the States, elected
in Aruba, where in those years lived more than 1,200 Windward voters,
enough to vote somebody into the States by preferential votes. Of these
1,200 Windward Islanders more than half came from Sint Maarten, so
that this ”extra” member again was a Sint Maartener of course. As a
result of the departure of the people of the Windward Islands there came
an end to this representation by means of preferential votes. But since
politicians born in the Windward Islands often play an active part in the
political parties of Aruba and Curagao, and are often placed high on the
list, extra Windward Islanders are still elected for the States.

Local government .
In 1951 the Island Regulation came into force, as a result of which the
Windward Islands got a joint administration: the Lieutenant-Governor,
residing in Sint Maarten, appointed by the Crown, naturally on the re-
commendation of the Netherlands Antillean Government, assisted by two
deputies of each island, elected by the Island Council, which consists of
fifteen members, five from each island.
In Sint Eustatius and Saba the Lieutenant-Governor is represented by
the Administrator (the former Assistant Lieutenant-Governor). It be-
came customary in Sint Eustatius and Saba that the Administrator with
the two deputies, residing in each island, settle affairs, naturally in con-

143
 sultation with the Lieutenant-Governor. The
full Island Council and the
full Executive Council of the Lieutenant-Gove
rnor and six deputies meet
only a few times a year.

French Saint Martin

When the Order of Malta returned
its seigneurie to the Compagnie des
Isles de l’Amérique, St. Martin beca
me administratively a subordinatio
of the French colony in St. Christop n
he (St. Kitts). As a seigneurie it
for that matter, also belonged to it, toget had,
her with other islands (page 50).
Just like the Commander of Sint Eust
atius appointed the administrator
the Dutch part of the island, the Gove of
rnor-General of "Saint Christophe
et Dépendances” appointed the admi
nistrator of the French part. We
have seen (page 52) that officially these
administrators were "Lieute-
nants du Roi” (deputies of the King), but
that in practice each had his own
title.
After the Utrecht Peace Treaty in
1713 French Saint Martin was
brought under Guadeloupe administrativel
y. Up to this day this bond has
been maintained.
In the early eighties of the 18th centu
ry the administration of the
French West Indian islands was reorganise
d by Descoudrelles, de Damas
and Duzant (page 172). Henceforth there
would be a Governor of Guade-
loupe, represented in Saint Martin, Marie
-Galante and Saint Barthélemy
by a Commandant Particulier. Descoudrel
les’ successor in 1785, Jean
Sébastien de Durat was the first Comm
andant Particulier of Saint
Martin.

Passing over the years of the French

Revolution, the N apoleonic Em-
pire and the Occupation by the Dutch,
which were — as far is necessary

On January 25, 1950, Prince Bernhard

of The Netherlands landed in Sint Maart
in a plane piloted by himself: on his way en
to Philipsburg he opened the ne wly com-
pleted bridge across Freshpond,
the Prince Bernhard Bridge. For the former
bridge see page 143 (photo Wilfred Roumou).

144
for this book — dealt with on page 42, we see that in 1815, after England
returned the colony, French St. Martin was governed by a military com-
mander. Although the office of Commandant Particulier existed on paper
until 1870, the function itself lost its importance because the military com-
mander was also charged with the civil administration. As long as he was
there, the Commandant Particulier was officially the highest authority,
the link between the Governor in Guadeloupe and the military com-
mander.
Until 1838 the situation that a military commander governed St. Martin
was maintained. In this year the Governor of Guadeloupe appointed for
the first time a mayor or maire. The military commander stepped down.

Conseil Municipal
In 1823 the military commander Louis Auguste Elliott instituted the
conseil municipal or municipal council. It consisted of the military com-
mander himself as president, and 10 members, 4 of them had a seat
qualitate qua and 6 were appointed by the military commander. For 5
years this conseil municipal existed only on paper.
Not before 1828 the municipal council became reality along with the
division of St. Martin into two districts or quartiers, Marigot and Grand’
Case, a division which was both military and administrative. Each district
was placed under a lower military commander‘the ; original military com-
mander in Marigot had his daily pursuits as president of the Municipal
Council. The Municipal Council served the whole French part and was
authorized to settle local affairs.
The office of president of the Municipal Council only existed for ten
years, 1828-1838. There have been two presidents, captain Abraham Zy-
monsz Doncker until his death in 1832, and captain Oreilly, up to then
military commander of Grand’ Case, until 1838.

One commune

On July 21st, 1838, a new government regulation came into force,

under which the two districts were joined in one commune or munici-
pality. The head of which was the maire or mayor, assisted by two alder-
men. All three of them were appointed by the Governor of Guadeloupe,
but for membership of the Municipal Council the electoral system (census
suffrage) was introduced. For reasons unknown the French Government
abolished this suffrage in 1854, from then on the councillors were ap-
pointed too. The new mayor (so of entire French St. Martin) appointed in
accordance with the new regulation was Peter Georges Dormoy, who
stayed in office from 1838 till 1866, 28 years, the longest period that a
maire of St. Martin was in office.

Suffrage in 1870
In 1870 universal suffrage was introduced for membership of the Muni-
cipal Council. Until 1882 mayor and aldermen continued to be appointed.
In 1882 a law of 1876 was declared applicable to Guadeloupe, so that after
1882 the maire of St. Martin is elected.

145
 The landing stage in Marigot about 1915 (photo Jan Krugers O.P.).

The “assimilation”

As the aftermath of the Second World War also in the French islands
there sprang up a movement directed against the existing political-colo-
nial relations. Not ”’autonomy”, however, as in the Netherlands Antilles,
but "assimilation”, incorporation into France, was the slogan. A funda-
mentally quite a different aspiration.
Effective from January 1, 1948, the French West Indian islands became
two departments, viz. the department of Martinique and Guadeloupe,
each under a Prefect in stead of a Governor. Since then French St. Martin
is a canton of the arrondissement Basse Terre of the département Guade-
loupe.
As departments Martinique and Guadeloupe have their own represen-
tatives in the Chamber of Representatives in Paris.
Asa canton French St. Martin is represented in the Conseil Général in
Guadeloupe by two representatives (conseillers généraux) since Feb-
ruary 1963.
Good roads show off at once, and consequently it were the roads that
were paid attention to immediately. In former days one noticed the cros-
sing of the frontier, because the road in the French part was in a so much
worse condition than in the Dutch part, now it became just the other way
round. Of course this and similar improvements cost quite a lot, and poli-
tics is not so stupid not to recover the expenses from the public. Now that
Guadeloupe was part of France, it was just as impossible to levy import
duties here than it was between Paris and Bordeaux. So there were no
more import duties, but in stead droits de mer were introduced for the
overseas parts of France. Since French St. Martin however is a free port,
and thus these droits de mer could not be imposed, as a consequence in-
ternational in stead of national freight rates must be paid!
The Marigot Government demanded a lot more from its citizens than
the Government in Philipsburg did. In 1950, when the ”assimilation” was
fully in effect, French St. Martin had income tax, a kind of house tax, quay

