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After the Sabans turned away from piracy, they took to legitimate trade on the high seas. This put them in contact with prominent families from other islands, which resulted not only in trading relations but also in marriages and in some cases resettlement. As early as 1729 we see trade being carried on by Saban captains, and for the record, we select a few here, taken from the old harbour records of St. Maarten:

02.08.1729, barque 'Success', Master James Simmons arriving from Nevis at St. Martin with 8000 shingles, 1000 ft. planks, 4 casks of tobacco, 2 casks of turpentine, 2 casks oil, 4 cases with candles.

27.07.1730, barque owned by Vice Commander Charles Simmons of Saba arrived at St. Martin via St. Kitts with 20 slaves, Captain Hercules Halley of Saba.

20.05.1735, from St. Martin to Saba, Commander Charles Simmons, on board another vessel owned by him, with as Captain William Winfield having 789 lbs. of cotton on board.

11.06.1735, 'DeSwaluwe', owned by Vice Commander Charles Simmons, at St. Martin with passengers from Saba.

Schooner "Mayflower" in roadstead of St. Eustatius - 1929.

We follow the lives of several families from Saba, through the centuries, starting with the Wood family on St. John. This will serve to demonstrate how Sabans moved throughout the West Indies and settled there, There have also been migrations and settlements in the other Dutch Antillean islands, the most recent of which are taking place to St. Maarten, with an outward migration to the Netherlands. In former times Sabans migrated to the island of Bermuda and Richmond Hill in Queens, New York; descendents of those Sabans are now achieving at home what our forefathers had to go abroad in search of: Max Nicholson and Family in radio communications, Eddie and Al Hassell in shipping, Franklin Johnson and family in tourism, Harold Levenstone and Diana Medero in tourism, Carlyle Granger and his children in education and commerce, the Wilsons of St. Johns, the Sortons and the Smiths of The Bottom are all active. These and other Sabans are now setting the stage for future historians to look back on and to evaluate their contributions. Most Sabans no longer need to emigrate or to make a living from the sea. Most now work on land and for the Government. While many think the merits of Government employment are doubtful, one Saban in an interview with the National Geographic Magazine looked at it philosophically by stating that 'no one ever yet drowned in the Post Office'.

Contrary to the popular theory of intermarriage, Sabans have constantly sought brides and husbands overseas throughout the centuries. This is still going on, most recently with Sabans marrying citizens of the U.S.A., Columbia, the Dominican Republic as well as to residents from a number of the now independent West Indian territories which formerly were part of the British empire.

As the economy improves on Saba a number of Sabans have returned home and more are planning to, while foreigners are now settling in Saba. Time will tell whether or not the next generation will be able to accept new challenges as well as our ancestors were able to.

Let us therefore now look back on those who were forced to break the ties which bound them to Saba, to find out if in their lives and in their achievements on other shores, there is a lesson for us today.

In a history of the Enighed Estate and the Ruin of St. John, U.S.V.I., prepared by George F. Tyson, Jr. we read the following:

The earliest recorded owner of Enighed was agent Johannes or John Wood, who is shown by Peter Oxholm's original map of St. John as being on possession of the estate in 1780. Johannes Wood's ownership is confirmed by the 1786 land list, which is the first such list in the Danish or U.S. archives to specify the ownership of either Enighed Estate or Number 1, Cruz Bay Quarter.

The precise data the Wood family acquired Enighed is unknown. No family member is cited as owning property in St. John by the land list extant for the period before 1786. The best guess is that the Wood family purchased the estate sometime between 1750 and 1757, when the family name begins to appear in the historical records.

Although undoubtedly of English ancestry, the Wood family came to the Danish West Indies from the Dutch island of Saban the middle of the eighteenth century. Doing business as both merchants and planters, family members acquired a number of plantations on St. Thomas and St. Croix as well as on St. John.

After 1750 John and Richard Wood were doing business in St. Thomas. Peter Wood, a resident of St. Croix, owned property on that island and on St. John. A Jacobus Wood lived on St. John in 1758.

The Wood females helped to extend the family connections through marriage with prominent local landowners and politicians. For example, in 1765, two Wood women are recorded as being married to members of the Durloe family of St. John, while a third Wood female from Saba was the wife of Captain de Nully of St. John. Catharina Wood married Abraham Oijen, another St. John Planter, around 1775. Johanna Elizabeth Wood was married to Johannes van Beverhoudt of St. John.

