Fort Nassau By Lauren Grant

Part 2: Notes Fort Nassau By Lauren Grant Fort Nassau, a 17th Century ruin, is one of nine gazetted National Monuments in Guyana. This edifice is located on the Right Bank of the Berbice River, 56 miles from its mouth. Like other countries which built Forts as modes of protection, British Guiana now Guyana, was no exception. The standard construction material for fort construction throughout the world during and before the 19th Century was usually of brick or stone. Some forts were originally constructed of timber then rebuilt with a stronger material. This was done with Fort Zeelandia located on Fort Island, 16 km from the mouth of the Essequibo River. Early records of Fort Nassau revealed that it was erected in 1627 shortly after the establishment of Berbice as a trading post by a private merchant, Abraham Van Pere. It was enlarged and improved in 1684. The Fort was captured in 1712 by Jacques Cassard. When commandeer Steven De Waterman arrived in the colony in 1712 he pronounced that the fort was “in bad repair and wanting renewal” as a result of the grave pillaging of the area by the French pirates. It was enlarged again and built of brick around 1734 and destroyed in 1763. This ruin which once held the seat of Government is now also known as the base from which the famous 1763 rebellion had its origins. Fort Nassau was finally abandoned in the late 18th century. One of the most important aspects of Fort Nassau, apart from the slave uprising, is the fact that it is the cradle of Christianity in Guyana. Historical records show that during the days of the Dutch occupation of Guyana, they brought the first Christian missionary to the country and the first Christian church was established there. This was the Dutch Reformed Church. The Dutch had left a considerable sum of money for the church but because of a brief lapse in activities the then British Guiana Government established what was known as the Lutheran Fund by an act in Parliament. Today, the foundation of the interior structure remains; these include the soldiers’ barracks, the main building which housed the higher ranked authorities, and a redoubt. There are also grave plots. . Some suggest that there is also the “Talking tree” of Fort Nassau, which was purported to have been used to send messages during the 1763 rebellion. The original fort was burnt by the French in 1712 but rebuilt by the Dutch; it was destroyed by order of the Governor, Van Hoogenheim in 1763 to prevent its capture by the rebelling slaves. The environs of Fort Nassau were recently enhanced with the erection of eight large signs. One depicts a Map and seven others are placed along the nature trail to guide persons to the individual sites. Each sign shows a brief description of the particular site with supporting images. These are, The Western and Eastern Graveyards, the “Court of Assembly Site”, The Warehouse, The Inn Steps, The Lutheran Church and finally, the Bridge. The Individual Sites: • The Lutheran Church The first Lutheran Church in Berbice was reportedly established on this site. Today, the iron sign still stands to symbolise the presence of what once was the location of the Church. • The Western and Eastern Grave sites The western grave site has five gravestones which are oriented almost parallel to the Berbice River. Only senior officials and their close relatives were buried there, between 1771 and 1789. Among those buried there, are two former Governor Generals of the Colony of Berbice. Some of the gravestones exhibit a crest. The graves situated at the eastern grave site have fewer decorations, drawing the conclusion that persons of lesser importance were buried there. One grave was that of a four year old child. • The Court of Assembly Site The remaining evidence of this building is the semi circular brick steps which may have led to the same facade of the building. • The Warehouse The remains of the Warehouse also known as the Barracks is the actual foundation measuring 23.2 metres by 72.7 metres long. • The Inn Steps The remains of this building are the two levels of brick steps which faces the Berbice River. • The Bridge This site has the remains of a brick bridge which had collapsed; in addition the bricks were looted to build ovens. The base of the bridge is easily recognisable. As recently as twenty years ago, this brick bridge was in fair condition, but since then, it has been a victim to severe erosion as a result of digging by bottle hunters and looting of bricks for building ovens. Throughout the years Fort Nassau was exposed to several attempts at preserving the original nature of the ruins. In addition numerous steps have been taken to promote the Fort as a source of cultural heritage, tourism and exquisite wildlife. The trails leading to the various sites at Fort Nassau are available to each visitor to explore and enjoy. This year we celebrate 250th anniversary of the 1763 Berbice slave rebellion for which Fort Nassau played a significant role. References Benjamin, Anna – 1998, Anthropology and Archaeology: Fort Nassau and the Van Wallenburg Thesis: A Re- Evaluation of the Evidence, pg. 8-22. Walter Roth Museum 1998. Hernandez, Lennox – 2011 June 12, Sunday Times: Fort Nassau, pg 23. Newman, Mark – 1991, Fort Nassau Archaeological Project 1991: A first Interim Report. Persaud, Nirvana – 2010, Monuments and Sites in Guyana: Fort Nassau, pg 8. National Trust of Guyana 2010. Singh, Herman – 1977, June 19. The Guyana Chronicle: Govt. restores historical Fort Nassau, pg 14. Wallenburg, Martin van – 1995, Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology: Sites of Fortifications and Administrative Headquarters of Early Dutch Colonists on the Berbice River, pg. 48-57.