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Fine Art Reproductions of Historical Maps & Charts

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Map/Chart > The Caribbean

The Island of Tobago

A charming manuscript chart of the Island of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea.

Chart Information
Reference:	A516
Date	c1700
Hydrographer/Surveyor/Artist:	Thomas Spencer & Nicholas Benoist
Size Of Original:	w 30" x h 22"
Paper Type	Hahnemuhle German Etching 310gsm

Further Information

The island has a long history of conflict and this beautiful, previously unpublished chart, contains many references to its history. The island was first settled by Courtlanders (subjects of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) in 1654 but was, over the next 200 years, coveted by the Dutch, English, Swedish and the French for it’s rich resources which included sugar, tobacco, coffee, cotton, ginger, indigo, rum, cocoa, tortoise shells, tropical birds and their feathers. Indeed, the island changed hands no less than 33 times in the 300 years since the British had first put foot on the Island up until it finally became (along with neighbouring Trinidad) a British Crown Colony in 1889.

The chart makes limited reference to the islands history although the inclusion of several references to the Courtland settlers such as Courtland Bay, and the forts and settlements located at James Bay, Angels Bay, ‘Coerns Palmet’ harbour, the ‘Old Quarter’ and ‘Barter Pointz’ Bay. Luggarts Bay is the Dutch name for Minister Bay. Of note is the inclusion of the ‘Rasp House’ to the north of the Island. A ‘rasp’ house is a place where wood is dressed or reduced to powder by rasping, for use in dyeing. It was, alternatively, known as a ‘house of correction’ in ‘Holland and Germany where prisoners rasped wood to powder for dyeing.

Perhaps most significantly the map depicts the inland territory as being wild, full of wild-life (boar or pigs and pigs are depicted) and bush. It also shows the region as being mountainous and uninhabited, although there was, likely, an indigenous population.

Although there is no record of Captain Thomas Spencer in the British records there was an American Captain Thomas Spencer (1664-1708) who resided in King William County Virginia . The compass rose drawn on the bottom of the chart is not typical of British work. Benoist was probably French and possibly a member of the De La Salle family based in Louisiana, working for the French government.

Collection

Ref: A502

Map/Chart > The Caribbean

The Island of Tobago

Further Information

Collection

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