17th Century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1620 | English Captain Simon Gordon may have first made a brief landing on Barbados. | |
| 1625 | Courteen dispatched Captain John Powell for the purpose of establishing a permanent settlement on the island, but the ship returned to England having not been able to locate the island. (to 1627) | |
| Courteen dispatched a second envoy from England, led by Captain Henry Powell (brother of John Powell), on the ship known as the William and John. | ||
| July | The passing trade ship, "Olive Blossom" owned by English merchant William Courteen (and led by Chief Captain John Powell), landed at St. James Town and erect a cross with the inscription "for James K. of E. and this island", other personal items are left behind prior to departing for England. | |
| 1627 | 17 February | Eighty English settlers, with ten African slaves (captured-at-sea) aboard the ship William and John land at St. James Town. (to 20 February) |
| 25 February | English king Charles I gave Courten by Royal Letters Patent the proprietary ownership and title to various lands in the Southern Americas (which Courten applies towards claim of Barbados). | |
| 2 July | Charles gave James Hay, the 1st Earl of Carlisle by Royal Letters Patent the proprietary ownership to Caribbee islands lying between ten and twenty degrees of latitude. | |
| 1628 | 5 July | Lord Carlisle as represented by Governor Charles Wolferstone (of Bermuda) establishes a settlement and the capital moves from Courteen's settlement at St. James Town to present location of Bridgetown. Under the authority of the Wolverstone the Governor appoints a Council composed of the main landowners to assist him in the governance of the island. |
| 1629 | Forces of Carlisle's employ arrived in Barbados and arrested Courten's governor. | |
| The colony became divided into six original parishes. A vestry framework for local government is devised, and parishes are administered by elected landowners who had the powers to tax and carry out basic municipal functions, such as road maintenance. | ||
| 1639 | The parliament, (the House of Assembly then known as the House of Burgesses), held its first meeting. It was composed of sixteen landowners chosen by the Governor. | |
| 1640 | Sugar cultivation begins on the island. | |
| 1642 | English Civil War: Large influx of both English Parliamentarians, and Royalists to island. (to 1651) | |
| The British Parliament sends a fleet to blockade ports of Barbados, the island surrenders in December and agrees to recognise Charles II as King. (to 1651) | ||
| 1645 | The colony became re subdivided into eleven parishes, each sending two representatives to the House of Assembly. | |
| 1652 | 11 January | The Barbados Charter (Treaty of Oistins) is signed between locals and The Crown, of which articles of agreement confirm the Assembly, and liberty of conscience. |
| The House and the Legislative Council (executive arm of government) began to hold separate sessions. | ||
| 1668 | 18 April | The Bridgetown Magazine explodes, 80 Percent of Bridgetown (800 homes), are razed in a great fire. |
| 1671 | 3 October | Quaker leader George Fox visits island. |
| 1675 | May | First slave rebellion. |
| 1660 | Charles II knights eleven gentlemen of Barbados. White indentured labourers (small-holders) are largely replaced by black slaves from West Africa (many from today's Ghana). (to 1680) | |
| 1680 | White labourers mostly leave, to Carolinas, (Charleston, South Carolina); and to other West Indian islands, especially Jamaica. | |
| 1682 | The sugar-producing planter class becomes dominant. They inter-marry with British aristocracy, and buy seats in the Parliament. |
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of Barbadian History
Famous quotes containing the word century:
“This century fulfills the office of road-laborer for the society of the future. We make the road, others will make the journey.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)