Page "History of Barbados" Paragraph 10

Around the same time fighting during the War of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum spilled over into Barbados and Barbadian territorial waters.

The island was not involved in the war until after the execution of Charles I, when the island's government fell under the control of Royalists ( ironically the Governor, Philip Bell, remained loyal to Parliament while the Barbadian House of Assembly, under the influence of Humphrey Walrond, supported Charles II ).

To try to bring the recalcitrant colony to heel, the Commonwealth Parliament passed an act on 3 October 1650 which prohibited trade between England and the island, and because the island also traded with the Netherlands, further navigation acts were passed prohibiting any but English vessels trading with Dutch colonies.

These acts were a precursor to the First Anglo-Dutch War.

The Commonwealth of England sent an invasion force under the command of Sir George Ayscue which arrived in October 1651.

After some skirmishing, the Royalists supporters in the Barbados House of Assembly led by Lord Willoughby surrendered.

The conditions of surrender were incorporated into the Charter of Barbados ( Treaty of Oistins ), which was signed in the Mermaid's Inn, Oistins, on 17 January 1652.