Fort William, Ghana

Fort William

factory, fort

Part of	Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
Year dem found am	1640
Country	Ghana
Edey de administrative territorial entity insyd	Central Region
Ein location	Anomabu
Coordinate location	5°10′27″N 1°7′8″W
Heritage designation	Ghana’s material cultural heritage
World Heritage criteria	(vi)
Ghana Place Names URL	https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/places-in-perspective/castles-forts#h.knegjjgkpjnc

Fort William be a fort insyd Anomabu, Central Region, Ghana, dem originally know am as Fort Anomabo wey dem rename am Fort William insyd de 1830s by ein then-commander, Brodie Cruickshank, wey he add one storey to de main building, wey dem rename de fort after King William IV.

Na dem build am insyd 1753 by de British after dem thwart a French attempt make dem establish a fort for de same place. Na dem establish two earlier forts fot de same site, one insyd 1640 by de Dutch, anoda insyd 1674 (Fort Charles) by de English. Na dem abandon Fort Charles insyd 1730 wey e be destroyed. Along plus chaw oda castles den forts insyd Ghana, na dem inscribe Fort William on de UNESCO World Heritage List insyd 1979 secof ein importance during den testimony to de Atlantic slave trade.

History

Earlier forts

Insyd 1640, na de Dutch build de first simple fort insyd de form of stone nog dem brick lodge under de direction of Commander, Arent Jacobsz van der Graeff. Insyd 1653, na de Swedes capture de lodge. Insyd 1657, na Danish forces take de lodge under Caerloff. Insyd 1659 anaa 1660, na de Dutch recapture am. Wen na de second Anglo-Dutch war end insyd 1667 plus de (Treaty of Breda), na de English gain a foothold insyd Anomabo. Insyd 1672 anaa 1673, na de English begin dey build Fort Charles, wey dem name am after King Charles II of England, on de present-day location of Fort William. Na an early Anomabo chief, perhaps Eno anaa Eno Besi, inhabit de Dutch lodge for dis time wey he declare am ein palace. Na de English abandon de fort no be long after, so say dem go concentrate efforts den costs on Fort Carolusburg for Cape Coast.

"Ten Percenters" base

Insyd 1698, na de Royal African Company "licensed" ship captains no be insyd ein employment upon de payment of a 10% "affiliation fee" make e enable dem make dem trade insyd ein areas of monopoly. Na der follow a flood of "Ten Percenters" wey dey trade for British forts, often dey outnumber de company ein own ships. Anomabu cam be a popular haunt of "ten percenters" (til na dem stop dema licensing insyd 1712), wey dey export vast numbers of slaves.

Anomabu Castle, Fort William

Fort William – 1890s

Insyd 1753, after dem thwart a French bid make dem establish a fort for Anomabu de British African Company of Merchants (successor to de Royal African Company) begin construction of Anomabu Castle, wey be designed by military engineer John Apperly, wey na he cam turn ein first governor.

After Apperly ein death insyd 1756, na Irishman Richard Brew take over de governorship of dis fort wey na he plete ein construction insyd 1760.

De fort cam turn de center of British slave trading along de Gold Coast til dem outlaw de slave trade insyd 1807.

Insyd de nineteenth century, na ein commander Brodie Cruickshank add one storey to de main building, wey he rename de fort after King William IV (1830 – 1837).

Anomabu be a popular tourist destination. Dem still fi see de well-preserved remains of Fort William.

Gallery

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  1870s
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  Fort William in Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  1890s
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  King George IV plaque
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  Gold Coast King George VI Memorial Youth Centre
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  Fort William – Crest reads "Freedom and Justice"
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  Prison cell at Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana
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  Fort William at Anomabo, Ghana

Notable residents den prisoners

• Venture Smith
• William Ansah Sessarakoo