English Captain: Philip Holland

Philip Holland apparently served in both the Commonwealth and the Restoration navies. Technically, his service from 1648 to 1649 was in the Parliamentarian navy, as well. From 1648 to 1650, Philip Holland commanded the hired merchant ship Falcon. In 1651, he probably commanded the Lily for a period. From 1651 to 1652, he commanded the 6th Rate Cygnet (22 guns). He fought at the Battle of the Kentish Knock, in command of the Cygnet. From 1653 to 1659, he commanded the 4th Rate Assurance (36 guns and a crew of 160 men). He fought at the Battle of Portland in early 1653. He was in Thomas Graves' division at the Battle of the Gabbard. Thomas Graves was Rear-Admiral of the White. Philip Holland was wounded at the Battle of Scheveningen, but recovered. He was unusual in commanding the same ship for 6 years, during the Commonwealth. During the Four Days Battle, Philip Holland and the Loyal Merchant were lying in the Thames, fitting out. At the St. James' Day Battle, he commanded the hired merchant ship Loyal Merchant (50 guns). 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. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
4. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.
5. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
6. J. R. Powell, The Navy in the English Civil War, 1962.