English Captain: John Cole

John Cole served in the Parliamentarian and Commonwealth navies. In 1647, he commanded a hired merchantship, Mayflower (one of several of that name). He was in the Summer Guard for 1647. In 1650, he commanded the Peter of Waterford, another hired merchantship. The Peter of Waterford seems to have been a small vessel with a crew from between 40 and 50 men, from her position in Derrick's list. From 1652 to 1653, he commanded the hired merchantship John (of London) (34 guns). He went to the Sound with Andrew Ball in September 1652. During the Battle of Portland, his ship was in the Tilbury Hope, as he was not able to get men for the crew. A few weeks later, they were sent to the Downs. From there, the John and Elizabeth were sent to the coast of France to look for stragglers from the Dutch convoy, and captured what they found. Apparently, the Swan was sent along, as well. Anderson does not list him at Scheveningen, but he was obviously there, as John Cole was killed in the battle. 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.IV, 1910
4. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
5. Charles Derrick, Memoirs of the Rise and Progress of the Royal Navy, 1806. (yes, I have a copy)
6. J. R. Powell, The Navy in the English Civil War, 1962.