146
Ludwig Reginald Carty’s home, burnt down in 1945; now Shipwreck Store is
located here.

tax and low excise duties on spirits. In the Netherlands Antillean part
there was only income tax (yielding at the time appr. 14,000 guilders an-
nually) and the dog tax which was not collected.
Nevertheless the department of Guadeloupe had to make up a substan-
tial deficiency in spite of the high taxes, because French St. Martin’s
budget amounted to 63 million old francs (315,000 Antillean guilders) in
1950, exclusive of the civil servants who fell under the budget of Guade-
loupe. Public expenditure of Dutch Sint Maarten amounted in the year
mentioned 500,000 guilders.

On March 21, 1978, the new Hotel de Ville (2,400,000 francs) in Marigot was open-
ed (photo Wilfred Roumou).

147
 Because of the fact that in the Netherlands Antilles in 1951 a financia]
partition was introduced of the Central and Insular Government, there
are no data on the total expenditure of the following years. It is in fact
interesting to find that it is impossible for the offices dealing with central
and insular public funds to produce such figures. For the French part it is
no different, for that matter.

Sous-préfecture
In former days many matters had to be decided on by the colonial ad-
ministration in Guadeloupe. The "assimilation” did not bring any change
in this, on the contrary, red tape became worse, because just like else-
where it interfered in many more affairs because of improved communi-
cation. As a result of Marigot’s continuous complaining in 1962, a sous-
préfecture was established in St. Martin. The sous-préfect has extensive
powers.

Philipsburg, seen from a plane in August 1973, scale 1 : 15,000. One can clearly
distinguish Front- and Backstreet, with the many, many alleys connecting the two.
Lt. Gov. J. C. Brouwer gave the sometimes singular names to these alleys in 1909,
as for instance, the Widows’ Alley, the Poor Men’s Alley, the Printer’s Alley
(though there was no printer in the entire island in 1909), Blacksmith’s Alley etc.
(Photo Domain Board).

148
 19.
Sint Maarten, the modern
victualing station

The presence of refineries in Aruba and Curag¢ao also brought prosper-

ity to Sint Maarten and in a sense even money to French St. Martin in the
form of the wages of countless St. Martinois who work in the Netherlands
Antillean part. We gave an account of how thousands of Sint Maarteners
and St. Martinois found jobs in Aruba and Curag¢ao, how public funds
started to flow more generously, and how after the automation an other
kind of hard-working Sint Maarteners returned. The Government could
take measures in the hygienic field, education could be improved, the iso-
lation could be broken (Juliana Airport in 1943).

Economic unit

All kinds of plans were devised to strengthen the economic basis of the .
Windward Islands in general, because it was understood that prosperity
based on prosperity elsewhere is not stable. In 1956 the former Caribbean
Commission drew up the so-called Mabes Plan, a word made of the letters
of (St.) Maarten, Anguilla, (St.) Barths, (St.) Eustatius and Saba. By Sint
Maarten also the French part was understood. These islands were to form
an economic unit together, because they were considered too small in-
dividually to continue their isolated existence without substantial sub-
sidies.
Since everything would be centralized in Marigot, the Sint Maarten Is-
land Council rejected the plan. It was never executed.

A turn because of the construction of a church

In 1951 contractors from Aruba visited Sint Maarten in connection with
the pulling down of the old and construction of the new St. Martin Church
in Philipsburg. They were clever businessmen, who immediately under-
stood Sint Maarten’s future: tourism. On their initiative Hotel Little Bay
was built. In 1955 it was opened with 20 rooms. Queen Juliana and Prince
Bernhard were the first guests.

”Only tourism has a chance”

In the next year, in 1956 the Technical Economic Council of the Nether-
lands Antilles (Dutch acronym: TERNA) drew up a plan for the economic
development of the Windward Islands and Bonaire. As to Sint Maarten it
concluded, that agriculture and stock breeding had not yielded any last-
ing effect, because the soil was not suitable for it (the clearing of moun-
tain slopes, erosion, etc.), fishing, mining and industry could not be con-
sidered, because their development is a time-consuming process, but that
tourism could bring about a certain prosperity. For this some infra-
structural projects developed, that is projects that are not profit-earning

149
Point Blanche could hardly be reached up to 1963. In this year the Juan Yrausquin
Boulevard was constructed leading to the point where the A. C. Wathey
Pier was
to be built in 1964. This road opened up Point Blanche. Still in 1963 the
Japanese
established a fishing industry there; in 1964 the Germans built arum factory
there
and the American William Hunter started to build a hotel there, the present
Castle Cove inn. In and after 1967 a residential district sprang up here (photo
Domain Board 1976).

in themselves, but indispensable for any further development: improve-

ment of the airport, water and electricity supply, etc. This resulted in a
Welfare Plan, backed by The Netherlands, so that in 1961 funds were
made available for the realization of these projects.
In 1964 the Netherlands Antilles became an Associate Member of the
European Economic Community (E.E.C.), so that also ‘money from the
development fund of this organization became available. Immediately
after the Welfare Plan, the Multi-Years’ Plan followed, which expired in
1975, and. which has been followed up meanwhile by a Continuation Plan.
Hundreds of millions of guilders are involved in these plans and Sint
Maarten receives its share to it.

