Other Collections

The collection of the National Archives of Guyana is fairly extensive with approximately 7000 metres of textual material, 10,000 printed items and 55 meters of newspapers (32 tiles). Of the holdings approximately 5% date to the 18th century (the Dutch collection is the oldest group this date back to 1735), 55% from the 19th century and 40 % from the 20th century.

Brief summary of National Archives Collections

1681-1943 Colonial Office and predecessors:

British Guiana, formerly Berbice, Demerara and Essiquibo, Miscellanea including Papers of the Dutch West India Company

This series contains miscellanea from British Guiana, formerly Berbice, Demerara and Essiquibo. Comprises newspapers, grants of land, registers of legal instruments, court records, taxation returns, reports of protectors of slaves, magistrates’ returns, blue books of statistics, etc. This series also includes the papers of the Dutch West India Company, 1686 to 1792, relating to the Dutch administration of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.

OFFICIAL GAZETTE

The governing authorities of British Guyana, later Guyana, published these Gazettes, which contain official acts and notices, by – laws, proclamations, circular, etc, and cover a wide variety of business of the colony. These gazettes are still published and contain a wealth of data as pertains to the legal affairs of the country.

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/official-gazette-of-british-guiana/?msockid=23648b5b0f3a6a5a07289e470e136b1c

COURT OF POLICY AND COMBINE COURT: PROCEEDINGS (British Guiana)

These courts were taken over from the Dutch by the British. The Court of Policy was the legislature and the Combine Court dealt with financial matters.

Until June 1831 Berbice operated independently from Essequibo and Demerara. Thereafter the territories were administered as one unit as British Guiana. The records are listed in date order, the dates given being those of the minutes of meetings although these are generally accompanied by related papers, such as petitions, draft bills, etc., normally of earlier date.

“DUTCH RECORDS”

Inventory of the records of the Dutch West India Company (Geoctroyeerde West Indische Compagnie) on the colonies of Essequibo and Demerara (1685-1814) and of the Society (Societeit van) of Berbice on the colony of Berbice (1720-1814).

https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/archief/1.05.21

TRANSPORTS

On the 5th of January 1771, S.C. VAN BERCHEYCH made an application to the Court of Policy of Essequibo that an error made in passing a certain transport should be rectified. The application was granted. On the 4th of July 1772, a resolution of the Court of Policy was passed with regard to Fees for transports. On the 10th of October 1774, the Council of Ten at Amsterdam made rules for the Passing of Transports and in May 1776, the same body fixed provisionally the charges for Transports and Mortgages. In the Combined Court, on the 23rd February 1776, there was a discussion as to the Passing of Transports (p. 171). In the Court of Policy on the 19th of October 1778, there was a discussion upon Transport and Mortgages (pp. 101, 106). It was not until the British Occupation that it became requisite to advertise Transports and Mortgages intended to be passed. This was done by an order of the Court of Justice dated 7th May and published on the 16th May 1807 which required three advertisements in the Gazette.