Plan for further development of Flag Island

Title Leupe: Grond Teykening der nieuw aangelegde Erven op het groot Vlaggen Eyland.

The year 1774 saw the full impact of the great stock market crisis in the Dutch Republic and the fall of Surinamese trading funds which, of course, affected the western colonies. In the years prior to that, Essequibo had been largely overshadowed by the newly developing plantation areas on the Demerara. Despite the gloomy situation, new plans were still developed for Essequibo.

This anonymous cadastral plan, sent back in 1776 or 1777, elaborates the further expansion of the main town as it had been planned despite the recent economic decline. New lots are shown together with their expected extent, owners and infrastructure.

Inevitably the plans were never implemented fully.

Scale-bars of 20 chains = 135 ‘strepen’ (approximately 1 : 2,800).

Taken from: [OBP] Essequibo en Demarary 1776-1777 fol. 939.