150
 The following are the main projects that were financed under the Welfare Plans.
Cost in
Antillean Completed
currency in

Temporary water supply 135,000 1966

Land reclaim Philipsburg 1,485,000 1968
Road Cul-de-Sac 111,781 1966
Road airport Simson Bay Village 144,122 1967
Road Philipsburg Middle Region 195,120 1968
Improvement harbor area 104,700 1965
Lighting airport 369,500 1968
Extension Little Bay Hotel 500,000 1967
Road salt-pond to Trial 295,000 1970
Power supply 3,084,000 1970
Quay construction 2,000,000
Airport 2,433,480
Drainage and road plan 395,000
Sewerage system Philipsburg 1,450,000 :
Road airport to Philipsburg 99,500 1972
Several roads 2,741,090 1972
Airport facilities
(fire brigade, communication system) 1,564,287 1973
Extension runway airport 1,752,560 1972
Harbor facilities 879,520
New Government Administration Building 2,000,000 1978
District building White-Yellow Cross Re 205,440 1973
Housing construction 5,000,000 1969
Kindergarten Simson Bay Village 190,292 1974
Facilities St. Rose Hospital 32,250 1975
Service room and methodist church 209,000
School of the Foundation for vocational and
professional training, including a department for
the hotel industry 602,710 1975
Milton Peters College 5,472,476 1976
School for retarded children 3,196,328 1978

It should be added that some projects were not completely financed by Dutch
welfare funds, but e.g. 3/4 or 2/3 part of it.
Out of European Welfare Funds was paid:
Drinkingwater supply 3,500,000 1969

The move out of town

In previous pages we already drew the attention to the sharp increase

in the
in population between 1960 and 1977, namely from 2,728 to 11,371
part.
Netherlands Antillean part, and from 4,000 to 7,365 in the French
As a result residential districts sprang up throughout the island.
1977,
As the number of cars increased (77 in 1952, 400 in 1961, 3,900 in
plus 2,500 automobiles in the French part) this trend to move out of town
Marigot or
grew stronger. If formerly it was difficult to live outside
for lack of transport facilities, now that the car has become
Philipsburg
. Town houses became of-
common property, one could settle anywhere
g Sint Maartene rs usually disposed of some
fices or shops. Returnin
(Cul-de-Sac) was in 1963 the first country district,
money. Saunders
Welgele-
where private dwellings were built. In 1967 Cay Hill (formerly

151
 Highway from Philipsburg to Juliana Airport. A picture taken by Wilfred Roumou
on the highest elevation, from where you have a nice view. To the left sightseeing-
bus with tourists.
gen), Point Blanche and the Simson Bay area followed; in 1970 St. Peter’s
and South Reward.
On the former estates of Cul-de-Sac lived 3,000 people in 1977 already,
so that the churches started to built houses of worship in this neighbor-
hood (the Roman Catholic church at Reward in 1978), whereas the popu-
lation of Philipsburg had declined to 1,700.

In the French part a similar trend could be noticed, although on a smal-

ler scale. Here residential quarters sprang up in St. J ames, Sandy
Grounds, Hameau du Pont. Quartier d’Orléans, formerly not very densely
populated, grew into a true residential area. But in contrast with almost
depopulated Philipsburg, there still lived 3,000 people in Marigot in 1977
according to the figures of the sous-préfecture.

Opening of the Juan Yrausquin Boulevard on June 3, 1964. Lieutenant-Governor

Jan J. Beaujon cuts the ribbon.

152
The waterfront in Marigot in 1978, taken from the same spot as the former of 1948
(photo Wilfred Roumou).

Papiamento
Re
The increase in population was not only caused by the return of the
Windward Islanders. The tourist and casino trade had started already in
1959 in Aruba. So when about 1965 jobs were offered in the hotels and
casinos in Sint Maarten, hundreds of Aruban waiters and croupiers start-
ed to move to this island. And soon Arubans could be seen not only in the
hotels, but also in government offices and shops. Today it is no longer
unusual to hear Papiamento in Sint Maarten.

Beau Séjour and Sea View Hotels

In former days there were no hotels in the island (page 84). A shrewd
businessmen in Marigot, also mayor since 1928, Louis Constant Fleming,
found it difficult to accommodate friends and business relations. When he
married in 1937, he decided also to build a hotel. It was to be the still
existing Hotel Beau Séjour, the main town hotel of Marigot.
In the Dutch part the colonial Government opened in 1922 a pasanggra-
han, a guesthouse run by the government itself, and where civil servants
were accommodated on their official trips. The pasanggrahan was esta-
blished in the former reformed church, the cross-shaped building next to
Oranje School (page 105). It was a simple lodging-house, where, as far as
there was room available, an occasional visitor could also be accommodat-
ed. The word pasanggrahan comes from Indonesia, where the pasanggra-
han sprang up.*)

*) In 1988, in view of the great demand, a new pasanggrahan was built; the old
one was closed, and the building was added to Oranje School. This new pasang-
grahan later passed into private hands, and is — considerably extended — the
present Hotel Pasanggrahan.

153
 i

The main street of Marigot. To the right you can just see a part of the facade of
Hotel Beau Séjour, the oldest hotel in the island, founded in 1987 by the then
Maire Louis Constant Fleming. The large building to the left headquarters of the
firm L. C. Fleming (photo Wilfred Roumou).

In October 1947 the first real hotel in Philipsburg was opened: Sea
View Hotel. It had four rooms, and each year a few were added depending
on the increasing demand. When tourism and along with it business calls
really came off the ground, the old Sea View Hotel was pulled down in
1971 and replaced by the present building.

In the large house to the right, in former days home of the Nadal family, Sam
Hazel sr. started the Sea View Hotel in 1947. It was extended in 1959 and 1964. In
1970 it was pulled down and in 1971 replaced by the present building.

154
 Little Bay Hotel, mentioned before (page 149), was extended to 120
rooms.
Since then hotels sprang up all over the island. In the Netherlands An-
tillean part there are at present 30 hotels, apartment-hotels and guest-
houses with 1,515 rooms in all; in the French part there are 8 hotels witha
total of 329 rooms (1979).

Growth of tourism
The number of landings on Juliana Airport rose from 121 in 1950 to
15,737 in 1978. The number of passengers from 866 in 1950 to 210,270 in
1978 (64% of them are tourists).
The airfield l’Espérance in the French part, which connects St. Martin
i.a. with Guadeloupe,: hardly plays a part in tourism) (pages 96 and 165).

In 1958 5 cruise ships called at Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten;

this figure grew to 196 in 1978 carrying 105,799 tourists. Together with
the airborne visitors this adds up to 310,365 or far above a quarter of a
million visitors.
In addition to this hundreds of yachts drop anchor in Great Bay (in 1978
no less than 795), bringing in thousands of tourists too. The great cruisers
do, however, not call at the French part, but there too a considerable
number of yachts (in 1979 no less than 150) visit Marigot annually, bring-
ing in about 1500 tourists.

Opening up the districts

Wealthy North-Americans, who had been to the island as tourists, were
often so charmed that they decided to build their second home in Sint
Maarten. The oye up tto» T960 pretty isolated and without >

View of Philipsburg in 1947. The large house to the left is the former hotel Sea
View, pulled down in 1970. From left to right: Mount Paradise (vague, in the
distance), Middle Region Hill and Naked Boy.

