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Pieter Linthorst

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Pieter Linthorst
Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast
In office
16 June 1805 – 21 July 1807
Preceded byIsaac de Roever
Succeeded byJohannes Petrus Hoogenboom
Member of the Second Chamber of the Representative Body of the Batavian Republic
In office
31 May 1799 – 17 October 1801
ConstituencyAmsterdam-VIII
In office
31 July 1798 – 30 July 1799
ConstituencySoestdijk
Member of the Provincial Government of Utrecht
In office
17 October 1796 – 23 February 1798
Personal details
Bornc. 1757
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died (aged 50)
St. George d'Elmina, Dutch Gold Coast
Spouse(s)Catharina Christina Kestlij
Maria de Jonghe

Pieter Linthorst (circa 1757 – 21 July 1807) was a Dutch writer of plays and political pamphlets, politician, and colonial administrator on the Gold Coast, who served as governor-general of the Dutch Gold Coast between 16 June 1805 and his death on 21 July 1807.[1]

Biography

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Pieter Linthorst was born in Amsterdam to Pieter Linthorst senior and Jannetje Cristoffels. He was baptised in the Amstelkerk on 16 February 1757.

Linthorst was a writer of plays and political pamphlets and was a member of the provincial government of Utrecht between 1796 and 1798. He was then elected member of the Representative Body of the Batavian Republic, where he first represented the constituency of Soestdijk and later Amsterdam-VIII.

For some reason, Linthorst continued his political career as a colonial administrator on the Dutch Gold Coast. He kept a journal of his journey to the Gold Coast, which he intended to publish. The manuscript he sent to his friend Antonie Lodewijk Heijstek in the Batavian Republic was confisquated by the British, however, and never reached Heijstek.[2]

Linthorst was appointed resident of Fort Crèvecœur in Accra on 20 April 1802 and served there until he took over as governor-general of the Dutch Gold Coast on 16 June 1805, after his predecessor Isaac de Roever repatriated to the Batavian Republic to recover from illness.[3][4] His appointment proved controversial, as it was done by the Small Council in Elmina, without the presence of the resident of Fort Saint Anthony Jan Frederik König, who was the more senior resident on the Gold Coast and the more logical successor of De Roever. König protested the procedure, but nevertheless accepted the decision made.[5] All doubts on the legitimacy of Linthorst's rule were taken away, however, when he was officially appointed as governor-general by the authorities in the Batavian Republic on 5 August 1805.[6]

During Linthorst's time in office the Ashanti–Fante War broke out, which among other things resulted in the Fante occupation of Fort Amsterdam. Linthorst blamed this on the lack of military supplies from the metropole, which at the time was going through a turbulent period in which the French client state of the Batavian Republic was replaced by a Kingdom of Holland headed by Louis Bonaparte as king.[7]

In 1807, he sent a proposal for colonisation of the Gold Coast to The Hague.[8]

Pieter Linthorst died in office on 21 July 1807.[9]

Personal life

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Pieter Linthorst was married to Catharina Christina Kestlij, who died in 1799. After her death, he married Maria de Jongh (1779–1841) in 1802.[10][2][9]

Publications

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Plays

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  • De herëeniging: tooneelspel in 5 bedrijven
  • De patriotten van zeventien honderd zeven-en-negentig: tooneelspel in drie bedryven
  • De majoor Breekijzer op het vrede feest te Nederoord: blijspel in 5 bedrijven
  • Deugd en ondeugd, of De gevaarlyke gevolgen van de dweepzucht: tooneelspel in vyf bedryven

Notes

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  1. ^ Weijtingh 1855, p. 4.
  2. ^ a b "Van handgeschreven reisverslag tot Virtual Research Environment. De Prize Papers online". historici.nl. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Bataafsche Republiek". Groninger Courant. 23 April 1802. Retrieved 9 May 2020. De Raad van Amerikaansche Bezittingen heeft, naar men verneemt, tot Resident te Akra, op de Kust van Guinea, benoemd, den Burger Pieter Linthorst.
  4. ^ "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 23". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 16 June 1805. Retrieved 12 May 2020. Zijlieden daarinne willende voorzien hebben goedgevonden, om in deszelfs plaatse, [...] Hoog gemelde Ede Achtbaare Heere I de Roever Zijne Hooge Bediening als Gouverneur Generaal zal hebben nedergelegt te doen optreden de Wel Edele Heer P Linthorst Raad en [...] Resident van 's Lands fortresse Crevecoeur tot Accra die ook bereids daartoe, den eed in onze handen heeft afgelegd.
  5. ^ "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 23". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 16 June 1805. Retrieved 12 May 2020. Den ondergeteekende niet dan met de uiterste verbaazing en verwondering uit de E M Missive in dato den 3 dezes maands ontwaard hebbende, dat den Raad heeft kunnen goedvinden, zonder Extra Ordinaire bijeenroeping van alle de Leden des Groten Raads, in zo eene gewigtige en belangrijke zaak en waardoor hij ondergeteekende dus verstooken is geweest [...]
  6. ^ "Bataafsche Republiek". Ommelander Courant. 9 August 1805. Retrieved 9 May 2020. 's Hage den 6 Augustus. [...] Tot Gouverneur-Generaal op de Kust van Guinea, in plaats van wylen den Heer Bartels, de aldaar den rang van Resident bekleedende Heer P. Linthorst.
  7. ^ Yarak 1990, p. 102.
  8. ^ Sens 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Voor weinige dagen ontving ik de treurige bevestigende tyding..." Utrechtsche Courant. 25 May 1808. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Ondertrouwregister". archief.amsterdam. Stadsarchief Amsterdam. 5 February 1802. Retrieved 9 May 2020.

References

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