![[Dutch West India Company - Dutch Guinea]](https://media.app.artisio.co/media/104cbde6-0d38-43cb-9e0f-bb721ef57bcf/inventory/3f16695b-61aa-460a-812b-e5708e871c9f/d43f92da-88d1-401f-90cb-f850837e9094/0001_HXryCa_original.jpg)
[Dutch West India Company - Dutch Guinea]
Coymans, Isaac
£378
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 28 September 2022 from 10:00 BST
Description
Brieven, confessie; mitsgaders/advisen van verscheyden rechtsgeleerden in de saeck van Isaac Coymans gegeven: als mede de sentitie daar op gevolgt. Rotterdam: Dirck Jansz, [1662]. 4to, 75pp., later half calf, spine lettered in gold, tiny hole in title-page affecting the word 'daer'
Footnote
Note: Isac Coymans [also written as Coeymans, Coeimans or Koeimans], served for the Dutch West India Company as bookkeeper and merchant on the Gold Coast. He returned to Holland in 1649 to start a slave business on his own account. After the discovery of secret correspondence with Joost Kramer, commander of the Danish African Company in Fort Cabo Cors, Coymans was accused of having incited Kramer against the Company. Coymans wrote to Kramer that the Company planned an attack on him and in the second letter seditiously added that he had heard that the Company planned to murder the head of the 'Swarten' ('Blacks') named 'Jan Klaesz'. He suggested Kramer attack Fort Nassau (Elmina, Holland's first stronghold) with the help of the blacks. Coymans was arrested and sentenced to six years imprisonment, lifelong banishment from the Netherlands and the areas covered by the charter of the company, and a fine of 20 thousand carolus guilders and the costs of his trial and imprisonment. Remarkable account of this notorious trial from March 25th, 1660 till January 24th, 1662. One of the few 17th century books on Dutch Guinea. Rare.
Provenance: From the library of the late William St Clair, FBA, FRSL.