A POSTAL HISTORY OF ZWOLLE

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES AND SURINAME

The Generale West-Indische Compagnie, later called Geoctroyeerde West-Indische compagnie (GWC) was founded in 1621. It was granted the monopoly for all trade west of Cape of Good Hope and the Americas as well as for the transport of mail. Before 1697, there are no rate or other Dutch postal markings on the few covers known.

The Company was organized in the same way as the United East India Company (VOC). There were five chambers: Amsterdam, Zeeland (established in Middelburg), Maze (Rotterdam), Stad en Lande (Groningen) and Noorderkwartier (Hoorn). The administration consisted of the Heeren XIX, elected from 74 commissionaries. Its main trade was sugar, tobacco and the slave trade from Africa to the West Indies. Because of a bankruptcy the Company was liquidated in 1674 but it was refounded the next year. This company is known as the 2nd West-India Company (Tweede Geoctroyeerde West-Indische compagnie  or  Nieuwe West-Indische compagnie.) The Heeren XIX were replaced by the Heeren X. In 1792 the company was liquidated. Its possessions were handed over to the government of the Dutch Republic.

The first colony to be founded by the GWC was Nieuw Nederland (1624-‘64). This consisted of today’s Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont.  Later colonies were founded in today’s Netherlands Antilles, two places in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Tobago, Guyana (today’s British Guyana, French Guyana and Suriname), and the settlement of Nieuw Holland on the Brazilian coast. On the other side of the Atlantic, in Africa, there were settlements in Arguin, Gorée, Goldcoast, Sao Tomé, Annobon, Corisco and some places in Angola and Namibia.

From 1697 the GWC used handstamps with its monogram and the rate they charged for each letter, which was 6 stuiver. It was used to mark covers on arrival in the headquarters of the GWC, the West Indian House (West-Indisch Huis) in Amsterdam, at the Chamber of the Maas (Kamer van de Maze) in Rotterdam and probably in Middelburg. Five different types are known, all in the basic value. The smaller type, Ø 15 mm was in use between 1697 and 1785 and the larger one, Ø 20 mm from 1718 to 1780. The large type Rotterdam handstamp could be distinguished by the character M (Maze) in the design.

After the GWC was dissolved in 1791, the Republic of the United Netherlands took over its debts and possessions. The Commission for the West Indian Trade (Commissie voor de West-Indische Handel, WH) was established which remained in operation at The Hague until 1795. During this period handstamps were in use with the postal rate and the monogram of the Company, 6 ST / WH. Most probably they were applied at the WH office in The Hague.

From 1799 to 1802 Suriname was occupied by the British; Curaçao from 1800 to 1803. In 1804 and 1807 respectively they were occupied again. Until 28 february 1816 both colonies stayed under British control. In 1808 intaglio handstamps CURAÇAO - POST - OFFICE produced locally came into use. Due to military reasons Britain introduced fleuron-type handstamps with a date in Curaçao, St Maarten and Suriname in 1811 (as earlier in other British colonies). The Admiralty had to be able to check if mail with important information about the enemy (France) was delivered in time.

From 1 March 1816 the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname were again under administration of the Netherlands. Letters were conveyed with ships which were not under contract with the Post Office. These ship letters had to be handed over to the captain who took care of delivery to the Post Office in the port of arrival.

From 1 January 1844 the European mail could be sent on a regular basis in closed mailbags with the British Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP) via Southampton. From 30 September 1867 Plymouth became the home port for the return voyage of the RMSP.
In Suriname route handstamps SURINAME / OVER / SOUTHAMPTON were in use from 1879 to 1890 at Paramaribo and Nickerie although the RMSP took the mail to Plymouth. The wrong route handstamps were replaced in 1889 by framed SURINAME / VIA / PLYMOUTH handstamps. Curaçao and Sint Maarten did not use these handstamps any more.
In 1878 the Netherlands postal administration mistakenly sent route handstamps CURAÇAO / OVER / SOUTHAMPTON to Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Suriname. The RMSP called and unloaded the mail since 30 September 1867 at Plymouth, her home port for the return voyage, not at Southampton. After disembarking the mail the packets went to Southampton where they picked up the mail for their departure to the West Indies. These handstamps were rarely used in the Netherlands Antilles.

The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT) startet in 1865 a connection between Saint Nazaire, France, Fort-de-France, Martinique and Colón (Aspinwall), Panama: Ligne A; a by-line, Ligne C, went from Fort-de-France via other ports to Paramaribo and Cayenne. Framed route handstamps SURINAME / VIA / ST NAZAIRE were in use at the Post Office in Paramaribo and in the Dutch TPO Rotterdam - Vlissingen.

Shipping company Boulton, Bliss & Dallett berthed Curaçao for the first time in 1879. In 1881 the name of the company became Red D Line. From May 1882 they maintained a regular service between Curaçao and New York where connection was with Rotterdam.

The Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst (KWIM), established 21 July 1882 provided a mail connection from 1884 between Amsterdam, Paramaribo and Curaçao with on return a call at Le Havre. The rates were lower if the mail was (un)loaded at Amsterdam. Route handstamps NED:W.INDIE / STOOMSCHEPEN / RECHTSTREEKS (steamers direct) were in use and covers were indicated as “zeepost” if (un)loading in Amsterdam was requested.

Letter from Zwolle via Den Helder (cds on reverse) by ship to Paramaribo and subsequently to reverend Arend van den Brandhof "Director of the Colonization at the Saramacca" in Groningen along the Saramacca river, Suriname, 23-8-1848. Ship letter rate 1-1-1827 to 31-8-1849, 24 - 32 wigtjes: 120 cent (Corinphila Nederland veiling 245, september 2020).

Postal rates

20 / 30: rate for franked / unfranked mail.

On 24 January 1876 in the Antilles and 10 March 1877 in Suriname, a postcard could be used, but only for correspondence with the Netherlands and if transported by mail (British or (for Suriname) French packet). The rate was 15 cents.

The rates became after the Dutch colonies joined the GPU (later called UPU):

There was a reduced postcard rate of 5 cent from Curaçao to Venezuela (1-1-1880), Colombia (1-3-1884) and different islands in the Caribbean (1-9-1889) and from Suriname to French and British Guiana (18-2-1880).

Last update 27.09.2023 8:49 PM

Copyright © 2019 - G.L. van Welie FRPSL
Secretary of the Nederlandse Academie voor Filatelie
Representative of the Royal Philatelic Society London for the Netherlands

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