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By Will Johnson
In 1784 the Swedish Government bought St.Bartholomew from France. The island remained under Swedish control until the year 1878, when it was returned to France.
St. Barthlomew was the only overseas colony ever to be owned by Sweden. The island enjoyed a great deal of prosperity in the years shortly after Sweden took over. A lot had to do with the fact that the island was declared a free trade zone. Also the British Admiral George Rodney had sacked St.Eustatius in 1781. The island of St.Eustatius was so prosperous that it was known as "The Golden Rock." Around that time many leading merchant families moved from St.Eustatius to St.Barths. They were also intermarried with Saban families and were joined on St.Barths by their relatives from Saba as well.
In the past thirty years a distant relative of mine Gosta Simmons of Nortalje, Sweden has been doing research on his extended family in the Eastern Caribbean. These include the Simmons', the Dinzey's and other relatives. Much of the information in this article is taken from research done by Gosta and shared with me over the years. I served as his counterpart here and he did the computer work on information which I provided him from the census registries and other sources available to me.
The most well known Saban who settled on St.Barths was Sir Richard Dinzey born 1796, a son of renowned Governor Thomas Dinzey of Saba. Richard became one of the islands most prominent and well to do citizens. He was knighted by the King of Sweden and is buried in St.Jean cemetery opposite the airport. There are a number of other Sabans that are buried there as well. A severe hurricane struck St.Barths and the other islands on September 21st, 1819. Among the subscribers of donations to the poor on St. Barths were Sabans living there such as Samuel and Charles Simmons, the firm of Winfield and Haddocks (William), Thomas Dinzey Jr., Richard Dinzey and Edward Beakes Jr.
Much information from that period can be obtained from "The Report of St. Bartholomew." That was a newspaper which was published and printed on the island. The first issue was on April 2nd, 1804 and the last # 379 in October 1819, just after the severe hurricane.
Sir Richard financed the building of the Anglican Church in Gustavia. On the right hand side of the church there is a plaque which reads as follows:
Sacred to the Memory of Sir Richard Dinzey
A native of the island of Saba, and for half a century a citizen of St.Bartholemey.
He was made Knight of the Royal Order of Wasa by King Oscar 1 for fidelity to
his sovereign and devotion to the interest of his adopted country. A faithful friend of
Protestant Episcopacy to him the professors of the faith in this island are indebted for the
religious privileges they now enjoy, of which this church erected by his exertions and
liberal gifts, is a standing proof.
He expired on the 15th of August, 1860 in the 65th year of his age. As a faithful tribute
and in gratitude this tablet is erected by his devoted wife and children. Reader, seekest
thru his monument. Look around!"
Richard Dinzey was married to Eliza Petersen whose family came from Sonderballig, Holstein, Denmark. She was born in 1802 in St.Eustatius and died on St. Barths in 1886.
Among Richard Dinzey's children, a daughter Roberta married on June 5th, 1850 a Swedish nobleman, Carl John Ridderhjrta. When St.Barths returned to French rule in 1878, Carl was appointed first Vice Consul at Gustavia. Their daughter Augusta Gabrielle Robertina married Axel Victor Emanuel Dolman, also a Swedish nobleman, on February 24th, 1873. Axel died in 1926 and Augusta passed away on May 17th, 1922. They had no children.
Richard's son Dr. John Knightly Dinzey ( born 1837, died Oct. 3rd 1885) was the medical officer at St.Kitts. He graduated from Jefferson Medical School in the U.S.A. His own innovative technique for the treatment of tetanus was used with great success.
Joseph Dinzey, another of Richard's sons, was sent at the age of fourteen to Burlington College in New Jersey, USA to complete his preparatory education. This was an Anglican boys boarding school and he remained at the school for four years. In 1853 he entered St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, England to prepare for the Ministry. Joseph Dinzey returned to the West Indies and was nominated assistant curate of St.George's church in St.Kitts. He was ordained priest on August 29th, 1858 and one year later received his license as Curator of Christ Church, Nicola Town and St.Mary's Church, Cayon on the island of St.Kitts. He left his post after one year and then moved to St. John's church, Antigua as curate of St.Luke's chapel.
The Reverend Joseph Dinzey later moved to Canada and is now remembered as the founder of the Compton Anglican Girls College in Compton County, Quebec (1874-1884).
The Dinzey family mansion in Gustavia still exists. It used to be a guesthouse and years ago I slept there on occasion. Saban boys such as Franklin Every, Carl Hassell, Kenneth Every and Al Hassell used to work in the Guesthouse. I remember satying there with Bobby Every. The next morning I asked him how he had passed the night and he said:" Like a mad dog in a slaughterhouse." Bobby had these expressions which made you wonder where he got them from.
When the "Yankee Clipper" was in port there would be dances at the place. When I lived at Captain Hodge's Guesthouse, I would be bartender for a weekly poker party. Stetson Risdon lived just across the street in what is now the West Indian Tavern. He would have a Friday night poker party (Thank God it's Friday sort of thing) for Chester Wathey,"Lil" Dan Beauperthuy and Fons 0'Connor. I was the bartender. Remember I was surviving then on fls.27.-a month and any tip was most welcome. "Lil" Dan was a generous tipper. He would say "Me boy I will probably have to sell a cow to cover this, but this is for you."