1595
developed into a picturesque region, both in the French and in the Neth-
erlands Antillean part, where villas (and hotels) were built.
At the east coast also Guana Bay (1967) and Oyster Pond (1970) were
favorite locations. ?
With the advent of the tourists and the increase in business activities,
there also developed a brisk real estate business, so that broker’s bus-
inesses opened their doors. In 1969 a notary public came to the island. Be-
fore that date notarial matters were settled by a civil servant assigned to
this task.
In 1959 Maduro and Curiel’s Bank of Curacao established the Wind-
ward Islands’ Bank in Philipsburg, the first commercial bank in the
island; in 1963 followed by a second one, a branch office of the Banco
Popular Antiliano established in Aruba (now called Banco Barclay’s An-
tiliano). Simultaneously with the Netherlands Antillean part the French
part started to develop too, so that the third bank in the island was the
Banque des Antilles Frangaises in Marigot, opened in 1965. It was, for
that matter, the first commercial bank in the French part.
In 1969 the Antilliaanse Bank Unie or Antillean Union Bank (now AI-
gemene Bank Nederland, i.e. General Bank of The Netherlands) opened a
branch office in Philipsburg, and in 1978 the Banque Antillaise of Guade-
loupe, where this bank developed from what was originally a so-called
credit union, opened a branch office in Marigot, and finally in 1979 the
Nederlandse Credietbank (Dutch Credit Bank) established an office in
Philipsburg.
In addition to these Dutch, Netherlands Antillean or French banks, the
Bank of Nova Scotia from Toronto, Canada, established a branch office in
the Netherlands Antillean part, and in 1971 the Chase Manhattan Bank
from New York did so too.

A rush of banks
This truly large-scale rush of banks to what is indeed only a small ter-
ritory is due to the favorable fiscal regime in the Netherlands Antilles
resulting in the settlement of hundreds of off-shore companies in the is-
lands, particularly in Curacao and Sint Maarten, companies that do not
deal with residents of the islands. This favorable development is further
promoted by the geographical position with regard to Europe and North
and South America, as well as by a large measure of freedom which these
companies enjoy. It is clear that the banks can do substantial and profit-
able business with these companies.

Also construction or building companies were established, together

with allied branches of this trade, such as factories for the production of
concrete blocks, tiles, etc.
Garages were necessary and sprang up, just like car rental businesses.
Taxis, unknown before, outnumber Aruba.

Japanese fishing industry

Though the Terna had drawn the conclusion in 1956 (page 149) that the
fishing industry was no basis for strengthening Sint Maarten’s economy,
Japanese businessmen saw a future in it, provided it was set up on a large

156
scale and with Japanese sailors and fishermen. For this in 1963 they
founded the Curacao Pioneering N.V. (N.V. is Dutch for Inc. or Ltd.), that
built a cold store at Point Blanche.
The company works with 6 ships under Taiwanese flag and 11 under
Korean flag. These 17 ships are engaged in long line tuna fishing. The
yearly catch is 4,000 tons of albacore, 2,000 tons of yellowfin and 1,000
tons of other kinds. It disposes of a cold store on land and it also has a ship
with refrigerated holds. About 80% of the catch is exported to the United
States, 10% to Japan and the balance is sold locally or exported to neigh-
boring islands. The firm employs 8 Japanese and 40 Netherlands Antil-
leans and a crew of 450 Japanese on the fishing fleet.

Each year the fishermen of the ae fishing industry established at Point

Blaneke catch 4,000 tons of albacore, 2,000 tons of yellow fish and 1,000 tons of
various kinds of fish (photo Wilfred Roumou).

157
 ae

Cold Storage of the Curacao Pioneering N.V., at Point Blanche. The Japanese
started their fishing industry in 1963.

Germans make Pott rum

As everyone, who has visited Germany knows, the brand of rum sold
most in this country is Pott rum. It comes from Sint Maarten.
Taking advantage of the Netherlands Antilles’ associate membership of
the European Economic Community, the Germans founded the West
Indies Distillers N.V. in 1965. In 1967 the present factory was built at

West Indies’ Distillers’ plant at Point Blanche, started operations on November

11, 1968. The total production of 8 million U.S. gallons (30 million liters) of rum is
exported to Europe, especially Germany, where Pott rum comes from our island
(photo Wilfred Roumou).

158
Point Blanche. On November 11, 1968, production started.
Annual output is 8 million gallons (30 million liters) of base-rum. A
small quantity of it is sold in Sint Maarten in bottles, but in fact the total
production goes to the European Economic Community, particularly to
Germany, where the company is headquartered in Hamburg and markets
its product under the name of Pott rum.
The factory is expanding constantly. In 1977 $ 400,000 was invested in
an extension of the molasses unloading facilities. The distillery employs
31 people, of whom only 2 non-Antilleans.

John Sainsbury Lejuez Bridge

In 1967 plans were devised for the construction of a yacht basin in Sim-
son Bay Lagoon. In connection with this a canal was dug connecting the
Lagoon with the sea. This canal crosses the main road of the island lead-
ing from Philipsburg to the airport. Nothing came of the yacht basin, but
in 1970 a modern swing bridge was constructed across the canal, the John
Sainsbury Lejuez Bridge, named after an Anguillan, who came to Sint
Maarten at an early age, settled in Simson Bay Village and won fame as a
schooner captain. Lejuez died in New York. ,

Yacht-building

In 1970 Peter Spronk started a building yard for a great variety of

yacht types in the village of Cole Bay. The yard specializes in catamarans
of 30 to 100 feet (10 to 33 meters). These yachts won a reputation in the
world of sports because of their fine qualities and achievements.

Trade Winds Races

Some sailing enthousiasts organized a race for sailing boats in 1975;

Fort Saint Louis in Marigot; to the right the Sous-Préfecture. As early as 1689 —
so long before the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam -- there was a fortification here.
The present fort must have been built shortly after 1766, so 29 years after Fort
Amsterdam. In the fort was a barracks for 54 troops, a guard room, a kitchen anda
cistern. The fort was abandoned in 1851 and put out of order by the military (photo
Wilfred Roumou).

