Johan David Carel Pagenstecher

Johan David Carel Pagenstecher (15 February 1784 – unknown) was a colonial administrator who served as acting commander of the Dutch Gold Coast.

Johan David Carel Pagenstecher
Commander of the Dutch Gold Coast
ad interim
In office
17 February 1824 – 24 February 1824
MonarchWilliam I of the Netherlands
Preceded byHendrik Adriaan Mouwe
Succeeded byFriedrich Last
Personal details
Born(1784-02-15)15 February 1784
Osnabrück, Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, Holy Roman Empire

Biography

Johan David Carel Pagenstecher was born in Osnabrück to Gabriel Christoph Pagenstecher and Clara Elisabeth Gösling.[1][2] His father was a lawyer and senior councillor in Osnabrück and belonged to the Pagenstecher family, which enjoyed good relations with the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau.[3] On 1 November 1816, Pagenstecher joined the Dutch army à la suite for six years and went over to the battalion for the colonies on 1 January 1817.[1] He departed to the Gold Coast on 11 December 1817.[2]

Following the death of acting commander Hendrik Adriaan Mouwe on 11 February 1824, Pagenstecher was designated acting commander of the Dutch Gold Coast on 17 February 1824,[4] and took his oath of office on 21 February.[5][6] He served until Friedrich Last arrived three days later to succeed him.[7][8]

Pagenstecher had a troubled working relationship with colonial administrators and Euro-Africans on the coast. In late 1824, several colonial administrators complained to acting commander Friedrich Last about the conduct of Pagenstecher, which apart from heavy drinking included making condescending remarks about the abilities of virtually all Europeans and Euro-Africans on the Dutch Gold Coast and spreading rumours about their misconduct. It was also alleged that Pagenstecher had threatened acting commander Hendrik Adriaan Mouwe with a gun when Pagenstecher was sentenced to imprisonment in Fort St. Jago for taking ammunition from the commander's room without authorization, and that he deleted references to this incident from the governor's journal after Mouwe died and he took over as acting commander. He was also accused of having poisoned commander Willem Poolman, whose death was considered suspicious by the British surgeon major Beresford.[9]

When Pagenstecher was again accused of transgressions on 22 January, acting commander Last decided to send Pagenstecher back to the Netherlands, "so that he could explain his grievances to the Minister". At the end of March a ship was found that was willing to take Pagenstecher, and after selling his last belongings, Pagenstecher left the Gold Coast on 24 March 1825.[10]

Notes
  1. "Stamboek van de onder-officieren en manschappen van mindere graden van de à la Suite". Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. "Stamboek van de onder-officieren en manschappen van mindere graden van het Dépôt Bataillon voor de Koloniën No. 33". 1816–1817. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  3. Stückemann 2014, p. 9.
  4. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 351". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 17 February 1824. Retrieved 24 May 2020. 17 Februarij. Den fungerende boekhouder etc. etc. etc. liet heden de leden van den raad bij een komen tot het houden van een buitengewone vergadering, in welke aan den zelve met eenparigheid van stemmen het bestuur van Zijne Majesteits Bezittingen ter deze Kuste wierd overgedragen
  5. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 802. Geadjourneerde Vergadering van de Raad ter Kuste van Guinea". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 21 February 1824. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 802". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 21 February 1824. Retrieved 24 May 2020. Publikatie. De Raad der Nederlandsche Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea. Allen den genen die deze zullen zien of horen lezen, salut, doen te weten [...] te benoemen, gelijk benoemd wordt mits deze, tot Kommandeur ad Interim over de Nederlandsche Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea den fungerende Boekhouder, Secretaris en Kassier Johan David Carel Pagenstecher
  7. Baud 1930, p. 41.
  8. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 802". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 24 February 1824. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  9. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 803". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 6 December 1824. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Op requisitie van den Wel Edel Gestrenge Heer Ridder en Majoor F. Last, verklaart den ondergetekende, dat op zondag den 15 Junij 1823, den dag na den dood van wijlen den Wel Edel Gestrenge Heer Lt. Kolonel Willem Poolman, dat den Engelschen Chirurgijn-Majoor Beresford [...] bij mij in huis zijnde te kennen heeft gegeven, dat hij geen genoegzaam oorzaak kan vinden van den dood van gezegd Lt. Kolonel Willem Poolman [...] St. George d'Elmina den 9 december 1824, C.H. Bartels
  10. "Nederlandse Bezittingen op de Kust van Guinea, nummer toegang 1.05.14, inventarisnummer 352". nationaalarchief.nl. Nationaal Archief. 24 March 1825. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Hij beneden komende stelte hem zijn Wissel van het 1e kwartaal ter hand alsmede zijn Pas. Ik vergaf hem alles zoals wij alle onze vijanden moeten vergeven, en gaf order aan den Militaire Kommandant om hem naar boord te vergezellen, en vertrok. God zij dank

References
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