English Captain: Edward Thompson

Edward (or Edmund, as Anderson called him in his list of captains) Thompson served in the Commonwealth navy. He commanded the hired merchantman Ruth (30 guns and a crew of 80 men in early 1652) from 1651 to 1653. In early 1652, he was assigned to Sir George Ayscue's squadron and he took part in the expedition to capture Barbadoes from the Royalists and to discourage Dutch trade in the English colonies. In August of 1652, he fought in the Battle of Plymouth, under Sir George Ayscue's command, against Michiel De Ruyter's Channel fleet. In early 1653, he probably fought in the Battle of Portland. From later in 1653 until 1654, he commanded the Dutch prize Advantage. He seems to have not been present at the Battle of the Gabbard, but he (now called Edmund Thompson by Anderson) now commanded the Advantage (26 guns) and fought at the Battle of Scheveningen. In 1655, he commanded another Dutch prize, the Plover. From 1655 to 1656, he commanded the 5th Rate Greyhound. He commanded the old 4th Rate Expedition from 1656 until 1659. We know that Edward and Edmund were the same man, as there are two separate sources that refer to him, while captain of the Advantage, by the two first names. 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. VI, 1930.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.