Among My Curios. ~ 127 
There is little to be said of the memory of William Russell. The cain at the 
Lama stop-off, the Water Works, the Lamaha, the Water conservancy all speak 
of him. He was the foremost sugar planter in the colony and a leader of the 
Court of Policy. He is represented in the collection by a fine mother of pearl 
card case with richly silver saw cut patters, the same having been given to him 
by McNab of McNab, as he used to call him. 
Two Davenport Toby jugs smile as the figure of Nathaniel Chapman flits 
by. Nat came here in charge ofa trader regularly plymg from the Mother Country, 
and made this place his home in 1813. He was Harbour-Master, the skipper of 
the Barbados shipping fleet and one of our leading merchants. His son George, 
now dead, carried on the Barbados trade and the business. George Chapman, the 
lighterman, J. I. Chapman, merchant, Frederick Chapman, weigher and gauger, 
and Nat Chapman, wharfinger, represent the old Harbour-Master. 
Some Spode plates, a set of unmarked Spode and you see old Rose, the leader 
of the Court of Policy, a merchant in a large way and the hero of that celebrated 
bloodless duel, the duelling pistol, a huge thing, being near by me. Rose’s name 
on the street was a household word. 
Now here is painting for you !—a quaintly painted set of Dutch tea and coffee 
ware, 30 pieces. Ah! there comes the stalwart figure of the owner, Colonel 
Thomas Dougan, who died honoured on 12th May, 1840. He owned Middlesex, 
Essequebo, raised a corps of Militia and was appointed Colonel thereof. A 
religious man, he supported all the churches and was appointed the first Vestry- 
man of St. John’s Parish, Essequebo. He was Deputy Fiscal for Hssequebo, 
Police Magistrate of Georgetown, and a tablet was erected to his memory 
in the Cathedral. 
Near by is a sword remindful also of the militia men of the past—a fine blade, 
richly chased and inscribed, “‘ Demerara Estates Armed Force.” 
Davenport bowls, Hanley pottery mentioned in the Art Journal, cups and 
saucers, lustre ware, all pour forth the old-time glory of De Rooy,a Dutchman of 
fame in the colony, who settled here in 1796. To perpetuate his name we 
have De Rooy Street. His descendants are the Skekels, Lieutenant Pollard, 
and Pat Pollard. 
The curing cup takes up its share of the history of the colony. Inthe Museum 
of the R. A. & C. Society a broken curing cup is labled as a cure for fever. Mrs. 
Bercheyck from whom I got mine said it was a cure for topers. You drank and 
then saw a frog jumping down your throat. Youthought you “ had them again” 
and were cured. The Bercheycks came from Laurens Lodevyck Van Bercheyck, 
a Commander in 1761 of the Demerara River. He died in 1764 and his descend- 
ants owned the Lodge and other river properties. The Van Bercheyck family 
is represented by Herman Vyfhuis, Thornhill, of the Public Works Department, 
and the Donnellys. 
Here’s to the King! A huge drinking crystal glass richly cut with vine and grape 
pattern shows loyalty. Colonel Thomas Bunbury, in command of the Troops 
