Dutch Colonialism

The peripheral forts of the Spaniards in the Moluccas (1606-1677)

Mappa delle Molucche, 1630

Written by Marco Ramerini, 2005 (English edition: 2023) In this text I describe the information I have gathered over the years regarding the Spanish outposts in the peripheral islands of the Moluccas, therefore excluding the islands of Ternate and Tidore. Spanish control, in fact, was not limited only to the two main islands of Tidore and Ternate, which are treated ...

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Esteban de Alcázar, a soldier in the service of the king of Spain in Europe, the Philippines and the Moluccas

L'assedio di Rheinberg nel 1598

Written by Marco Ramerini – 2021 (English translation: 2023) General Index AROUND EUROPE p. 3 ARAGON, ITALY, FRANCE p. 3 FLANDERS, FRISIA, GELDRIA… p. 4 THE RETURN TO SPAIN p. 7 IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE MOLUCCAS p. 10 THE CONQUEST OF TERNATE p. 10 THE FIRST BATTLE OF PLAYA HONDA p. 11 PERMANENCE IN TERNATE p. 11 THE WEDDING ...

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The Fortresses of the Moluccas Islands: a new book

The Fortresses of the Moluccas Islands

A splendid book dedicated to the spice islands was published in April 2022. The book describes in detail the fortifications of the two islands of Ternate and Tidore in the Moluccas, the famous Spice Islands. The text of the book is bilingual in Spanish and English. From the book cover: “This book offers a precise and detailed account of every ...

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The forts of the Saint-Martin island: Fort Amsterdam and Fort Louis

Fort Amsterdam, Sint Maarten. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Written by Marco Ramerini. The island of Saint-Martin (Sint Maarten) is an island of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. The island is located between the islands of Anguilla and Saint-Barthélemy and has the distinction of being divided between France and the Netherlands. This division dates back to the treaty signed by the two countries in 1648 (Treaty of Concordia) ...

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Dutch Malacca 1641-1795, 1818-1825

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. On 14 January 1641 the Dutch took possession from the Portuguese of the fortress of Malacca with the help of their ally the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch had treaties with the Johore Sultans to get rid of the Portuguese. The Malays were confident of a victory with the help ...

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The Dutch Fort of Tangalle, Sri Lanka

Fort2. Author Dirk Holtschlag

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by Dirk Holtschlag. Tangalle is a small coastal town located a few kilometers east of the city of Matara, in the extreme south of the island of Ceylon. At the time of the Dutch occupation of Ceylon, Tangalle, thanks to its natural harbor, was used by them as an important anchorage. Here, around 1775, the Dutch ...

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St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri or Thangassery, Kerala, India

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by Prof. Rahul Basu. Tangasseri or Thangassery / Kollam is a city located along the coast of the ancient Malabar, in the Indian state of Kerala in southern India. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in this port of Malabar, they landed there in 1502. In the following years Tangasseri or Thangassery / Kollam that the Portuguese called ...

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Sri Lanka Burgher Family Genealogy: Andree/Abernethy

The Burghers of Sri Lanka. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Written by Phil Abernethy. Enid Ursula Andree was born on the 28 Oct 1928 in KL Malaysia my father Fredrick Alexandra Abernethy (Freddy) die on the 23 May 1979 in Perth WA, they had 2 Children, myself – Philip Andrew Abernethy born 23 June 1960 in KL Malaysia and Anna Agnes Abernethy born 22 Jul 1948 in KL Malaysia, married ...

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The Forts of the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Today

Fort Kayu Merah, Ternate, Indonesia. Author and Copyright Simon Pratt

Written by Simon Pratt Forts of the Banda Islands The Banda Islands, reached via Ambon, contain some of the most historic and evocative forts of the old Dutch East Indies. Most impressive is Dutch-built Fort Belgica (constructed 1611) towering over the tiny township of Bandaneira. Following refurbishment in the 1990’s it remains the best preserved of all forts scattered across ...

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The Dutch West India Company. WIC (West-Indische Compagnie)

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. The WIC (West-Indische Compagnie) Dutch West India Company was a Dutch trading company shaped after the example of the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie – Dutch East India Company). On June 3, 1621 it was granted a charter for the ‘right on shipping and trade’ and a 24 years monopoly of ...

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Australia and the Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Written by Peter Reynders There have been a number of early European based ‘monopoly companies’ trading in Asia. The combined impact of the Portuguese Estado da India, the first practitioner of the monopoly product principle, the Muscovy, the Ostend, the Swedish and the English East India Companies, the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and the many smaller enterprises of the vast, ...