159
 Beautiful hotelin the French part, Hotel Saint Tropez (photo Wilfred Roumou).

Sint Maarten was the point of departure and then via Virgin Gorda, St.
Croix and Martinique, in total 756 nautical miles (1400 km). Eight sailing
boats participated, but the event was so well received that it was decided
to make it an yearly recurring event. For this the St. Maarten Trade
Winds Race Foundation was founded. In 1975 there were 8 participants,
in 1977 13 and in 1979 18. In addition to the yearly races, the Trade Winds

View on Little Bay. To the left the beach of Hotel Little Bay with the hotel itself in
the background. Extremely to the right the peninsula on the end of which Fort
Amsterdam is located. From 1921 till 1934 the telegraph station was located on the
sandy ridge between the two. Beyond the ridge you see Great Bay, closed in at the
other side by Point Blanche Hill, 400 feet (122 m). You can see the A. C. Wathey
Pier as well together with other harbor facilities (photo Hannau, courtesy ofLittle
Bay Hotel).

160
Race Foundation is also engaged in other kinds of water sports and gives
sailing instruction.

Face-lifting in French St. Martin

After the ’assimilation” of 1948 (page 146) France pumps money into
the French part. Roads were improved, a new hospital was built (1949), a
new post office (1956), a Town Hall (1978) and also schools (although many
French children still attend school in the Netherlands Antillean part).
North American tourism via the airport in Netherlands Antillean terri-
tory, also claimed the French part, where also one hotel after the other
mushroomed: in 1979 French St. Martin had 8 hotels with a total of 329
rooms. :
In 1976 the power plant was extended. In 1977 the telephone service
was automated. The telephone connections between subscribers in the
French and the Netherlands Antillean part were improved by this, al-
though there is only one line and so only one call can be handled at the
time.
The road from Philipsburg to Marigot, which was made accessible for
vehicles in 1907 (page 85), is the only good international road in the Carib-
bean area, because the two roads between Haiti and the Dominican
Republic, can scarcely be called roads, and are often closed because of
complications between the two countries. The road from Philipsburg to
Marigot has developed into a main traffic artery. Thousands of people
from the French part daily move to the Netherlands Antillean part,
where more employment is found and where the island’s only two
cinemas are located. As a result of trade trucks roar up and down. The
leading trade houses have a post office box in Philipsburg (from where
connections are better).

This picture of the Palais de Justice in the shady Rue de la Liberté in Marigot,
taken by Wilfred Roumou, might as well be taken in South France.

161
In its modern architecture French St. Martin shows beautifully adapted buildings,
as this housing-block completed in 1978. The Banque Antillaise, a branch of a bank
in Guadeloupe, opened its doors on January 1978 (photo Wilfred Roumou).

For its connection with Point-a-Pitre, the capital of the Department of

Guadeloupe, St. Martin is dependent on the boat — there is a weekly con-
nection — or, in case one wanted to travel faster and more comfortably,
on the Juliana Airport in the Netherlands Antillean part, which is also a
port of call of Air France. When shortly after 1961 salt production had

Hotel Little Bay, opened in 1955; in the background Fort Hill, 807 feet (246 m) on
which the ruins of Fort Willem I can be found, the lower hill to the left in front of it
is the elevation where Stuyvesant mounted his guns in 1644, and where he lost his
leg. In 1795 the French built their Fort Bel-Air here, remnants of which can still be
seen (photo Hannau, courtesy Little Bay Hotel).

162

eae
Street scene in Marigot. A green grocer displays his products for sale on the pave-
ment (photo Wilfred Roumou).

163
Grand’ Rue, usually called Mainstreet, in Marigot, site of several international
trade houses (photo Wilfred Roumou).

come to a standstill in the French part too, the pond at Grand’ Case was
filled, as has been said in page 96, and the flat piece of land reclaimed was
turned into a small air field, called lEspérance. It was put into use at the
end of 1971. The airfield l’"Espérance only disposes of a short asphalt run-
way, so that Air France cannot land there. But small lines such as Air
Guadeloupe and Valley Airservices of Anguilla annually make some 350
to 400 flights (appr. 25,000 passengers) for direct connections with Guade-
loupe, St. Barthélemy and Anguilla.
Quite some people from Guadeloupe come to the French (and Nether-
lands Antillean) part for shopping. But in spite of the ample connections
now available, a small boat and air connections from two airports, so that
one can travel from Sint Maarten to Guadeloupe in a short time, there are
apart from officials, civil servants and gendarmes, who by virtue of their
profession, have to stay in the island for a longer period, only few Guade-
loupiens who know St. Martin.
In its country-architecture, the cases, the working-class dwellings of St.
Martin, resemble those you will see driving around in Martinique or
Guadeloupe. Some cast iron or wood gingerbread” balconies that re-
mained remind you of the French islands and Quartier Francais of New
Orleans. In former days, one may conclude, there must have been a
greater difference between the aspect of French and Dutch Sint Maarten.
Now both parts are americanized. In the streets you see Fords and
Chevrolets and no Renaults or Peugeots, as in the other French islands.
One pays with dollars and speaks American. The former cases, for that
matter, are replaced at a rapid pace by uniform concrete houses, devoid of
style.
As to modern conveniences French St. Martin lags far behind the Neth-
erlands Antillean part. Telephone is poor, there is only electric lighting in
Marigot and Grand’ Case, so that those who live in the country have to

164
generate their own electricity. Running water hardly deserves mention-
ing. Apart from the luxe hotels for foreigners there is not a single ade-
quate hotel for the businessman or common visitor. You will look for a
book shop in Marigot in vain. There is no library.

Since French St. Martin, just like Netherlands Antillean Sint Maarten,
does not know import duties, it became a trade post. Most merchants im-
port and export, for a substantial part via Philipsburg though, where sea
and air connections are better. This export is destined not so much for the
French islands, but the non-French islands. The trade with Guadeloupe or
Martinique namely is subject to keen inspection in Pointe-a-Pitre and
Fort-de-France, which is not the case with the export to other destina-
tions. Of the 28 trade houses checked by Lasserre in 1960 only 5 turned
out to have connections with France. There are in Marigot 4 supermark-
ets. One of them sells almost exclusively French products, it is the shop
patronized by the well-to-do of the French and the Netherlands Antillean
part for delicacies.
In French St. Martin Gauloises are harder to get than Camels.

Busy Frontstreet
We remember, that in 1942 we were sitting in the verandah of Cyrus
Wathey’s house and talked to Mr. Oswald Hassell across the street (page
7). Those days are over. The Frontstreet consists of two strings of cars,
the one does not move, the parked cars, and the other does. In the Back-
street the cars move in the opposite direction.
In order to bring some soulace in this bustle, one started to fill up part
of the Great Salt Pond in 1966. An enormous piece of land was reclaimed
in this way, where now a fine thoroughfare has been built, a by-pass road,

There is a brisk communication between British Anguilla and French St. Martin.
The arrival of the boat from Anguilla (photo Wilfred Roumou).

