Family tree van de Veer - Postma » Abraham Johannesz de Veer (1767-1838)

Personal data Abraham Johannesz de Veer 

• He was born on January 8, 1767 in Willemstad, Curaçao, N.A.
• He was christened on January 8, 1767 in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean.
• He was baptized on January 8, 1767 in Curacao (Na).
• Occupations:
• from April 1, 1822 till October 12, 1827 Abraham de Veer was a major-general and commander general for the coasts of Guinea, Governor of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba and of Surina. He He was a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion..
• in the year 1822 .
• (Wijkregister) in the year 1836.
• He died on February 2, 1838 in Paramaribo, Suriname, he was 71 years old.
• He is buried in Steenen kerkhof, Paramaribo, Suriname.
• A child of Johannes de Veer and Gijsberta Vos

Household of Abraham Johannesz de Veer

(1) He is married to Dorothea Elisabeth van Uytrecht.

They got married on May 27, 1787 at Curacao Ned.Antillen, he was 20 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Gijsbertha Jannetje Martha de Veer  1787-1846
2. Johannes de Veer  1789-1872
3. Casper Lodewijk de Veer - van Uytrecht  1790-1846 
4. Abraham de Veer  1793-1863
5. Baby (child) de Veer  

(2) He is married to Aletta Schotborgh.

They got married on April 9, 1797 at Curacao, he was 30 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Catharina Brugman de Veer  1798-1853
2. Gerard de Veer  1799-1830
3. Pieter de Veer  1801-1824
4. Geertruida Henriette de Veer  1802-1812
5. Constantia de Veer  1804-1874
6. George Severijn de Veer  1806-1891
7. Sara Gertruida de Veer  1818-1899
8. Jan Willem Frederik de Veer  1819-1820

(3) He is married to Fanny Ellis.

They got married on April 9, 1797 at Curacao, he was 30 years old.

Notes about Abraham Johannesz de Veer

Johannes had a son, Abraham, born in Curacao on 8 January 1767. Abraham died in Suriname on 2 February 1838 after many years of colonial service.

Abraham initially devoted himself to agriculture in Curacao but, after a few years, he joined the governing administration and over the course of his service accepted roles of increasing responsibility. By 1800 he became the Receiver General ofthe colony and a member of the governing Council.

On 23 July 1800 five French ships appeared off Curacao bringing news that the English were planning an attack on the island and they, therefore, had come to support the defenders of Curacao. [ed. The French and English were at war – the War of the Second Coalition.] Following length discussions and deliberations, the Governorrejected their offer of assistance. In reply the French revealed their true objective and demanded the surrender of the island. The Council rejected this demand, and the French commander sent his troops ashore. The island defenders set out to repel the French by force, but the invaders had come in strength and the situation grew desperate for the islanders. Then, on 10 September an English frigate appeared off the island. The inhabitants of Curacao now found themselves between two hostile camps. Choosing the lesser of two evils the island was placed under the protection of the English on 11 September 1800, and the French were driven out.

By the peace of Amiens in 1802, Curacao was returned to the Dutch. Abraham de Veer had established a sound reputation during the invasion and in 1803 was appointed to the role of joint Commissioner, responsible for the governance of the island.

Peace brought little relief to the island. It was ravaged by plague and in 1803 the Islanders received news that war had broken out again between France and England and the Dutch were involved. This made it necessary to put the island in a position of defense, but necessary military resources were lacking, there was a shortage of food, and the island was impoverished, its finances completely disorganized. The Commissioners set to work improving the finances, purchasing provisions, setting price controls to avoid food inflation, and restoring fortifications as quickly as possible. The standing army was reinforced by citizen volunteers.

While preparations for defense were underwayin 1803 a Captain Robert Tucker appeared in the harbor of Curacao commanding an English war corvette and intending to attack. The island military was able to capture Tucker and his officers and forestall the attack. However, a more serious attempt by the English soon followed. Early in 1804 Captain John Bligh [ed. A cousin of William Bligh of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame] appeared in the harbor with an English squadron and claimed the island. Bligh’s troops landed and marched through the island, plundering, and burning as they went. The house of Abraham de Veer suffered great damage. The plantation of his half-brother Jasper was taken over by fifteen English officers. Four attempts were made to drive out the invaders. All failed. De Veer encouraged the military to attack one final time. In this war of attrition, the English finally fell back and vacated the island.

Later in 1804 a new governor arrived and took over the administration of Curacao. De Veer stayed on in various capacities until 1807 when he departed for the Netherlands. Shortly after his arrival he was appointed Governor of the Dutch Gold Coast [ed. Contemporary Ghana.]. He accepted this position in the hope that it would be of benefit to his wife and seven younger children, whom he had left behind on Curacao. In 1808, accompanied by his two eldest sons, he sailed for the Gold Coast, carrying with him a large supply of his own merchandise with which to conduct trade at his destination. Misfortune befell him. The ship was overtaken by an English frigate and, after a fierce struggle, captured and brought to Plymouth. De Veer was made a prisoner of war until 1809, first in England, then on his honor in the Netherlands. He lost all his merchandise. In 1809 he was exchanged and instructed to leave for his new appointment as soon as possible.

He complied promptly, again accompanied by his two eldest sons. When he reached his destination, he found the castle atSt. George d'Elmina under siege by members of the Fante Confederacy. [ed. This was a slave castle where captured slaves were held until ships arrived to take them to the western hemisphere. The Fante were a group, native to the region, conducting a constant war of resistance against Dutch colonization.] After six months the siege ended, and the attackers withdrew.

For the next five years Abraham was cut off from all communication with the rest of the world, while contending with the destructive influence of the climate, the ongoing hostilities with the indigenous people and the lack of financial resources to pay his troops and administrative officials. Eventually he was forced to pay wages from his own pocket rather than surrender the colony. Having no writing paper, he was forced to tear leaves from old books to keep up with his notes.

In 1816 his term was up, his replacement arrived, and he was able to return to the Netherlands. He was entrusted with the administration of the islands of Sint Eustatius, Sint Martin, and Saba. He departed for Curacao where, after a separation of ten years, he was reunited with his wife and younger children. Once settled in his new offices he assembled and submitted his claim for all the expenses he had born while governing the Gold Coast. He had the monies paid to him deposited with his cousin Johannes Abraham Severyn inAmsterdam, but a few days later his cousin’s trading house went bankrupt, and de Veer lost the whole amount.

In 1821 Abraham was appointed Governor of Suriname. Here he made particularlyvaluable contributions by curtailing illegal trade in slaves [ed. Slavery was not abolished in Suriname until 1863.], rebuilding the capital, destroyed by fire earlier in 1821, restoring thefinances of the colony, and taking steps to prevent leprosy and promote vaccinations. However, because of the low exchange rate of Surinamese currency, in which he was paid, he was unable to recover his own finances.

He retired in 1828.
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Timeline Abraham Johannesz de Veer

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