Providence Island colony

Providence Island Colony
1629–1641
Flag Coat of arms
Old Providence Island
Status	Colony of England
Capital	New Westminster
Official languages	English
Religion	Puritanism
Government	Proprietary colony
• Monarch	(First) James VI & I (Last) Charles I
Governor
• 1629-1636	Philip Bell
• 1636-1638	Robert Hunt
• 1638-1640	Nathaniel Butler
History
• Creation of the Providence Island Company	10 November, 1629
• First explored by England under Daniel Elfrith	1629
• Landing of the Seaflower on Providence Island	1631
• Spanish capture of Providencia	17 May, 1641
Currency	Pound sterling and Spanish dollar
Succeeded by New Kingdom of Granada
Today part of	Colombia Nicaragua Haiti

The Providence Island colony was established in 1630 by English Puritans on Providence Island (now the Colombian Department of San Andrés and Providencia), about 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of the coast of Nicaragua. It was founded and controlled by a group of English investors, the Providence Island Company.

Although intended to be a model Puritan colony engaged in agriculture, it also functioned as a base for privateers operating against Spanish ships and settlements in the region. In 1641, Spanish and Portuguese forces, after two previous attempts, finally penetrated the harbour's defenses and captured the colony. The Spanish removed all the English settlers from the island but kept the structures. This garrison was maintained on the island, now called Santa Catalina again, until 1666.