165
 aE

The terrace of the Hotel Sea View snack-bar — the entire terrace overshadowed
by the immense crown of one giant kenepatree — is one of the cosiest meeting-
places of the Caribbean. Because of its location — close to the main street and the
view on the beach and the sea — but also because tourist and local meet here
(photo Wilfred Roumou).

leading from the harbor area
Airport and the French part.
this reclaimed land. The new
after the old building burnt
Pond Fill Project is financed
Economic Community.
to Bushstreet and giving access to Juliana
Also houses and offices have been built on
Government Administration Building, built
down in 1974, was completed in 1978. The
out of development funds of the European

The Westermeijer Project at Little Bay

While our book was going to the press, on Friday, September 7, 1979,
— a few days after hurricanes David and Frederick scourged the island
(page 82), — the foundation-stone was laid of a gigantic building project,
to be financed and developed by Tom Westermeijer, a Dutch millionaire
from Arnhem, The Netherlands. Though not yet "history” we would like
to be of service to our readers by including some data of this project: in
the course of 3 to 5 years Westermeijer Americas N.V., founded by Mr.
Tom Westermeijer, plans to construct on the coastal area next to Little
Bay Beach several eleven storeyed buildings, comprising 804 apartments,
a hotel with 136 rooms, 100 luxury villas, the inevitable casino, a pier for
yachts, ornamental waters, canals, several restaurants, one of them on
the top of the 807 feet (246 meters) high Fort Hill. A cable car will take
diners up and down. The whole project is going to cost 300 million guil-
ders; everything will be prefabricated in The Netherlands and shipped in
no less than 10.000 containers to Sint Maarten.
The first building of this gigantic project, the four storey Bel Air Hotel
— called after a French fort higher up (page 66) welcomed its first guests
in December 1980.

166
Contacts
Sint Maarten is an island with two nationalities and two capitals at a 15
minutes’ ride distance from each other. Thirty-seven registered buses
drive up and down continuously between Marigot and Philipsburg, be-
cause a considerable part of the St. Martinois works in the Netherlands
Antillean part, and those who have to be in the island for business or for
another reason, will notice to their surprise that everybody drives up and
down for a trifle. In addition to the 37 buses, two strings of cars drive the
6 miles (10 km.) between Marigot and Philipsburg vice versa. The reason
why seems to be a mystery, although the phenomenon is explained locally
— as people say — by the growing activities and the unreliability of the
telephone connections. Just as it is a mystery, the more so since traffic is
so intense, that people know so little of each other in so small an island. At
a Government Office in Philipsburg you will ask in vain for something
done by the French colleagues. At the Lieutenant-Governor’s office one
does not know anything of the cost of living in the French part, to mention
an example. But at the mairie in Marigot they do not know it either of the
Netherlands Antillean part. We talked to a teacher in Philipsburg, who
had never visited a school in French St. Martin. And the children of
Oranje School never saw one of the many mesdemoiselles from Guade-
loupe, who teach the children in the French part.

Victualing station “ ss

Sint Maarten and Saint Martin, once together a dormant island, roman-
tical as it can be seen on some picture postcard from 1907, has changed.

Rae ov

Pct
Hay Gaius

History in the making: the Westermeijer Project at Little Bay (see page 166).

167
 In the first week of July 1978 the various island government services moved to the
new Government Administration Building, which cost 2 millions Antillean guilders
(photo Wilfred Roumou).

The Dutch of the 17th century settled there, apart from the salt, to have a
victualing station on the long sea route between the Dutch colonies on the
coast of Brazil and North America and the European motherland. After a
long sleep Sint Maarten grew into a modern victualing station for trade,
transport and peace-seeking man of North and South America.

The old Government Administration Building on Frontstreet, built in 1886 and

burnt down in 1974. Actually only the groundfloor served as office, for upstairs
were the dwelling quarters of the Lieutenant-Governor! It was amazing,
however, how many people could be cramped into the limited office space.

168
Postage stamps
depicting
Sint Maarten

1943

1957

@NEDERLANDSE ANTILLEN
1958/1973, 1965

1972

1974 1977

Postage stamps with views from Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antillean part. Post-
age stamps with views of French St. Martin do not exist.

169
 Commanders, Vice-Commanders and
Lieutenant-Governors of Sint Maarten,
Netherlands Antilles

Commander: Dutch government 1784-1795

Dutch government 1631-1633
Jan Claeszen van Campen 1631-1633
Spanish government 1633-1648
Cibrian de Lizarazu 1633-1635
Luis de Valdes 1635-1639
Diego Guajardo Fajardo 1639-1648
Vice-Commanders:
Dutch government 1648-1672
Martin Thomas 1648-1650
Adriaan de Vos 1650-mid 1655
Edmond de Fosse 1655-mid 1660
Unknown 1660-1672
French government 1672-1703
Cavalier de Maynie 1672-?
Thomas Aertsen and Jacob M. Gumbes
councillors 1784-1785
Johannes Salomonsz Gibbes
1785-1790**)
Willem Hendrik Rink, LI.D. 1790-1800
As per January 1, 1792, the colonial ad-
ministration which up till then was held
by the Netherlands West India Comp-
any, was taken over by the State; Rink
stayed in office.
French government 1795-1801
Rink stayed in office with some French
commissioners at his side.
English occupation 1801-1802
Robert Nicholson 1801-1802 (see also
French St. Martin)

Dutch government 1703-1781 Dutch government 1802-1810

Lucas van Beverhoudt 1703-?
Francois Lemaire 1708-1712
Martinus Meyers 1713-1733
Louis Guillaume Durepaire 1717-1720*)
Jan de Windt Sr. 1720-1722
Jacobus Barry 1733 (succeeding
Meyers)-1736
John Philips 1735-1746 (had personal
title of Commander)
Abraham Heyliger P’s son 1748-1781
French government 1781-1784
Viscount de Damas, see also French
St. Martin
Title of Commander changed into that
of Governor
Willem Hendrik Rink L1.D. 1802-1806
Jan Verveer Jzn. 1806-1810
English government 1810-1816
All Commanders were army officers
John Skinner 1810
wage Nicolas 1810-1813
S. A. Farquharson 1813-1814
William McCaskill 1814-1815 (died)
Again: S. A. Farquharson 1815
Francis Edden 1815
Robert Douglas 1815-1816

*) Meyers and Durepaire were Vice-Commanders at the same time, the first one
appointed by Commander J. S. Doncker of St. Eustatius (who had the right to
appoint Vice-Commanders for St. Maarten), the second one by the Chamber of
Amsterdam of the Netherlands West India Company, the higher authority of
Doncker. Both Meyers and Durepaire did not recognise each other. The ques-
tion was solved in 1733 by Meyers’ death: Barry was appointed by the Com-
mander of Sint Eustatius, Johan Heyliger and Philips in 1735 by the West In-
dia Company. In the end Barry was discharged by the Company itself.
**) September 26, 1786 the title of Vice-Commander was changed into com-
mander; so for his last four years Gibbes was Commander, which meant more
independence from St. Eustatius.

