Editing Terschelling (section)

==History==
The island in its current shape formed in the [[Middle Ages]] from a sandy area called De Schelling in the west and the original island Wexalia in the east. The name Wexalia, Wuxalia, or Wecsile is the medieval name of eastern Terschelling. However, this name disappeared at the end of the Middle Ages. The last appearance of the name Wexalia is in a treaty between Folkerus Reijner Popma, then ruler of Terschelling, with king [[Edward IV]] of England in 1482.

The oldest traces of civilization on Terschelling date from around 850, when a small wooden church was built on a hill near Seeryp or Stryp (Striep). This hill was later used as a burial ground and is known as the "Strieperkerkhof".

Historically, tensions existed between the inhabitants of West-Terschelling, with its strong orientation towards the sea, and the more agriculturally oriented inhabitants of East-Terschelling. In 1612 this led to the division of the island into independent political entities, West-Terschelling and East-Terschelling. Only after the French occupation at the start of the 19th century was Terschelling again united as one entity.

The Dutch navigator [[Willem Barentsz]] was born on Terschelling around 1550.

In 1666 West-Terschelling was ransacked by the English. The English fleet had originally planned to attack the Dutch merchant fleet which was moored before the coast of [[Vlieland]], the next island to the west. When the Dutch vessels retreated towards Terschelling, the English followed, destroyed 150 Dutch vessels, and landed in the harbour of West Terschelling. The town was burnt to the ground by the English on this occasion which would become known as "[[Holmes's Bonfire]]" after the English admiral [[Sir Robert Holmes]]. The [[Great Fire of London]] in the very same year was considered by some{{who|date=April 2020}} to have been God's retribution. The next year, in 1667, the Dutch under command of [[Michiel de Ruyter|De Ruyter]] executed a retaliatory expedition, and dealt the English navy a heavy blow at the [[Raid on the Medway]] (also known as the Battle of Chatham), in effect ending the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In 1799, [[HMS Lutine|HMS ''Lutine'']], a [[United Kingdom|British]] frigate loaded with British [[gold]], sank on the western Terschelling coast (was erroneously quoted in the lemma on Texel) in a storm. Her wreck shifted in the sands; despite several intensive, well-financed searches, only a few treasures have been found. A beaker made from a silver bar is displayed in the [[National Maritime Museum]] at Greenwich. Her bell was recovered and is now in the headquarters of [[Lloyd's of London]], where it is tolled before announcing important news.

Until 1942 Terschelling, like Vlieland, was part of the province of [[North Holland]].