Johannes Wood, who was most likely the son of William, is first recorded as being in St. Thomas in 1750, at which time he took out a "burgher brief". Between 1765 and 1771 he resided on that island and was married first to a member of the Creuitzer family and later to a Maleville. The bulk of his property holdings was on St. Thomas, but he spent at least some time on St. John, where he acted as Government Agent or Representative. He died in 1803, bequeathing a considerable fortune to his heirs.

Johannes Wood owned Enighed until 1791, when he deeded the estate to George Hassell and Co. George Hassell, a merchant and planter of St. Thomas, had also come to the Danish islands from Saba. He was married to Johannes Wood's daughter Anna. The Wood-Hassell transaction has the appearance of an intra-familial transfer of property for legal or credit purposes, because in 1798 Johannes reacquired Enighed and it remained in his hands until his death five years later.

Under the ownership of Wood and Hassell Enighed became a major sugar estate. We do not have production figures for the years before 1803, but we do know that in 1791 the estate had some 57 slaves and was valued at 66, 702 West Indian rigsbankdaler, a considerable sum for the time.

At the time of Johannes Wood's death in 1803, Enighed had 225 total acres; 210 acres were planted in sugar and 15 acres in pasture and provisions. There were 64 slaves and the estate buildings consisted of a dwelling house, a horsemill, a boiling house, a cure house, a sick house and kitchen, a still house, a store house and 30 negro houses. The estate had increased in value to 77,085 rigsbankdaler.

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Prominent among the former families of Saba which made a name for themselves abroad was the Dinzey family.

Thomas Dinzey (whose people came from England by way of Barbados and St. Kitts to Saba) was Vice-Commander of Saba from 1778 to 1801, Commander from 1801-1803 and Vice-Governor from 1803-1809 during Dutch rule and occupation by British and French.

A grandson Thomas Dinzey Winfield, a member of the local Island Council, was Commander of Saba from May 5th, 1830 until his death on June 15th, 1836.

Thomas Dinzey's son Richard, who was born on Saba in 1796 moved to St. Barths were he died August 15th, 1860. He married Eliza Peterson whose family came from Denmark. She was born in 1802 and died in St. Barths in 1886. Richard Dinzey was instrumental in raising funds and having erected the first Anglican Church on the island of St. Barths. There is a plaque on an interior wall which reads as follows:

Sacred to the memory of
Sir Richard Dinzey, Knight
a native of the island of Saba and for half a century a citizen of St. Bartholemey.
He was made a knight of the Royal Order of Wasa by King Oscar I 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 the 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!

Among Richard Dinzey's children, a daughter Roberta married on June 5th, 1850 a Swedish nobleman, Carl John Ridderhjerta. When St. Barths was sold to France 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 17, 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, 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, U.S.A., to complete his preparatory education. This was an Anglican boy's 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 19th, 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, Antiqua as curate of St. Lukes Chapel. The Reverend Joseph Dinzey is now remembered as the founder of the Compton Anglican Girls College in Compton County Quebec (1874-1884).

The Dinzey family burial plot is in St. Jean's cemetery next to the airport on St. Barths. In that same cemetery there are a number of graves of people with typical Saban surnames such as Hassell, Leverock and Simmons attesting to the large amount of trade and commerce in former times between Saba and St. Barths.

The Every's of St. Eustatius, as they later became known, were planters and merchants. This remarkable family originated from Saba. They were originally associated with the Sulfur Mine on Hell's Gate. On June 16th, 1838 Mr. Daniel James Hassell Every (28) married Alice Eliza Dirgin Zeelig (20). He moved to St. Eustatius where his bride's family owned some estates. He later acquired the estate Schotzenhoek (425 acres). The family also became involved in the retail trade. Later they went on to acquire the largest estate on St. Kitts (Brothersons 840 acres) and an estate on Nevis (Stony Grove Plantation). This last plantation, as was Brothersons on St. Kitts, was a working sugar plantation. It belonged at one time to the Pinney family about whom Richard press wrote 'A West India Fortune'.

