TRADE BETWEEN SABA AND SINT EUSTATIUS FOR THE YEAR 1744.
Sabans owned many schooners up until the middle of the last century. This is the “Mona Marie” of Captain Ben Hassell which was torpedoed by the Germans in World War II off St. Vincent.
It is interesting to note that the trade between Saba and St. Eustatius was carried on mostly by Saba Captains whose fathers and grandfathers had been English and Scottish pirates. Most of the names from the year 1744 still exist on Saba even today. Among the captains I have several ancestors Jacob Valaan , a Courlander and the name was later to become Vlaun, Vlaughn etc. I have an original document from 1780 when he died his possessions were sold on auction as he had children by two separate wives and that was the way it was done back then, with the heirs having the privilege to bid on his possessions first.Also on this list Charles Simmons and Daniel Every are among my ancestors. I recently was sent a letter by a friend of mine Rose Mary Allen of Curacao who had attended a Conference of Caribbean Historians in the Bahamas. She sent me a document presented by a Puerto Rican historian who had located in the archives of Seville a long document in Spanish on a group of maroons who had escaped from Saba in 1654. I will translate that and deal with it later on. In that document it is stated that the majority of the population of Saba at that time were Englishmen, something never mentioned by Dutch historians.They always claim that Saba was settled by the Dutch from the island of St. Eustatius around 1640, but in my research many Irishmen, English and Scots came to Saba from St. Kitts in 1629 and established the villages of Palmetto Point and Middle Island. I am my own university and unlike academia who quote exclusively from other academia I have combined oral history with research in local archives as well as those of Curacao, Holland and England to come to various conclusions which I can defend when I make my dissertation to my own University which is me!
EUX From Captain Boat type Vessels name Cargo
In: 1-1-1744 Saba James Every Bark Swallow None
7-1-1744 ” James Every ” ” ”
10-1-1744 ” James Every ” ” 6 slaves
14-1-1744 ” Robert Cooks ” Jonge Sucke None
16-1- ” ” James Leverock ” Hopewell ”
18-1- ” ” James Every ” Swallow 3 passengers
26-1- ” ” Charles Gordon ” Elizabeth None
30-1- ” ” Henry Hill Boat Elizabeth& Susanna ”
30-1 ” ” James Every Bark Swallow ”
1-2- ” ” William Winfield ” Hopewell ”
4-2- ” ” William Winfield ” Speedwell 4 passengers
5-2- ” ” James Every ” Swallow None
13-2- ” ” James Leverock ” Hopewell ”
13-2- ” ” Hercules Hassell Boat Elizabeth 3 passengers
17-2- ” ” James Tucker Bark Robert None
22.2. ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
25.2. ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell 7 passengers
3.3. ” ” John Sandeford Bark Recovery 5 passengers
3.3. ” ” William Winfield ” Speedwell 6 turtles
5.3 ” ” William Winfield ” Zeebloem None
7.3. ” ” Hercules Hassell Boat Elizabeth & Susanna ”
7.3. ” ” Abraham Simmons Schooner Charming Sally ”
8.3. 1744 Saba Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery 2 barrels coffee
11.3. ” ” John Davis ” Robert None
19.3. ”
The Bottom from 1890 as it would have looked in the time of Schorer.
” Abraham Simmons Boat Charming Betty ”
26.3. 1744 Saba Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery 5 passengers
31.3. ” ” Jacob Simmons ” Recovery 10 passengers.
18.4. ” ” Jan Schort Boat Charming Sally None
18.4. ” ” William Winfield Bark Speedwell 14 turtles, 3 tons potatoes
Schooner the “Mayflower” in the 1920’s in Statia’s Road stead. Captain Charles Reuben Simmons and owner was Thomas Charles Vanterpool of Saba.
26.5. ” ” Joris (george?) Simmons Bark Recovery 5 passengers
7.6. 1744 Saba James Leverock Bark Hopewell 200lbs coffee 40?
17.6 ” ” William Winfield ” Zeebloem 6 passengers
22.6. ” ” James Leverock ” Hopewell 2 passengers
22.6 ” ” Jacob Simmons ” Recovery 10 slaves, 6 passengers
22.6. ” ” James Every ” Swallow 2 passengers
Schooner the “Ina Vanterpool” lost in the hurricane of 1928 on Statia. Was owned by Capt. Thomas Charles Vanterpool and named after his daughter.
