Johannes van Heerdt tot Eversberg

Johannes van Heerdt tot Eversberg
van Heerdt tot Eversberg (c. 1885)
Governor of Suriname
In office 11 November 1882 – 1 August 1885
Preceded by	Cornelis van Sypesteyn [nl]
Succeeded by	Hendrik Jan Smidt
Governor of Curaçao and Dependencies
In office 1 October 1880 – 18 October 1882
Preceded by	Hendrik Bernardus Kip
Succeeded by	Nicolaas van den Brandhof
Personal details
Born	Johannes Herbert August Willem van Heerdt tot Eversberg (1829-02-22)22 February 1829 Zwolle, Netherlands
Died	10 January 1893(1893-01-10) (aged 63) The Hague, Netherlands
Occupation	naval officer, civil servant and colonial administrator

Johannes Herbert August Willem, Baron van Heerdt tot Eversberg (22 February 1829 – 10 January 1893) was a Dutch naval officer, civil servant, and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of Curaçao and Dependencies from 1 October 1880 until 18 October 1882, and Governor of Suriname from 11 November 1882 until 1 August 1885.

Biography

Van Heerdt tot Eversberg was born on 22 February 1829 in Zwolle, Netherlands. He joined the Royal Netherlands Navy, and left the navy in 1861 as lieutenant.[1][2] The same year, he was part of the Dutch–French border commission tasked with mapping the Marowijne River which forms to boundary between Suriname and French Guiana. On 10 April 1862, a map and a report was produced by the commission, and the border was considered solved.[3]: 527  In 1885, gold was discovered near the Marowijne River, and the border was in dispute.[3]: 330  As of 2021, the dispute has not been resolved.[4]

In 1863, van Heerdt tot Eversberg was appointed District Commissioner of Upper Suriname (nowadays approximates Paramaribo District), and served until 1968.[1] In 1868, he became custodian of the first mortgage office in Suriname,[1][5] however he returned the same year to the Netherlands for health reasons, and in 1869 started to work for the Ministry of the Colonies.[1]

On 31 May 1880, van Heerdt tot Eversberg was appointed Governor of Curaçao and Dependencies,[6] and was installed on 1 October 1880.[7] Cornelis van Sypesteyn [nl], the governor of Suriname, was accused of personally profiting from gold concessions, and subsequently turned in his resignation.[8][9] On 5 September 1882, it was announced that van Heerdt tot Eversberg would be transferred from Curaçao to Suriname.[10] Van Heerdt tot Eversberg left Curaçao on 18 October 1882.[7]

On 11 November 1882, van Heerdt tot Eversberg was installed as Governor of Suriname and served until 1 August 1885.[7][2]

Van Heerdt tot Eversberg died on 10 January 1893 in The Hague, at the age of 63.[11]

Honours

• Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.[11]

References

1. "Nieuw benoemde gouverneur van Suriname". Suriname (in Dutch). 17 October 1882. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
2. Blok, P.J.; Molhuysen, P.C. (1933). Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 9 (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff.
3. Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
4. "Scheidende ambassadeur Joly: 'Één gezamenlijke uitdaging'". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
5. "Hypotheekkantoor Suriname bestaat een eeuw". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 12 May 1969. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
6. "De Gouverneur van Curaçao". De Curaçaosche courant (in Dutch). 2 October 1880. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
7. "J.H.A.W. baron van Heerdt tot Eversberg". Dutch Parliament (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
8. "Spoorlijnen naar nergens". Geschiedenis.eu (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
9. "Tweede Kamer der Staten Generaal". De West-Indiër (in Dutch). 8 March 1882. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
10. "Officiele berichten". Het vaderland (in Dutch). 7 September 1892. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
11. "Overleden". Dagblad van Zuidholland en 's Gravenhage (in Dutch). 13 January 1893. Retrieved 11 February 2022.