The Every's also owned a retail dry foods business on St. Maarten on the Frontstreet, where until recently Risdon's Snackbar was located. J.C. Waymouth mention this in his book 'Memories of St. Martin, N.P.' under the year 1916:

Mr. J.G.C. Every in addition to his many other business concerns acquired store property of its former owners, the firm of A.A. van Romondt and Co., and for a few years ran a retail dry goods business, which only ceased in consequences of a tragic nature.

The Every's were expanding their business interests in the Eastern Caribbean at a time when most prominent Saban families were moving out of this area to the United States. Waymouth also mentions the following event that took place in 1917:

The month of April saw the celebration of the nuptials of editor Waymouth's second daughter Henrietta Eloisa with Johannes Carl Every Esq. planter and merchant of St. Eustatius. Rev. C. McInt. Darrell performed the ceremony at the Bride's residence on Wednesday evening, 4th, inst.

Waymouth also records an event which took place on St. Eustatius on April 15th, 1918. Dr. J. Hartog in his 'Bovenwindse Eilanden' also calls attention to an unusual meeting of the Court of Policy in which the two local councillors decided to parcel out a dose of blows to Gezaghebber van Grol.

Things in Statia in April assumed a distinctly warlike character. In consequence of the scarcity of provisions an application to the Court of Policy was sent in by 30 of the inhabitants and a meeting having been convened on the following day the letter bearing in it proof of the gruesome condition of the island was laid over by the councillor Every (J.G.C. Every) who tried his best to procure, if no more, at least ten barrels of yams for the people. To this request let it be said, in short--the Gezaghebber was obdurate and resisted the efforts of both Landsraden to obtain the yams stated. He went further and precipitated a fight which resulted in the necessity for his won facial treatment.

The other local councillor was also an estate owner Mr. W.J.F. Mussenden. They fled to St. Kitts. When it was learned that Mr. W.C. de la Try Ellis, who had been appointed to try the case, would only impose a fine they returned to St. Eustatius. They were fined Fls. 400,--and Fls.300,-- respectively. They retained their seats as local councillors as the law had no provisions for their dismissal.

Just a few years later the fortunes of the Every's were reversed through a series of tragic accidents.

The Every's youngest son was careless in passing through a barbed wire fence on the Estate Shotzenhoek on St. Eustatius. He passed a loaded shotgun through the fence with the barrel pointed at him. The trigger got caught in the barbed wire and young Avery was killed.

In recording the hurricane of August 28th, 1924 Mr Waymouth describes the other Every tragedy:

The saddest loss from it, that we know of is that of the French schooner 'Verdun". On board of her, as she lay at anchor in the roadstead of Charlestown, Nevis, at 3 p.m. on that fatal day were fourteen souls, among whom Messrs. J.G.C. Every, owner of Brothersons Estate and his brother Gilbert. The schooner in the height of the storm was seen putting to sea in a Southerly direction and nothing was seen of her since.

The Every's were left with only one daughter who later married an American sea captain by the name of Mosher. They sold their estate Schotzenhoek on St. Eustatius to Arthur and Carl Anslijn of Saba and moved to Nevis to their estate 'Stony Grove'. They remained there for the rest of their lives. Part of that estate is now owned by a Saban, namely Mr. Hubert Leverock, of St. Johns. Mr. Carl Buncamper said that Mr. Every welcomed all visitors from Statia and was fond of saying 'each stray bird I hear singing in the trees I hope it is a bird from Statia, as I always long for news from my old home island'.

Apparently the daughter had no children and the sons only illegitimate children so that when the parents died on Nevis it meant the end of the remarkable Every family which had expanded from humble beginnings on Saba to the ownership of estates and business throughout the Eastern Caribbean.

It seems that ever since the last century there already existed trading links with Barbados. However it was only after Dutch replaced English as the language of instruction in the schools on Saba in 1906, that many prominent Sabans moved their families to Barbados in search of a better education for their children.

Among the families that moved to Barbados was that of Captain William Benjamin Hassell, a Captain who in his lifetime owned many large trading schooners. On Barbados the Sabans gradually established themselves as boatbuilders and owners of large trading schooners. which provided the main source of transportation between Barbados and the other Caribbean islands. Some of them married into prominent Barbados families. Ida, one of Capt. Ben's daughters, married a Mr. Bruce Goddard, who owned Goddard enterprises, with supermarkets, hotels, import-export and shipping businesses throughout the West Indies. Their son Richard now runs the business empire. A daughter Betty Lee, married a famous cricket player Atkinson.