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India. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini Under Costruction… INDIA: GUJARAT MAHARASHTRA Vengurla, Wingurla: Netherlands: trading office and fort 1638 – ? Source: Disney, A. “Twilight of the pepper empire”  KARNATAKA Mangalore, Mangalor: KERALA Cochin: (Cochim, Cochin, Kochin, Couchyn, Couchin, Coutchin) Netherlands: 7/8 Jan. 1663 – 20 Oct. 1795 to the English Vypin: (Vypin, Baipin, Waipin, Vaipin) Ajengo:  Netherlands: factory TAMIL NADU Negapatam: (Nagappattinam, Nagapatnam, Negapatnam) ...

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Indonesia. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini Under Costruction… INDONESIA: Batavia: Netherlands: 1619 – Poelo Gontong (Sumatra): Netherlands: ? – 1765 On the tiny island of Poelo Gontong, in east Sumatra, the Company set up a guard post even before the Siak area had been conquered. This military outpost soon acquired a reputation as an unhealthy place with a high percentage of fatalities. ...

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Sri Lanka (Ceylon). List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini SRI LANKA: WEST COAST (North of Colombo) Colombo: (Colombo, Columbo, Calamba, Kolombo, Colombe) (6°56′ N – 79°51′ E) Hultsdorf: (Hulffsdorp, Hulfsdorp, Hulftsdorp, Hulsdorp, Hulstsdorp) Kasteel Netherlands: 12 May 1656 – 16 Feb 1796 British: 16 Feb 1796 – Sources: Brohier “Links between Sri Lanka and The Netherlands: a book of Dutch Ceylon” Ribeiro “The historic tragedy ...

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South America. List of Dutch forts and colonial possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. COLOMBIA Santa Marta: Netherlands: 16 Feb. 1630 – 21/22 Feb. 1630 abandoned to Spain Goslinga “The Dutch in the Caribbean and on the Wild Coast 1580 – 1680”  VENEZUELA: Punta de Araya: Goslinga “The Dutch in the Caribbean and on the Wild Coast 1580 – 1680” Isla Tortuga: Goslinga “The Dutch in the ...

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North America. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini USA CONNECTICUT: Fort Goed Hope (Hartford): Fort Goed Hope, Fort Huis ter Hope DELAWARE: Prinseneiland, Moordenaarseiland (Murderer’s Island, Prince’s Island): Fort Wilhelmus Fort Casimir (Newcastle): Nieuw Amstel, Fort Nieuwer Amstel, Fort Drie-eenheid Altona, Altena (Wilmington): Fort Christina, Fort Altena Blommaerts Kil, Horekil, Whorekill, Hoerenkill: Compagniesfort, Compagniesfort Whorekill Swaenendael (Lewes): MAINE: Pentagouet: Netherlands: Aug. 1674 – Sep. ...

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South East Asia and the Far East. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini BANGLA DESH: Dhecca, Decca (Dhaka): Netherlands: trading office Until 1704 Dhaka was the seat of the Nawab of Bengal. From 1664 the Nawab functioned as the viceroy of Bengal. He sent an emissary to the administration of the Company in Batavia requesting aid in his battle against the Arakan. Both the Dutch and the English established ...

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Central America. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. PUERTO RICO San Juan de Puerto Rico: Netherlands: Sep. 1625 – 2 Nov. 1625 abandoned to Spain The Dutch occupied only the town and the fort of Canuela at the bay entrance. The fort of Canuela is retaken by the Spanish after three weeks. The Morro Fortress remains in the ...

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Arabia and Persian Gulf. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. YEMEN Aden: Netherlands: trading office: August 1620- November/December 1620 On 22 August 1620 the Dutch ship “‘T Wapen van Zeelandt” reached Aden; here the Dutch immediately rented a house. When the ship left Aden, five servants and a supply of goods (worth about 42.000 guilders) were left in the trading post ...

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Africa. List of Dutch colonial forts and possessions

Fort Nassau at Mouri, Ghana. Author Johannes Kip (1704). No Copyright

Written by Marco Ramerini MAURITANIA: Arguin: (20°36’N – 16°27’W) Netherlands: 1633 – 1 Sep. 1678 to France (1 Sep. 1678 – Sep. 1678) abandoned (1678 – 1685) to Brandenburg (5 Oct. 1685 – 9/10 Mar. 1721) to France (10 Mar. 1721 – 11 Jan. 1722) Netherlands: 11 Jan. 1722 – 20 Feb. 1724 to France (20 Feb. 1724 – Mar. 1728) ...

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