170
Dutch government 1816-present day
Till 1848 one Governor for the three
Windward Islands, St. Eustatius, Saba
and St. Maarten, residing in St. Eusta-
tius, being represented on St. Maarten
by a Commander, after 1833 with the
title Lieutenant-Governor or, in Dutch,
Gezaghebber.
Pieter Roelof Cantz laar 1816-1820
Diederik Johannes van Romondt
1820-1822
Abraham Heyliger 1822-1823
Again: Diederik Johannes van
Romondt 1823-1840
Johannes Willem van Romondt (a son
of the former) 1840-1849
1848-1919 each of the Windward Is-
lands had its own Lieutenant-Governor
directly under the Governor of the
Netherlands Antilles at Curagao.
P. Peterson 1849-1850 ad interim upon
van Romondt’s death
Johannes Didericus Crol 1850-1859
Lucas Percival a.i. 1859-1860
Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga
1860-1864
Diederik C. van Romondt, oldest local
councillor, a.i. 1864-1865
Again: van Idsinga 1865
P. P. Maillard a.i. 1865-1866
Herman Francois Gerard Wagner
1866-1870
Eduard Denis Ernest van den Bossche
1871-1883
Jan Hendrik Rudeloff Beaujon
1883-1885
Theophilus G. Groebe 1885-1889
J. H. A. van Daalen 1889-1891
F. J. Olivier 1891-1893
J. Moller 1894-1901
Abraham Jan Cornelis Brouwer
1901-1919
June 2, 1919, to the present day there
is one Lieutenant-Governor for the
three Windward Islands, who is re-
sponsible to the Governor (Govern-
ment) of the Netherlands Antilles and
is represented in Saba and St. Eusta-
tius by an administrator.
G. J. Tijmstra 1919-1920
J. van der Zee 1920-1923
Richard Johannes (Hensi) Beaujon
1923-1927
C. F. Boskaljon a.i. 1927
Willem F. M. Lampe a.i. 1927-1930
Johan|Diderich Meiners 1930-1943
Pieter Hendrik van Leeuwen 1943-1948
Johannes Christiaan Paap 1948-1957
Walter Granville Buncamper a.i. 1957
Hendrik A. Hessling a.i. 1957-1958
Again: Walter G. Buncamper 1958-1959
Jan Jacob (Japa) Beaujon (son of Hensi
1923) 1959-1968
Reinier Oswald van Delden, acting
Aug. 1968-March 3, 1969, effective
March 3, 1969-March 1, 1975
Theodor Maxwell Pandt, acting March
1, 1975-Sept. 1, 1975, effective Sept. 1,
1975-present day
171
 Governors of French Saint Martin
As for Saint Martin it has not always
been possible to establish exact dates;
very often ad administrator is men-
tioned in some document and one can at
least say that the man was in office at
that particular date and not much
more.
French government 1629-1633
No names known 3 riously the local government.
Grantee-concession or seigneurie of the
Order of Malta 1648-1664
Administratively, French Martin is a
part of the Colony of St. Christopher’s
or St. Kitts.
Robert de Lonvilliers, nephew of
Philippe de Lonvilliers de Poincy,
* Governor-General of St. Kitts, 1648
Charles de Sales, mentioned in 1660
Savinien de Courpon de la Tour years
not known
Saint Laurent 1666
De Maynie 1672
All six were Knights of Malta; when
the Order of Malta gave up her rights,
De Maynie stayed as local Governor.
From De Rionville on the administra-
tors are called Lieutenant du Roi
De Rionville, mentioned in 1685
English government 1690-1697
No names known
French government 1699-1702
Jean Dyel de Parquet, mentioned in
1698
Louis Cocqueray de Valmeniere,
mentioned in 1701 and 1702
English government 1702-1713
No names known
French government 1713-1810
Administratively St. Martin is part of
Guadeloupe, up till this day.
cae Martel, mentioned in 1715
Francois de Lauréol 1717-?
”Commandant”, title changed with
the persons
J. Gréaux 1725-?
Pymont, mentioned in 1736
Alexis Brin 1753-1768 (”Governor”)
_— Ismard 1768-? ("Commandant”)
172
Auguste Descoudrelles 1763(?)-1785
(”*Governor”)
In 1781 a Viscount de Damas is men-
tioned (see also Dutch St. Maarten),
and in 1782 Jean-Baptiste Duzant;
presumably these two were acting or
assistant governors, for it is known
that the trio of Descoudrelles,
Damas and Duzant reorganised se-
In 1784 France ceded St. Barths to
Sweden in exchange for fiscal facilities
in the Baltic seaports; henceforth the
administrators are officers called Com-
mandants Particuliers of St. Martin
Jean Sébastien de Durat 1785-1793
In 1788 Francois Desbonne Belasse
is mentioned, probably an acting
Commandant.
1789 is the year of the French Revo-
lution; not before 1793 the conse-
quences of the Revolution were dir-
ectly felt in St. Martin. De Durat was
disposed and under pressure of the
Dutch (page 44) a Provisional Com-
mittee was installed, consisting of
three local merchants, Jean Rouvel-
let, John Mardenbrough and
52 Romney.
In 1795 a Delegate from the Conven-
tion Nationale in Paris arrives in St.
Martin (Year III, 9 floréal, i.e. April
29).
ihe la Bruyere 1795-1798
Charles Dormoy, this one a Delegate
from the Directoire, 1798-1803
Jean-Baptiste Bresson 1803-1804
Robert Nicholson, a colonel, 1804-1808,
see also Dutch St. Maarten (Bresson
became president of the Tribunal)
Jean Pruilh 1808-1810 (1808 Napoleonic
Empire)
English Government 1810-1815
The same officers who governed the
Dutch Part
French government 1815-today
adie St. Jire, January-July 1815
wean Incker, July 1815-October 1816
Baron de Proissie, November 1816-
September 1817
ae Rogers, September-December 1817
Louis Auguste Elliot, a Colonel,
December 1817-February 1823
_ Aurange, February 1823-October
1824
sigan Rougemont 1824-1827
Jean Sébastien de Durat 1827
Again. ..... Aurange 1828
Again: Louis Auguste Elliot 1831
sli Carol 1831-1832
ages Belongrie 1832
anes Forget 1832-1840
ie Munier (or Meinier) 1840-?
From L. A. Elliot on, all were military
officers. Already during the term of of-
fice of Captain Forget the office of
mayor was instituted in 1837; during
the first years apparently there was a
military commander and a mayor, but
at some unknown date Munier stepped
down, and no successor was appointed.
Since July 21, 1838 when the first
mayor took office, French St. Martin is
governed by a mayor, till 1882 appoint-
ed by the Governor of Guadeloupe,
since then elected by the people.
French troops standing to attention during an international ceremony
frontier.
Mayors:
Pierre Georges Dormoy 1838-1866
siees Martin, February 1866-July 1867
Louis Durat 1867-1871
Ste Helene Telephe, July-November
1871 (died)
Victor Foulquier 1871-1874 (died)
Pierre Auguste Beauperthuy 1874-1878
(died)
Charles Becker 1878-1879 acting
Jean Frédéric Becker 1879-1891 (died)
Charles Becker 1891-1904
Daniel Beauperthuy 1904-1919
Louis Emmanuel Fleming 1919-1925
Ferdinand Morales 1925-1928
Louis Constant Fleming (son of Louis
Emmanuel) 1928-1949 (died)
Elie Fleming (brother of Louis
Constant) 1949-1959
F. Hubert Petit 1959-1977
Elie Fleming 1977-today
at the
173
 Sint Maarten’s National Anthem

