Bernard Romans
# Bernard Romans

Bernard Romans (1741 - 1784) fue un naturalista e ingeniero holandés. Aunque nace en los Países Bajos, realiza sus estudios en Inglaterra.

En 1757 es enviado a América del Norte para efectuar trabajos de cartografía. Hacia 1760 es asignado a San Agustín en el este de la Florida, comenzando a hacer carrera entre los rangos de ingenieros británicos.

Por su propia cuenta, en 1761, Romans entra al servicio de la Corona como comodoro. Después de finalizada la guerra, Romans continua por el mar. Navega también como privado y como comerciante, llegando tan al norte como Labrador, y tan al sur como Curaçao, Cartagena y Panamá.

Se casa el 3 de marzo de 1761, con María Wendel (o Mary Wendell) en la Iglesia Reformada Alemana, en Albania, Nueva York. Tienen un hijo, Peter Milo Romans, que nace el 16 de enero de 1762. No hay más registros de Maria Wendel Romans, y Romans menciona a Peter solo una vez en sus escritos.

En 1766, es investigador en el Estado de Georgia. Para enriquecerse, adquiere terrenos y esclavos. Realiza las primeras cartas de la región de Pensacola, Tampa, Mobile. No solo trabaja en agrimensura- geografía, sino recolecta informaciones de los pueblos amerindios, las colonias europeas, la fauna, la flora.

Debido a la calidad de su trabajo, el gobernador de Florida le ofrece una pensión a fin de expandir su labor, restando el sur, y Romans recibe hacia 1773 una pensión de 50 libros. Obtiene un sostén financiero de la parte de filantropía de sociedades científicas de Boston y de Philadelphie para la publicación de su carta de Florida, y para su libro A Concise History of East and West Florida, donde el primer tomo aparece en enero de 1774.

Con su pensión reducida, se reengancha en la Armada estadounidense por cinco años. Su fin fue misterioso. Ciertas fuentes afirmaron que fue prisionero y detenido en Jamaica en 1784, otros piensan que fue capturado en 1779, detenido en Gran Bretaña y con un rescate retornó a EE. UU. en 1784.

