Charles Ferdinand Bentinck
Charles Ferdinand Bentinck (20 August 1764 – 8 November 1811) was an Anglo-Dutch military officer and colonial governor. He served as Governor of Suriname from 1809 until his death in 1811.
Charles Ferdinand Bentinck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of Suriname | |
| In office May 4, 1809 – November 8, 1811 | |
| Preceded by | John Wardlau Bar |
| Succeeded by | Pinson Bonham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 August 1764 The Hague, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 8 November 1811 (aged 47) Paramaribo, Surinam |
| Occupation | military officer, governor |
Biography
Bentinck was born in The Hague, Dutch Republic on 20 August 1764.[1] He was a grandson of Willem Bentinck van Rhoon, and a relative of William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.[2] In 1795, after the Batavian Revolution, he moved to Great-Britain where his grandfather lived. In 1804, he was a Major in the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment.[1] The colony of Surinam had been taken by Britain, and it was decided to appoint a former Dutch citizen as the new governor.[3]
On 2 May 1809, Bentinck arrived in Surinam, and was installed Governor of Suriname the next day.[4] He was liked by the colonists.[5][6] and solved complaints of the Free Negro Corps about their lack of pay,[7] and complaints of the Ndyuka people who had not received their promised gifts.[8] The British government was worried, and in 1810, dispatched Brigadier general Pinson Bonham to the colony.[9] During his tenure, the Centrumkerk was built,[10] and the first census was held, because earlier estimations were deemed unreliable.[11]
Bentinck died on 8 November 1811, at the age of 47. After his death, a financial chaos and a large deficit was revealed.[12] In 1814, a marble tomb was constructed in the Centrumkerk in his honour,[6] however it was lost in the 1821 fire.[13]
References
- Einaar 1934, p. 92.
- Susanne Seymour and Sheryllynne Haggerty (July 2010). "Slavery connections of Bolsover Castle (1600-c.1830)" (PDF). University of Nottingham. p. 71.
- Wolbers 1861, pp. 558–559.
- Einaar 1934, p. 91.
- Einaar 1934, p. 93.
- J. Bueno Bibaz (1928). Beknopte geschiedenis van de kolonie van Suriname (in Dutch). Suriname. p. 57.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Einaar 1934, p. 95.
- Wolbers 1861, p. 560.
- Einaar 1934, p. 100.
- Wolbers 1861, p. 563.
- Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 665. Retrieved 6 February 2022 – via Digital Library for Dutch Literature.
5,345 free people and 54,108 slaves. Amerindians and Maroons were not counted
- Wolbers 1861, p. 564.
- Kalff, S. (1929). "Iets over J.F. de Friderici". New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids (in Dutch). Leiden: Brill. 10: 225. doi:10.1163/22134360-90001284. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
Bibliography
- Einaar, Johan Friederich Egbert (1934). Bijdrage tot de kennis van het Engelsch tusschenbestuur van Suriname, 1804-1816 (Thesis) (in Dutch). Leiden: Dubbeldeman. p. 92.
- Wolbers, J. (1861). Geschiedenis van Suriname (in Dutch). Amsterdam: S. Emmerling. ISBN 90-6033-091-9.