7.7 ” ” Daniel Every ” Hopewell 2 passengers
15.9. 1744 Saba Daniel Every ” Hopewell None
29.9 ” ” Harmanis Mulder ” Duijl 4 passengers
5.10 ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell 46 passengers
20.10 ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell None
Capt. John Clarence at the wheel of the ‘Maisie Hassell’ and his brother standing Capt. William Benjamin Hassell. 1920’s.
26.10 ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell 6 passengers
4.11. ” ” Jan Plaroir ” Hopewell None
8.11 ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell 10 passengers 100lbs coffee.
16.11 ” ” William Wood Schooner Union 1 passenger
22.11 ” ” Jacob Valaan Bark Hopewell 8 passengers
24.11. ” ” Jacob Simmons ” Recovery None
Activity in the Bay at St. Eustatius
9.12. 1744 Saba Charles Simmons ” Speedwell None
15.12. ” ” Philip Watkins Boat Paket 1 passenger
16.12 ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery 2 passengers
26.12 ” ” Jacob Simmons ” Recovery None
28.12 ” ” Daniel Hassell ” Speedwell None
28.12 ” ” Jacob Valaan ” Hopewell None.
In the road stead of St. Eustatius in the nineteen seventies.
I also have the list of vessels leaving the port of St. Eustatius in the year 1744 for Saba which I will add to this list when I get a chance.
Ryan Espersen has been sharing parts of his research with me and I am thankful to him for that. I am recording certain things on my blog for future generations to know how our people survived on this small island in former times. It was either fish or cut bait. Each man and woman for themselves.No government employment to depend on then and it may happen again in the future.
Here is the list of boats coming from St. Eustatius to Saba in the year 1744 with passengers and cargo. As St. Eustatius grew in economic importance in the next fifty years the trade between the two islands was much more than in 1744.Also I am of the belief that certain items were not listed as cargo, e.g. fish, ground vegetables, livestock and so on. What is listed as cargo in 1744 was probably” cargo” which was subject to some sort of tax and control of movement of people between the islands. This would answer the question as to why anyone would be sailing up and down between the two islands without any “cargo” or passengers. From other historical sources the trade between the two islands consisted mainly of food and livestock which most probably was not subject to any form of taxation and therefore not listed under “cargo”.
1920’s, schooner “Priscilla” and a sloop in the harbour of Saba in the 1920’s. The schooner was one of a fleet of schooners owned by Captain Thomas Charles Vanterpool.
St. Eustatius to Saba Captain Boat type Name Cargo
4-1-1744 James Every Bark Swallow None
7-1- 1744 James Every :” ” ”
10-1-1744 Robert Cooks ” Jonge Sucke ”
14-1- 1744 James Every ” Swallow ”
18-1- ” James Leverock ” Hopewell ”
22-1- ” Charles Gordon ” Elizabeth ”
25-1- ” James Leverock ” Hopewell ”
25-1- ” James Every ” Zeebloem 1 passenger
29-1- ” Henry Bill (Hill?) ” Elizabeth&Susanna None
30-1- ” William Winfield ” Zeebloem None
31-1- ” William Winfield ” Speedwell None
1-2- 1744 Saba William Winfield ” Zeebloem ”
2-2- ” ” James Every ” Swallow ”
4-2- ” ” William Winfield ” Swallow 2 passengers
10-2- ” ” James Every ” Swallow None
14-2- ” ” Robert Tucker ” Robert 2 passengers
17-2- 1744 Saba James Leverock ” Hopewell None
22-2- ” ” James Leverock ” ” ”
26-2- ” ” James Leverock ” ” ”
28-2- ” ” Thomas Pecker ” Robert ”
Saba as seen from a boat approaching the island. That view remains the same as it would have been in 1744.
