English Captain: Giles Shelley

Giles Shelley served both the Commonwealth and Restoration navies. In 1653, he commanded the Dutch prize Waterhound (32 guns and a crew of 120 men). He fought at the Battle of Portland, in early 1653. At the Battle of the Gabbard, he was in Thomas Graves' division. Thomas Graves was Rear-Admiral of the White. He almost certainly fought in the Battle of Scheveningen, as well. He was in the Winter Guard for 1653. From 1654 to 1656, he commanded the 5th Rate Colchester. From 1656 to 1657, he commanded the 4th Rate Guinea. From 1659 to 1660, he commanded the old 4th Rate Providence. He started in the Restoration navy as a lieutenant. In 1664, he was promoted to captain. At the Battle of Lowestoft, in 1665, he commanded the hired merchant ship Royal Exchange (46 guns). He was in Sir John Lawson's division in the Duke of York's squadron. He also took part in the Norway operation with the main fleet. Giles Shelley was the Royal Exchange's captain from 2 September 1664 until 14 December 1665. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, “English Fleet-Lists in the First Dutch War,” The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.XXIV No.4, October 1938.
2. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964.
3. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
4. Frank Fox, “Hired Men-of-War, 1664-7”, Part II, The Mariner's Mirror Vol.84 No.2 (May 1998).
5. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994.