Adolph Esmit
Encyclopedia
Adolph Esmit was governor
of St. Thomas
in the Danish West Indies
from 1683 to 1684, and again from 1687 to 1688. He was born in Holstein
. His older brother Nicolai Esmit
preceded him as governor of St. Thomas.
, but he quickly went to the West Indies, where he captained a slave ship
. When there, Esmit led a faction of planters in opposition of his brother, and deposed him in the fall of 1682. Westergaard describes him as "shifty, shrewd, vain, and at times boastful, and an exceedingly exasperating neighbor to deal with." Meanwhile, his (likely English) wife Charity Esmit was in Copenhagen
, securing the official proclamation of his inauguration as governor in 1683.
During his rule, St. Thomas gained a reputation of being a haven for pirates. This was due in part to that when the fact that a sloop owned by a Briton was seized in the harbor of St. Thomas reached Governor Stapleton of Nevis
, he attempted having the sloop restored to its owner. He also required the delivery of seven white servants who had run away. Esmit was evasive, saying it was a free port. and Stapleton sent his deputy, Thomas Biss, who said "Sir, if your port is free, why did you seize the sloop? If some rogues have freedom here, why not all?" Esmit later offered to return the sloop, even after having sold it on auction.
Likewise, French pirate Jean Hamlin, being pursued by Jamaica
n governor Thomas Lynch
's men, arrived on St. Thomas in the spring of 1682. Under the protection of Esmit, Hamlin made the island his base and proceeded to rob several English vessels. When Stapleton's men encountered Hamlin's ship in the harbor of St. Thomas, they set it on fire. Although Esmit complained, claiming that the ship had been seized for the Danish Crown, he secretly sold Hamlin a sloop and let him escape the English.
Already in 1684, his rule was seen as a disgrace by the Danish West India Company
, and a replacement, Gabriel Milan
was sent to St. Thomas. Milan had orders to send Esmit to Denmark so he could be taken to account for his actions, but instead he threw Esmit in irons in order to extort money from him. Thereafter, in 1686, a new envoy was sent, Mikkel Mikkelsen
, with orders to bring them both to Denmark.
Upon Esmit's arrival in Denmark, he was able to convince Danish West India Company that he could help them locate a sunken Spanish
silver transport, and thus avoided the consequences of his rule. He was proclaimed governor again in 1687.
When it turned out that he would not be able to fulfill on his promises, and the citizens would not accept him as their governor, he was brought to Denmark again in 1688. Once there, Esmit managed to evade the impending trial by leaving for Courland
.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
in the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
from 1683 to 1684, and again from 1687 to 1688. He was born in Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
. His older brother Nicolai Esmit
Nicolai Esmit
Nicolai Esmit was governor of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies from 4 July 1680 - November 1682. He was born in Holstein. His younger brother Adolph Esmit succeeded him as governor of St. Thomas.-Biography:According to Dansk Biografisk Lexikon, Esmit served under England on Jamaica after...
preceded him as governor of St. Thomas.
Biography
When Adolph's brother's was proclaimed governor in 1679, Adolph was in CourlandCourland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
, but he quickly went to the West Indies, where he captained a slave ship
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
. When there, Esmit led a faction of planters in opposition of his brother, and deposed him in the fall of 1682. Westergaard describes him as "shifty, shrewd, vain, and at times boastful, and an exceedingly exasperating neighbor to deal with." Meanwhile, his (likely English) wife Charity Esmit was in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, securing the official proclamation of his inauguration as governor in 1683.
During his rule, St. Thomas gained a reputation of being a haven for pirates. This was due in part to that when the fact that a sloop owned by a Briton was seized in the harbor of St. Thomas reached Governor Stapleton of Nevis
Nevis
Nevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 350 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The 93 km² island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies...
, he attempted having the sloop restored to its owner. He also required the delivery of seven white servants who had run away. Esmit was evasive, saying it was a free port. and Stapleton sent his deputy, Thomas Biss, who said "Sir, if your port is free, why did you seize the sloop? If some rogues have freedom here, why not all?" Esmit later offered to return the sloop, even after having sold it on auction.
Likewise, French pirate Jean Hamlin, being pursued by Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n governor Thomas Lynch
Thomas Lynch (governor)
Sir Thomas Lynch was English governor of Jamaica on three separate occasions in the 17th century.He originally came from Galway, and was known as "Buckra Lynch". He was also chief justice of Jamaica for a time.His rival was Henry Morgan....
's men, arrived on St. Thomas in the spring of 1682. Under the protection of Esmit, Hamlin made the island his base and proceeded to rob several English vessels. When Stapleton's men encountered Hamlin's ship in the harbor of St. Thomas, they set it on fire. Although Esmit complained, claiming that the ship had been seized for the Danish Crown, he secretly sold Hamlin a sloop and let him escape the English.
Already in 1684, his rule was seen as a disgrace by the Danish West India Company
Danish West India Company
The Danish West India Company or Danish West India-Guinea Company was a Danish chartered company that exploited colonies in the Danish West Indies. It was founded as the Danish Africa Company in 1659 in Glückstadt by a German Hendrik Carloff and two Dutchmen Isaac Coymans and Nicolaes Pancras....
, and a replacement, Gabriel Milan
Gabriel Milan
Gabriel Milan was Jewish governor of the Danish West Indies from 7 May 1684 to 27 February 1686. Though he mainly went by the name of 'Gabriel Milan', he identified himself as Don Franco de Tebary Cordova in his correspondence with King Frederick III of Denmark...
was sent to St. Thomas. Milan had orders to send Esmit to Denmark so he could be taken to account for his actions, but instead he threw Esmit in irons in order to extort money from him. Thereafter, in 1686, a new envoy was sent, Mikkel Mikkelsen
Mikkel Mikkelsen
Mikkel Mikkelsen was a Fiscal and Governor-General ad interim of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, from 27 February 1686 to 29 June 1686...
, with orders to bring them both to Denmark.
Upon Esmit's arrival in Denmark, he was able to convince Danish West India Company that he could help them locate a sunken Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
silver transport, and thus avoided the consequences of his rule. He was proclaimed governor again in 1687.
When it turned out that he would not be able to fulfill on his promises, and the citizens would not accept him as their governor, he was brought to Denmark again in 1688. Once there, Esmit managed to evade the impending trial by leaving for Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
.