Others who went to Barbados were Chandis Barnes and his cousin Robert Barnes who owned the schooner 'Diamond M. Ruby', built in Barbados, also the three-master 'Russell M. Zink'. They traded between Barbados and Demarara.

Peter Hassell, a steamship captain, and his wife 'Panna' lived in Belville district. Herbie Every, captain of the 'Florence M. Douglas; a three-master schooner built in Holetown Barbados, lived there also. The schooner was lost in a submarine attack between Trinidad and Barbados during World War II.

Frank Barnes, captain of several schooners, Will and Aubery Leverock, captains of , among others, 'The Three Sisters', Pennyson and Frank Hassell (the later was an Anglican Minister) all lived in Barbados.

Pennyson's daughter Winnie married Captain Donny Hassell, who was a steamship captain. He also owned the two-master schooner 'Horniest' which had been purchased in Nova Scotia and ran gasoline between Trinidad and Barbados. He also owned the two-master 'Roseita'. Pennyson owned the large two-masted schooner the 'Minnie M. Mosher'. He and his wife Aramintha (Minty), a daughter of old captain Buddy Barnes, lived at Belville, St. Michaels, Barbados. Although they had nine children, still their home was a haven for Sabans just the same as Kaliski's in New York. People stayed with them until they could find work.

Tommy and Johnny Vanterpool owned 'Walmar Lodge', which now belongs to Cunard and is a hotel.

Edgar Hassell ('Muggie') was Captain of the 'Comrade' a two-masted schooner. He used to trade between Barbados and British Guyana. He died from a heart attack on board the 'Comrade'.

Captain David Hassell owned the 'Esther Anita' a two-masted schooner which was later lost in St. Kitts. Captain Frank Hassell was majority owner of the two-masted schooner 'Dutch Princess', built in Montserrat. He traded with her between Trinidad and Barbados, transporting gasoline.

Then there was Captain Austin Simmons, Captain of the 'Peerless' a two-masted schooner which traded between Barbados and British Guyana and Barbados. She was lost in a hurricane. He bought from Udalric Hassell the Rhode Island schooner named the 'Francis W. Smith'. The other two-masted schooner the 'Vivian P. Smith', owned by the same Captain, used to fish off British Guyana on the snapper banks.

In 1943, the Vice Lt. Governor of Saba proposed Capt. Knight Simmons of Pentrose, Fontabelle, Barbados as a good Captain to run the mail service between the Dutch islands.

Captain Udalric Dowling was a captain of the two-masted schooner the 'Rhode Island' which tan gasoline from Trinidad to Martinique.

Captain Laurie Hassell (seated on railing) who at age 19 was captain of the schooner "Mona Marie" - 1936

A son of Capt. Ben Hassell's, namely Captain Laurie Hassell, is still living at Black Rocks, Barbados. At the age of 19 he was already Captain of the lovely two-masted schooner the 'Mona-Marie' which was 73 net tons and had a length of 130 feet. Captain Ben bought her in 1933 for U.S. $5.250,--. She was sunk by a German submarine between Barbados and Grenada on June 28th, 1942. Nobody was lost and as she was loaded with empty gasoline drums she drifted into Bequia.

Captain Ben's personal schooner, a beautiful two-master named 'Mary C. Santos', got lost off St. Croix right next to the wreckage of the other schooner owned by him, the 'Three Sisters'. A third schooner the 'Rhode Island' sent to salvage what it could from the other two got stuck on the bottom and it too was nearly lost.

One of Captain Ben's sons, also named Benjamin Hassell, who lives in Okemos, Michigan, for years sailed as wireless operator on the Canadian boat the 'Lady Nelson'. He and others remember fondly their youth in Barbados, and attending 'Harrison College'. The following newspaper articles, one on a schooner race and the other an obituary complete our story on the Sabans of former times who made names for themselves on other islands of the West Indies.

The following story taken from the Barbados Advocate in 1939:

INTERCOLONIAL SCHOONER SUPREMACY

'MONA - MARIE' AGAIN VICTORIOUS

'Gilbert B. Walters' Thrice Defeated.

