Providence Island Company facts for kids

The Providence Company was an English company started in 1629 by a group of Puritans. These Puritans were a religious group who wanted to "purify" the Church of England. The company aimed to set up a colony on Providence Island and the Mosquito Coast (which is now part of Nicaragua).

How the Company Started

Providence Island was discovered in 1629 by a man named Daniel Elfrith. He told Philip Bell, who was a governor in the Somers Islands. Bell then shared this information with Nathaniel Rich. Rich brought in his relative, the Earl of Warwick, who was a very important person.

They held a meeting in London in November 1629. This meeting led to the creation of the Providence Company. About 20 people invested money, each putting in about £200. Philip Bell went with the first settlers to Providence Island and became its first governor in December 1629.

Who Was Involved

Many important people were part of the Providence Company. These included:

• Lord Warwick
• William Fiennes, Lord Saye and Sele
• Robert Greville, Lord Brooke
• John Pym, a well-known politician
• Oliver St John, a lawyer

Many of these investors were already involved with another company called the Somers Isles Company. The King of England gave the Providence Company a special document called a royal charter. This charter gave them permission to set up their colony.

Key Figures and Their Connections

Many of the people who invested in the Providence Company were also important figures in English politics. Some were members of Parliament, and others were powerful lords.

A decade later, many of these same people became famous during the English Civil War. They were often against King Charles I. For example, John Pym was a very influential leader of the Parliamentarians. John Hampden, another important figure who opposed the King, was also connected to the company, even though he wasn't an investor himself.

Many of the company's members were related or close friends. This group became a key part of the political opposition against King Charles I. They often met to discuss company business, but these meetings also became places to plan their resistance against the King's policies, like the unpopular "Ship Money" tax.

What the Company Did

The Providence Company had two main goals: 1. To create a religious community where people lived by strict Puritan rules. They hoped these settlers would grow crops like tobacco and cotton to support themselves. 2. To attack Spanish ships in the Spanish Main (the Caribbean Sea).

The company had strict rules for the islands. They banned card games, drinking too much, and bad language. They even sent a minister home for singing on a Sunday! One historian said they were trying to create "nests of pirates with the behaviour and morals of a Calvinist theological seminary."

Farming and Trade

At first, the company tried to grow tobacco and cotton, but these crops didn't make much money. So, they switched to growing sugar cane. To work on these farms, the company used enslaved African people. This meant the company was involved in the slave trade.

Even though the King officially wanted to stay neutral with Spain, he quietly allowed the company to continue attacking Spanish ships. This was called privateering. The company had to pay for these attacks themselves. This promise of attacking Spanish ships made the company seem more promising, and they raised more money in 1637.

The Providence Company also supported the Parliamentarians as the English Civil War began. From 1631 to 1635, the company also tried to start a colony on Tortuga Island, near Hispaniola.

What Happened to the Colony

In 1635, the Spanish attacked the settlement on Tortuga Island and destroyed it.

By March 1638, some company members, including the Earl of Warwick, wanted to move to Providence Island themselves, but this never happened. In May 1641, the Spanish and Portuguese forces took over the Providence Island Colony.

Political Importance

The Providence Company was important because it gave a way for people to oppose King Charles I's rule. Even though their main goal was to set up a colony, the company's meetings and members played a big role in the political unrest that led to the English Civil War.