## Obra

### Algunas publicaciones

* Romans, Bernard. 1700. Bernard Romans map of Florida, 1774. Washington D. C.: reproducido por Columbia Planograph Co. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. "To the Marine Society of the city of New York in the Province of New York in North America this chart is humbly inscribed ..." Includes sailing directions, navigational notes, notes on some shipwrecks, "View of the entrance of St. Mary's River," and "View of Fort St. Marks, at Apalache seen from the southward ..."
* Romans, Bernard. 1775. A concise natural history of East and West Florida containing an account of the natural produce of all the southern part of British America, in the three kingdoms of nature, particularly the animal and vegetable. Likewise, the artificial produce now raised, or possible to be raised, and manufactured there, with some commercial and political observations in that part of the world; and a chorographical account of the same. To which is added, by way of appendix, plain and easy directions to navigators over the bank of Bahama, the coast of the two Floridas, the north of Cuba, and the dangerous Gulph Passage. Noting also, the hitherto unknown watering places in that part of America, intended principally for the use of such vessels as may be so unfortunate as to be distresed by weather in that difficult part of the world. The numbers 176-177 are omitted in paging. One of the 12 plates mentioned in the title (the "map of the country of the savage nations, intended to be put, facing page 72") was reserved for publication with a second volume, which was, apparently never published, although the author states in the "Advertisement" at end of v. 1 that v. 2 "is now in the press." The "two whole sheet maps" were published separately, with date 1774. For a description of this chart of the coast of East & West Florida, see A list of maps of America in the Library of Congress, 1901, p. 281.
* Romans, Bernard. 1991. Bernard Romans, "A chorographical map of the northern department of North-America" (Ámsterdam, 1780). Burlington, VT: Friends of Special Collections.
* Romans, Bernard. 1773. Philadelphia, 5 de agosto de 1773. Proposals for printing by subscription, three very elegant and large maps of the navigation, to, and in, the new ceded countries. ... By Bernard Romans. Philadelphia: Printed by William and Thomas Bradford. The prospectus calls for the maps to be published in New York, together with "A book containing very plain and easy directions to navigators to that part of the world, and a concise natural history of the said countries." The accompanying text subsequently appeared as "A concise history of East and West Florida." "The curious may at any time see the originals, and a specimen of the engraver's abilities, by applying to Messrs. William & Thomas Bradford." The Bradfords were among those accepting subscriptions in Philadelphia. http://opac.newsbank.com/select/evans/42493.
* Romans, Bernard, John Gerar William De Brahm, Capt Hester, robert Bishop, and Archibald Dalzel. 1789. The complete pilot for the gulf passage; or, Directions for sailing through the Gulf of Florida Named also new Bahama channel, and the neighbouring parts. By Capt. Bernard Romans, Capt. W. Gerrard de Brahm, surveyor-general for the southern district of North America; George Gauld, Esq. surveyor of the Florida coasts; Capt. Bishop, Capt. Hester, Capt. Archibald Dalzel, and several other gentlemen experienced in the navigation of that passage. Londres: impreso por Robert Sayer, Fleet-street.
* Romans, Bernard, & John Hancock. 1775. To the Hone. Jno. Hancock, Esqre. president of ye Continental Congress, this map of the seat of civil war in America, is respectfully inscribed by his most obedient humble servant, B. Romans. Coloreada a mano. Relieve ilustrado. Indicados los puntos de interés. Inserto índices: Plan of Boston & its environs, 1775.--A view of the lines thrown up on Boston Neck; by the ministerial army.
* Romans, Bernard. 1794. Romans' Gulf and Windward pilot, with a new large book of sailing directions. Londres: Robert Laurie and James Whittle. The coast of North America, from Port-Royal entrance to Matanza Inlet, exhibiting the coast of Georgia—A Mercator chart of the Gulf passage, from Cape Antonio in the Island of Cuba, to the 30th degree of North Latitude, including the old Channel of Bahama—The Windward passage from Jamaica, with the several passages, Northward of Hispaniola—A new chart of the West Indies.
* Romans, Bernard, & Albert S. Gatschet. 1900. [Tombigbee, Oocooloo, and Yazoo Rivers]. Notation identifies this as a copy of manuscript map drawn by Romans in 1772 & owned by Dr. Albert S. Gatschet of Washington, DC, who copied the original Romans map & inserted the names & boundaries of several counties in Mississippi.
* Romans, Bernard, & Robert Sayer. 1788. Plan of the harbour of Pensacola. Londres: impreso por R. Sayer. Depths shown by soundings. Appears in Thomas Jefferys' The West-India atlas. 1794.
* Romans, Bernard, & Robert Sayer. 1788. A plan of Mobile Bar. Londres: impreso por R. Sayer. "The soundings are in feet." Shows "Isle Dauphine," "Mobile Point," "Pelican Id.," and other isl&s. Plate no. "33." From Thomas Jefferys' The West-India atlas. 1794.
* Romans, Bernard. 1778. A chorographical map of the country round Philadelphia. S.l: s.n. Relief shown pictorially. Indicates location of Valley Forge grand American winter camp, Jan. 1778, General Howe's track from Elke River to Philadelphia, & General Washington's track.
* Romans, Bernard. 1773. A map of the middle part of East Florida, and the Grand Bahama Bank. S.l: s.n. Latitude 26°25' North & 28°45' North. 84°55' to 75° West longitude from London. On verso: "No. 80. F." Mapa manuscrito; in ink & colors on 3 sheets joined. drawn for the private use of [blank] as taken from the original journals & field-words of B. Romans.
* Romans, Bernard. 1900. A general map of the southern British colonies in America: comprehending North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, with the neighboring Indian countries, from the modern surveys of Engineer de Brahm, Capt. Collet, Mouzon, & others, & from the large hydrographical survey of the coasts of East & West Florida. United States?: s.n. Relief shown pictorially. Originalmente publicado: Londres : impreso por R. Sayer & J. Bennett, map, chart, & printsellers, 1776. Prime meridian: Londres, copia xerográfica. Title in decorative cartouche. Insets: Plan of Charlestown—Plan of St. Augustine.
* Romans, Bernard. 1775. [Sketch of the fortifications of West Point]. Photograph of original in the collection of United States Military Academy Library. Shows vicinity of West Point with notations regarding sites for fortifications & armament.
* Romans, Bernard. 1786. "Extract of a Letter from Bernard Romans, of Pensacola, fechada 20 de agosto de 1773, on an Improved Sea-Compass". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 2: 396-397.
* Romans, Bernard. n.d. Papers of Bernard Romans. Library of Congress.
* La abreviatura «Romans» se emplea para indicar a Bernard Romans como autoridad en la descripción y clasificación científica de los vegetales.
