Any Dutch speakers able to translate please?

[hurworth]

This is from a website about Demerara, so I think it is Dutch.

En laastelyk door Mr. M. Lamaison, transport van de Plantagie Bel Air, geleegen aan de Oost Zee Kust deezer Colonie, an I. Staunton zoo voor zich zelve alse voor Rodie & Shands, Liverpool. welke laaste meede ter zelve dage zal passeeren Hypotheecq op gad: Plantagie ten faveur der Verkooper
Actum Secretary van Rio Demerary
[illegible] den 12de Mey 1807. P. F. Tinne, Secretaris.

Thank you very much.

[KGarrad]

Rio Demerary refers to the Dutch Colony situated along the banks of the Demerara River.
And I think "Plantagie Bel Air" refers to a plantation called Bel Air?

It might be better if you attached (part of) the document?
Dutch handwriting is sometimes difficult to read - especially to English eyes!!

[hurworth]

Thank you.

Yes, the plantation was called Bel Air.

It's already been transcribed, hopefully by a Dutch speaker!  It's from this website:

http://www.vc.id.au/edg/18070516edg.html

I'm interested in the previous paragraph as well.
"Door Tully Higgins q.q. H. M. Calmans & Co. Transpoort van 2 loten Lands en Gebouwen, thans bewoond door Telford, Naghten, & Co. aan en Thomas Naghten [in text as Waghten] en Thomas Fitzgerald"

[KGarrad]

By Tully Higgins <acting for?> H.M. Calmans & Co. transport of 2 lots of Lands & Buildings <meaning contents?> currently inhabited by Telford, Naghten & co, and Thomas Naghten and Thomas Fitzgerald.

[elcas]

Hi, a suggestion:

the Dutch "transport" has to be understood as "legally transferred to"

It seems to be that a lot of people are leaving their belongings/land/houses/mortgages being transferred to others.

Intriguing why !

[hurworth]

Thanks for the explanation elcas.

There does seem to be a lot of comings and goings.

I think health reasons and politics could have been a factor in the turnover.   Or, they decided they had a good enough nest egg.  Anti-slavery sentiment in Britain has been growing for quite some time before the legislation was finally passed.   Perhaps the planters were getting nervous, especially with this area recently changing hands from the Dutch to the British.

The death rate was quite high too, so it was a gamble living there.  Our ancestor (we're not sure whether he was in Demerara, but he was in the West Indies) had a couple of brothers who died of fever there.

[elcas]

Hi,

it was indeed a coming and going of French, Dutch and at the end British people/colony.

The bibliotheek.rotterdam.nl seems so have some old maps, if you are interested.

On their site you can choose for a contact in English.

Good luck.

Elcas