The schooner 'Mona Marie' (Capt. W.L. Hassell) again demonstrated her superiority as a sailing craft in these parts by defeating yesterday the schooner 'Gilbert B. Walters' (Capt. G. Grahm) on a voyage from Trinidad. This is the third occasion on which the 'Gilbert B. Walters' was defeated by the 'Mona Marie' twice from Trinidad to this colony and once from this colony to British Guyana. with a cargo comprising 85 drums of gasoline, 300 drums of gas oil, 200 drums of dieseline, 150 drums of diesel oil and 165 drums of kerosene oil, the 'Mona Marie' sailed from Point-a-Pierre, Trinidad, on Saturday night last at 9 o'clock. On Monday morning Capt. Hassell sighted the Gilbert ahead of him and drew level with her about 3 o'clock in the afternoon when both Captains exchanged greetings. Capt. Hassell forged ahead with his schooner and lost sight of the Gilbert B. Walters, He arrived at the Beacon at 9 o'clock on Wednesday and entered the river at about 10.30 o'clock. It was learned that the Gilbert B. Walters left Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in Saturday afternoon last at 4.30 o'clock with a cargo comprising 785 drums of gasoline, 355 drums and 600 cases of kerosene oil, 200 drums of gas oil and 5 drums of 'tractorine', and arrived at the Beacon at 5:30 o'clock yesterday morning. She entered the river at about 11 o'clock, consigned to Mr. H.B. Gajraj. The 'Mona Marie' was consigned to Mr. John Fernandes.

Schooner "Maisie Hassell", at the wheel Captain Thomas Hassell, next to him his brother Captain William Benjamin Hassell - 1920.

The following article is taken from the Barbados Advocate of April 20th, 1933. We conclude this chapter of Sabans living in other West Indian islands with the announcement of the passing of Captain William Benjamin Hassell. It was the end of an era for Saba.

THE LATE W.B. HASSELL

The news of the death yesterday of Mr. William Benjamin Hassell was received with feelings of profound regret not only by members of the crew of the various sailing craft presently at anchor in this port, but also by a large number of persons drawn from every section of the community. Captain Ben, as he was familiarly known in this and other neighboring colonies, was born in Saba and came to this island with his family about twenty years ago. Like many of his countrymen he loved the sea and as owner and master of various schooners he was a constant visitor to a number of these West Indian colonies. Wherever he went he enjoyed a wide popularity with business firms and everyone with whom he came in contact. He was possessed of many fine qualities but above them all stood his love for fair and honest dealing. It was on account of this admirable trait of character that he won the confidence of so many firms and individuals within and without this island, and his demise removes from this scene one of the most popular of intercolonial captains and one of the most straightforward of traders engaged in that form of commercial activity. He had made a voyage to British Guyana on the schooner 'Mona Marie' of which he is now the master. He left Demarara for the return voyage to this colony in good health but on the voyage he removed from his face a small and apparently harmless pimple. Unfortunately septic poisoning set in and on his arrival at this port he had to be taken to the General Hospital where he expired shortly after three o'clock yesterday afternoon. But if the demise of Captain Hassell is sadly mourned in this island, even greater will be the grief of the people of the smaller northern islands with whom he had established the greatest bonds of friendship and affection. Some time last year, a false rumor of his death reached Montserrat and it was with some difficulty that a vast crowd of joyous islanders were prevented from singing over all parts of the schooner when he next visited that port. For many of the persons in that island and similar small colonies, he was a trusted friend and advisor, whose assistance in the disposal in their produce in other colonies was invaluable. In this regard he filled a role which showed unmistakable the confidence of the people in his sterling qualities. He would purchase in some of the larger colonies articles which he knew would be required by the people of Montserrat and others of the Northern islands and in turn they would entrust him with their stock and cattle to be sold in this island in repayment for their indebtness to him and with profit to themselves. These people will deeply lament the passing of a sympathetic guide and counselor, who was ever willing to render them food and kindly service. As a tribute to his memory the various flags of the schooners in the Careenage were at half mast yesterday afternoon. He leaves a widow and seven children, six boys, one girl--the wife of Mr. Bruce Goddard--to mourn their sad loss. His funeral leaves his late residence 'Dulce Domun' Fontabelle this afternoon for the Westbury Cemetery.

As was said of Sir Richard Dinzey in the Anglican Church on St. Barths we say to those who will be reading this book:

Reader, seekest thru his monument. Look around!

This page was last updated on 10/10/2004