over the wo rid ,»say where, 5 3 H a a a a E re) : 30 lovely small with nations

f
a ree ,with people French & Dutch,theu th talking
¢
y English much,as thee St,Martin in the sea.

Andante

Sa int kertin's Lend So bright by beach and strand with

ssilors on the sex z a ay is 8 i) a H p ® Where of mountains

een, Ve

causliy in sun sicht sueen 0 I love th y par a- dise nat ure

Melody, text and copyright by Father G. Kemps C.S.Sp.

174
Father G. Kemps C.S. Sp.,
born in Venraay,
The Netherlands, in 1902.
Working in French
St. Martin since 1954,
poet and composer of
O Sweet St. Martin’s Land.

O SWEET SAINT MARTIN’S LAND

Where over the world, say where;

You find an Island there,
So lovely small with nations free,
With people French and Dutch,
Though talking English much,
As thee Saint Martin in the sea?

Chorus

O, sweet Saint Martin’s Land,

So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea
And harbours free;
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen;
Bis O, I love thy Paradise,
Nature-beauty fairily nice!

How pretty between all green

Flamboyants beaming gleam
Of flowers red by sunlight set!
Thy cows and sheep and goats
In meadows or on roads,
Thy donkies keen can’t |Iforget.

Saint Martin, I like thy name,

In which Columbus’ fame
And memories of old are closed.
For me a great delight:
Thy Southern Cross the night.
May God the Lord protect thy coast!

175
 CONTENTS

Foreword by Th. M. Pandt, lieutenant-governor of the

WANG WAT ISIANGS <5. ccve ss bec hela Seve ae ese Fea wena kn etere ss 5
Introduction, by R. A. Hoeve, President of The Sint Maarten Jaycees 6
PA NOP STNCINCS: oie sow o sb od eo es 64 aK GIR 6 9h Bea BR deD nw We wR MESES 7
IS Os (6lor) Sele ee i a en ean ee ere ne ee eee eee a 9
o. Sart Maren ay oo oe ioe c scces ae eee w us hw oh came ened enwe es 15
3. The French and the Dutch in Sint Maarten 1629-1633 .......... 20
42 The Spanish Period 1633-1648 ..........0cccsussesswesendous 28
5 Pe TROntiCr...8..... 5 Ssh Cad «eee Go esp Gaiginwns gee Deayie 32
G6. Economically aground « .... cada bwasind cueiaabicee Ys et ence eee. 49
7. Jd6hn PRUDS ..... .cavengig aren we UAeee twee as ee eee eee ee 55
8-French revival after 1963: <% bswedsaa ed onload bss se cece eee. 60
9. The second half of the 18th century brought prosperity ........ 61
10. The great depression’ «ga wake .miicahé o5:i a Pewee abe ee eee neees 67
11. Sint Maarten and Saint Martin in dates .............eeeeeeees 72
12. The way people lived a hundred years ago............+e+eeee- 83
13. Neither French nor Dutch, but English ................0e cess 86
14. What were the people engaged in in Sint Maarten in
former days? .....«. asevie ban-iosar aq. ieee seas che i we sees 90 Te
ee
ane
—

16> Church history «2. 3.0 2. 4 gemteds go meed ice Sie ge sas ceewes 105
16. Cultural and social life .........cee¢saanadiad ixah occ edccewes 121
17. The people of thenislamd siajese scay.tesears lace es ae 5 sa UT ee ee eee ees 129
18... Political development . «n.ccsle teal werae sales din tis oo ee eee eas 137
19. Sint Maarten, the modern victualing station ..............+4.- 149 pdm
ae

Old maps of Sint Maarten ..........0. ccs cece ncn uneeceeeeues 17, 34-38
Postage stamps depicting Sint Maarten ...........e eee eeeeceees 169
List of Commanders and Lieutenant-Governors ...........+eeeee- 170
Governors of French Saint Martin ............ ccc cece eee ree eeee 172
Sint Maarten’s National Anthem ............. cc cece cere rr cceees 174
Contents . 5.4 6. wi ee oa cea ws abegewts we tea nere es oe es eee es 176

176
 Re

Other books on the Windward Islands by the same author:

History of St. Eustatius

History of Saba

And for those who are familiar with Dutch there is the large "Geschiedenis van
de Bovenwindse Eilanden”, volume IV of

Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse Antillen

vol. I Aruba
vol 2 it Bonaire
vol . Ol Curacao
vol. IV Bovenwindse Eilanden
vol. V Alfabetisch Register en Historische Bibliografie

All books are available from De Wit Stores Publishers,

Aruba, Netherlands Antilles.
The writer (right) and local researcher Spam van Spanje (left) standing on Signal
Hill, in the background Great Bay and Fort Amsterdam (photo Wilfred Roumou).