In 2015, Bram Hoonhout, then a PhD student working on the 18th century history of Essequibo and Demerara, alerted me to the existence of references to Hendrik, Jan and Nicolaas van Cooten in the letterbooks of Theodore Barrell, a merchant in Demerara.

He was able to supply images, and my transcription is available here. The page image is made available with the permission of the New York Historical Society.

These letters are fascinating. They are dated 1799-1800. The letters revolve around Theodore Barrell’s encouragement of Hendrik Van Cooten to send his sons, Jan (John) and Nicolaas (Nicholas) to England to be educated at Mr. Andrew Rae’s Academy, Islington, London.

According to his baptism record Hendrik was about to turn 50 years old. In the letters, Barrell states describes Hendrik as being of “great worth”, “an opulent cotton planter”, and “universally esteemed one of the most truly respectable characters in [the colony]”.

He is the author of a chart (confirming his map-making expertise). His written English-language skills are at a “schoolboy” level.

Jan and Nicolaas are described as “Mezties” – of mixed European and African heritage. They are 13 and 11 years old. Theodore Barrell is of the opinion that the boys will experience less prejudice in England.

An enslaved woman named Komsy, serving the boys’ mother (presumably Dorothea Nicols) escorts them. She has previously escorted two other of Dorothea’s children to Holland. I presume these to be  Cornelis and Hendrik, although Hendrik senior’s will seems to imply that these two older boys were born out of wedlock (“natural” children), and I had assumed that Dorothea was not their mother.  Komsy is introduced to Plato, implied to be also of African descent. Surprisingly, Komsy arrives in England pregnant, and gives birth in London to a boy.

Hendrik also sends a daughter to England in the care of a Madam Europa to the household of Mrs. Bennett. I’m not sure which of Hendrik’s daughters this might be.

These letters verify the assertion of Ida Gorsuch that John Van Cooten was sent to England to be educated – see John Van Cooten leaves Demerara. I’m still hopeful of finding out where he received his medical education.