Jan Wichers
{{short description|Dutch military officer and lawyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jan Wichers
| image = KITLV - 47A36 - Spanier, E. - Mr. Jan Gerard Wichers, Gouvernor-general of Surinam, born 15 July 1745, died 3 October 1808 - Lithography - Circa 1850 (cropped).tif
| caption =
| office1 = Governor-General of Suriname
| term_start1 = 24 December 1784
| predecessor1 = {{ill|Bernard Texier|nl}}
| successor1 = Jurriaan François de Friderici
| birth_name = Jan Gerhard Wichers
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1745|7|15}}
| birth_place = Groningen, Dutch Republic
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1808|10|03|1745|7|15}}
| death_place = Vreeswijk, Kingdom of Holland
| party =
| occupation = military officer, lawyer
}}
Jan Gerard Wichers (15 July 1745 – 3 October 1808) was a military officer and lawyer. He served as Governor of Suriname from 1784 until 1790.
Biography
Wichers was born on 15 July 1745 in Groningen, Dutch Republic. In 1760, he started studying law at the University of Groningen, and obtained his doctorate on 15 June 1768.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/molh003nieu10_01/molh003nieu10_01_1887.php |title=Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek |year=1937|volume=10|author=P.J. Blok and P.C. Molhuysen|location=Leiden|publisher=A.W. Sijthoff|language=nl}} He enlisted in the army.{{cite web|url=https://www.openarch.nl/ghn:30cbe752-af24-102d-afe5-0050569c51dd |title=Appointment on August 22, 1785 in Den Haag (Netherlands)|website=Commission Books at Dutch National Archives|access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl}}
In 1771, Wichers was appointed Raad Fiscaal (Attorney general) in Suriname.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/benj004ency01_01/ |last1=Benjamins |first1=Herman Daniël|last2=Snelleman |first2=Johannes |title=Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië|year=1917|website=Digital Library for Dutch Literature|language=nl|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|location=Leiden|page=324}} In 1775, Jan Wicherides, his only child, was born as a result of an extra-maritial affair with the free negress Adjuba.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/index/nt00342/0270743e-71be-102d-a0ea-005056a23d00 |title=Suriname: Gereformeerden, Voornaam: Jan Wicherides |website=Dutch National Archives|access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl}}{{cite magazine|url=https://dbnl.nl/tekst/_oso001200101_01/_oso001200101_01_0027.php?q=Jan%20Wichers#hl1 |title=De vrije gekleurde en zwarte bevolking van Paramaribo, 1762-1863|author=Wim Hoogbergen and Okke ten Hove|magazine=OSO. Tijdschrift voor Surinaamse taalkunde, letterkunde en geschiedenis|year=2001|page=313|language=nl|access-date=4 January 2022|quote=The source stated that Jan Wicherides was manumitted, however the National Archives (and others) state that Adjuba was already free}} Jan Wicherides would later become mayor of Uithoorn.{{cite web|url=https://suriname.nu/surinamezoeken/knowledge-base/burgemeesters/ |title=Burgemeesters|website=Suriname.nu|date=January 2020 |access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl}}
On 24 December 1784, Wichers was appointed Governor-General of Suriname.{{cite web|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_sur006179401_01/_sur006179401_01_0041.php |title=Surinaamsche Staatkundige Almanach voor den Jaare 1794|year=1794|language=nl|website=Digital Library for Dutch Literature|access-date=4 January 2022|page=36}} In 1785, he was promoted major general. In 1790, Fort Groningen was built.{{cite news|url=https://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/8174 |title=Fort uit 1790 in Saramacca ontdekt |website=Star Nieuws|access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl}} A city was planned around the fort, however the development of the town remained limited.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/kapp006zesj01_01/kapp006zesj01_01.pdf |title=Zes jaren in Suriname |author=A. Kappler|year=1854|location=Utrecht|access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl|page=137}} Wichers wanted to promote a mixed race middle class, because he felt that the Europeans in the colony had little loyalty to Suriname. He had planned, but never executed, to give an award of ƒ100,- for every mixed race child who was manumitted.{{cite magazine|url=https://dbnl.nl/tekst/_nee005200801_01/_nee005200801_01_0011.php?q=Jan%20Wichers#hl1 |title='Wanneer ik dronken ben, word ik vreemdeling' De identiteitsproblematiek van Tip Marugg in multicultureel perspectief|magazine=Neerlandica extra Muros / Internationale Neerlandistiek|year=2008|author=Jeroen Dewulf |access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl|page=11}}
On 15 June 1790, Wichers was succeeded by Jurriaan François de Friderici. He returned to the Netherlands, and became a member of the Council of American Colonies in the Hague. In 1806, he became a member of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/aa__001biog24_01/aa__001biog24_01_0460.php |title=Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden|volume=20|author=A.J. van der Aa|year=1877|publisher=J.J. van Brederode|location=Haarlem|language=nl}}
Wichers died on 3 October 1808 in Vreeswijk, at the age of 63.
Legacy
In 2012, RTV Noord aired a documentary about Groningen, Suriname, the town founded by Jan Wichers.{{cite web|url=http://benohofman.nl/radiotv/groningen-ligt-in-suriname |title=Groningen ligt in Suriname|website=Beno Hofman|access-date=4 January 2022|language=nl}}
References
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Category:Governors of Suriname
Category:University of Groningen alumni