English Captain: Anthony Archer

Anthony Archer served the Commonwealth navy. In 1651, he commanded the hired mechantship, the Merchant frigate (this was a 24 gun vessel of 200 tons). In 1652, he commanded the 6th Rate Paradox. From 1653 to 1654, he commanded the Fortune. From 1654 to 1656, he commanded the Pelican prize (perhaps the Dutch Vergulde Pelicaen). From 1657 to the Restoration in 1660, he commanded the 5th Rate Forester. In 1665, he commanded the hired merchantman Good Hope (34 guns), but while escorting a convoy with naval stored from Hamburg on May 20th, he lead them straight into the Dutch fleet. He had been drunk at the time he and his convoy were captured. That incident seems to have ended his career in the Restoration navy. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964.
2. R. C. Anderson, Lists of Men-of-War 1650-1700: Part I English Ships 1649-1702, 1966.
3. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.