British Guinea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colony of Bolama and Bolama River
1792–1870
Status	Crown colony
Capital	Bolama
Common languages	English (official), Beafada
Religion	Christianity
Government	Crown colony
Monarch
• 1792–1820	George III (first)
• 1837–1870	Victoria (last)
Governor
• 1792	Philip Beaver
• 1868–1870	James Craig Loggie (last)
Historical era	First wave of European colonization
• Establishment	10 May 1792
• Change of sovereignty	1 October 1870
Succeeded by Portuguese Guinea
Today part of	Guinea-Bissau

British Guinea, also known as the Colony of Bolama and Bolama River, was a small area in West Africa that belonged to the United Kingdom. Its main city and capital was Bolama.

This colony started in 1792. Later, in 1870, it became part of Portuguese Guinea after a special decision process called arbitration. British Guinea included Bolama Island and nearby islands in the Bijagós Archipelago. It also had some land along the Buba River.

Today, these lands are part of the independent country called Guinea-Bissau.

Exploring British Guinea's Past

Long before British Guinea existed, the Portuguese had been exploring the region. They started in places like Cacheu around 1490 and Bissau by 1697. By then, Portugal had already claimed all the lands north of the Geba river.

However, the Portuguese didn't show much interest in Bolama Island until 1753. Even then, they didn't start building settlements or colonizing the island right away.

How British Colonization Began

Because the Portuguese weren't very interested in Bolama Island and the Bijagós Archipelago, the British saw an opportunity. On May 10, 1792, two officers from the British Navy, Lieutenants Philip Beaver and Henry Dalrymple, asked for permission in London. They wanted to create a new, ideal colony on Bolama Island. The island seemed perfect because it wasn't heavily populated and appeared ready for European settlement.

After Dalrymple decided not to continue, Philip Beaver went ahead alone. On July 27, 1792, he bought the rights to Bolama's land from the king of Canhabaque. After this purchase, he set up a village with 275 British people. This village was in the Ponta Oeste area, which is now called Bolama de Baixo. Beaver became the first colonial leader of British Guinea. However, on November 29 of the same year, he and the 275 Britons left the village. Bolama then became a stopping point for British ships sailing between Gambia and Sierra Leone.

In 1816, Joseph Scott led an expedition to try and re-establish the village on Bolama. But he faced strong resistance from the Bijagós people, who had moved back to the island. Commander Scott decided not to colonize the island and instead traveled to Sierra Leone.

The Fight for Bolama

On June 24, 1827, Neil Campbell, the British colonial governor of Sierra Leone, visited Bolama Island and the Buba River. He signed agreements with the kings of Bolola and Guinala, confirming British ownership of Bolama.

However, the Portuguese disagreed. Less than a year later, on July 12, 1828, King Damião of Canhabaque and ambassadors from King Fabião of the Beafadas signed a treaty. This treaty allowed the Portuguese to occupy Bolama. On May 9, 1830, Joaquim António de Mattos began the Portuguese military occupation of Bolama. This was the island's first permanent colony. The Portuguese presence and their trading activities led to strong diplomatic reactions from the British.

Between 1838 and 1859, the British attacked Bolama. They targeted Portuguese military posts and vessels, starting what became known as the Bolama Conflict. This conflict involved both military actions and diplomatic disagreements. Some of these attacks briefly allowed the British to take over the island. They sometimes freed people and sometimes captured Portuguese soldiers. This was a very unusual conflict in the history of relations between Portugal and Great Britain. Only the later dispute known as the Rose-Coloured Map was more intense in diplomatic terms, though not in military fighting.

In February 1859, the British launched their final and most damaging attack on the Bolama facility. This forced the Portuguese to leave the island. So, on May 10, 1860, the British colonial governor of Sierra Leone announced that British Guinea was restored. It would now be managed by the Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone. On December 3, 1860, Stephen Hill, the governor of Sierra Leone, visited Bolama. He set up a permanent military group there. On December 14, 1861, the British colony of Bolama was officially opened.

Deciding Bolama's Future

In 1868, the British government agreed to let an international third party decide the fate of Bolama. This process is called international arbitration. On April 21, 1870, the dispute was finally settled by the President of the United States, Ulysses Grant. He ruled in favor of Portugal, meaning the British had to leave the region. The Portuguese representative at this arbitration court was António José de Ávila. After this important victory, he was given the special title of Duke of Ávila and Bolama.

On October 1, 1870, the ceremony to transfer control of Bolama took place. The British flag was lowered, and then the Portuguese flag was raised in Bolama. This moment symbolized the official end of the long conflict over the territory.