2-3- ” ” Abraham Simmons Schooner Charming Betty None
4-3- ” ” John Sandifort Bark Recovery None
4-3- ” ” Hercules Hassell Boat Elizabeth&Susanna None
5-3- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem None
1-3- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell None
16-3- ” ” Abraham Simmons Boat Charming Sally None
23-3- ” ” James Every Bark Swallow 2 barrels sugar
24-3- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
25-3- ” ” Abraham Simmons Boat Charming Sally 2 barrels rum, 2 passengers
28-3- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
30-3- 1744 Saba Jan Plas Bark Zeebloem None
31-3- ” ” Abraham Simmons Boat Charming Sally 2 passengers
1-4- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell None
19-4- ” ” Daniel Vanderpoel Bark Drie Vrienden None
30-4- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem None
6-5- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell 2 passengers
6-5- ” ” Jan Faroumet Schooner Charming Betty None
16-5- 1744 Saba William Winfield Bark Speedwell None
23-5- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem None
28-5- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell None
The island of St, Eustatius as it would have looked like in 1744 when it was fast becoming a big trade center for the region and beyond. During the revolution by the British North American colonies much of the trade to those colonies was conducted via St. Eustatius and it is from that time that Saba captains became acquainted with builders of schooners and owners of large fleets of schooners of which many Sabans were captains.
29-5- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem 1 passenger
4-6- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell 2 barrels meal, 3 passengers
10-6- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell 2 barrels rum
18-6- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery 14 slaves
19-6- ” ” James Every Bark Swallow None
23-6- 1744 Saba James Every Bark Swallow 2 passengers, 5 slaves
23-6- ” ” James Leverock Bark Hopewell None
25-6- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
3-7- ” ” Daniel Every Bark Hopewell 1 passenger
Sabans were captains from very young ages. Here sitting on the railing is Capt. Laurie Hassell, then 19, and he was captain of his father’s (Captain Ben) schooner the “Mona Marie” sailing out of Barbados all the way to Guyana, Turks &Caicos islands, Jamaica, Saba and so on.
3-7- ” ” Thomas Simmons Bark Speedwell None
4-7- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem 1 cargo house furniture
23-7- ” ” Daniel Every Bark Hopewell None
21-7- ” ” William Winfield Bark Zeebloem 6 passengers
21-7- ” ” Hermanises Mulder Schooner Union 12 passengers
31-7- ” ” Daniel Wingort Bark Three Sisters None
6-8- ” ” Henry Hassell Bark Charles&Elizabeth None
12-9 1744 Saba Daniel Every Bark Hopewell None
Sabans built their own schooners and sloops from very early on and up until recent times when smaller fishing boats were built in the villages and carried down to the sea for launching and to fish the Saba Bank.
26-9- ” ” Hermanus Mulder Bark Duijt None
30-10 ” ” James Every Bark Hopewell None
30 -10 ” ” Charles Simmons Bark Recovery None
9-10- ” ” Charles Simmons Bark Speedwell 4 passengers
14-10- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
25-10- ” ” Charles Simmons Bark Speedwell None
9-10- ” ” Jacob Simmons ” Recovery None
1-11- ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell ”
4-11- ” ” William Winfield ” Speedwell ”
13-11- ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell 3 passengers
19-11- ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell None
Originally this family is supposedly descended from the Dutch Van der Poel listed here. However the name was Anglicized from very early on to Vanetrpool, as when this family came to Saba in the early to mid eighteen hundreds from Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands the name was already spelled as Vanterpool. As a family they owned the most large schooners which conducted trade with Curacao and New York.
20-11 1744 Saba Jacob Simmons ” Recovery None
4-12- ” ” Hercules Hassell Twee Vrienden ”
5-12- ” ” Charles Simmons ” Speedwell 700lbs cotton, 1 barrel rum
11-12- ” ” Philip Watkins Schooner Paket None
12-12- ” ” Jacob Simmons Bark Recovery None
24-12- ” ” Jacob Valaen Bark Hopewell None
24-12- ” ” Daniel Hassell Bark Speedwell None
This was life at sea for most Sabans in former times. This is a large schooner the “Dorothy Palmer” at sea. Sabans like Capt. Lockland Heyliger were captains of the Palmer fleet. He was Captain of the large five masted Rebecca Palmer. Life at sea was not easy but had its rewards as many of our captains lived well into their nineties before moving on to larger oceans to conquer.
And so we present you with this tidbit of information for the trade between St. Eustatius and Saba for the year 1744.
The Saba Islander 