One Friday night the game was going slow , the moon was full, and the sea calm as a duck pond.. I had visions of the party of the "Yankee Clipper" on St.Barths when Bobby Velasquez and Edward Buncamper came to ask me to go up to St.Barths. They had access to a 14 foot boat with a forty horsepower engine. With permission from the poker players I took off and in less than no time we were in the Dinzey mansion dancing the night away. That is until Bobby hit someone and sent him flying through the air like a Hezbollah rocket. By the time the gendarmes came to find out what happened we were half way back to St.Maarten. Enough time to serve Chester and them some more drinks and with much regrets as to the sweet young thing I had my eyes on and was now dancing with someone else I guessed. But just like the poker players leaving the game with a glimmer of hope of winning next Friday, I was consoled that the Yankee Clipper always began and ended her cruise on St.Maarten. And some of the passengers would overnight at Captain Hodge's Guesthouse. Another time the same three musketeers,(Velasquez-Buncamper-Johnson) came to Saba with that boat and we ran out of gas right behind the Yankee Clipper close to Great Bay on the return trip, and they towed us in to the harbour.
The Dinzey mansion later became a museum and now it belongs to the Swedish government and it also serves as a sort of Swedish consulate.
The last of the Dinzey's who lived in the mansion was Julia Abbot Dinzey (unmarried) a granddaughter of Richard. She was born June 8th, 1869 and died April 30th, 1959. Julie lived there with her sister Robertina (born June 5th, 1856 and died November 12th 1945. She also never married. When Julia became old, and feeble, she invited Capt and Mrs. Charles Thomas Barnes from Saba, who lived on St.Barths, to move into her home. She left the mansion to them and Capt. Barnes later sold it to Mr. Magras.
Captain Thomas Charles Barnes was born on Saba. His father "Buddy" Barnes was a captain and owner of schooners, as well as his brothers Chandlis, Robert, Willie (lost at sea in a hurricane), and "Buddy Jr" who died at sea while mate on a six master.
Charlie cut his teeth sailing the high seas with his seafaring family. He and his wife moved to St.Barths. Besides owning many schooners he also had a grocery and other import and export businesses. He acquired a considerable amount of land part of which he later sold to Mr. David Rockefeller.
In his old age he was hard of hearing. Rumor has it that when Mr. Rockefeller asked to buy the property Mr. Barnes asked for forty thousand dollars. Mr. Rockefeller said that he did not hear him thinking the price was too high. Mr. Barnes turned his good ear to him and said: "Son what did you say your name was?" The answer was "David Rockefeller".
Mr. Barnes said: "Well since you did not hear me, let me tell you that the price of the land is Four Hundred Thousand Dollars." Mr. Rockefeller then asked Mr. Barnes, "Can I talk to you through the forty thousand dollar ear?" " I didn't hear you", said Capt. Barnes, and the deal was closed.
The night Capt. Barnes died in the hospital on St.Maarten, I was in St.Barths. His grandson Charlie had put me to sleep upstairs in his grandfather's four poster bed in his waterfront home. At 2am his black cat which had been sleeping on top of the old mahogany clothes closet let out a scream and made an all claws landing on my chest.
There was no electricity on St.Barths back then and the old oil lamp overturned and I just managed to avoid burning down the house. Next morning Charlie informed me that "Grandpa died this morning at 2 am." "Yes I know", I told him.
Because I do all of this research for the fun of it my name gets tossed around and I get mail from all over. The Dinzey's spread around after leaving Saba.
In 2004 I received a letter from Domingo A. Dinzey in the Bronx, New York telling me the following:
" My father was John Richard Dinzey and my uncle Edward Dinzey. My grandfather was Dr.Richard B. Dinzey (son of Dr. John Keightly Dinzey). My father was born in St.Kitts on September 2, 1887 and my uncle was born in 1889.
"My father was sent to Santo Domingo where he arrived around 1901 when he was 13 years old. The last time my father contacted his father was in 1916 when he received a letter written in Brooklyn, New York."
" From many conversations with my father, John Richard Dinzey, he was sent to Santo Domingo because my grandmother was black and the best place to live was Santo Domingo. My father and uncle Edward are buried in Santo Domingo. My uncle died in 1967 and my father on March 13, 1981 at the age of 94. He was a contractor and built many houses, bridges and helped to build the water distribution for many cities in the country. There are a few Dinzey's over here, but more than 200 descendents from John Richard Dinzey in Santo Domingo."
What he did not say but something which I learned from another family member that his father had 54 (yes fifty four) children. Santo Domingo and all of that you see. There are many professionals in Santo Domingo such as doctors, engineers, economists and so on that carrries the name Dinzey.
Some years ago I went along with a Windward Islands Pony League baseball team which played in various cities in the Dominican Republic. In one town in the hills called "The Valley", I think, at the reception I saw the vice Mayor pointing at me and saying something to the Mayor. Later she came over to me and asked me if I had any family in Santo Domingo. I told her that I had some in the city who were Simmons formerly. She then said that the Mayor had told her that I looked just like Dr. Dinzey a dentist from San Pedro de Macoris.
Anyway there are many more connections with St.Barths. Our Island Secretary in former times Mr. Engle Heyliger Simmons was married to an Emily Lambert who was born in Philadelphia of St.Barths parents and there were some others in former times. Per Tingbrand recently published a book entitled "Who was who in St.Bartholomew during the Swedish Epoch?" There are so many Johnsons, Hassells, Leverocks and other typical Saba names in that book that you would think that Sweden had given over the island to colonization from Saba and St.Eustatius.There are still a few people who can trace one or more of their ancestors back to Saba like the Beale family and Capt.Barnes' great grandchildren, but other than them I am not aware of any others.
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