Dutch Captain: Cornelis Kuyper

Cornelis Kuyper (Cuijper or Kuijper) served the Admiralty of Zeeland. During the First Anglo-Dutch War, he commanded the ship Ter Goes (or Goes) (26 guns). During the summer of 1652, he was part of De Ruyter's convoying fleet in the Channel and he fought in the Battle of Plymouth. After De Ruyter joined the main fleet, under command of Witte de With. Cornelis Kuyper fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock. Later, he fought in the Battle of Dungeness, where he was assigned to Jan Evertsen's squadron. On March 7, 1653 (new style), there is a notation that the Gloeyenden Oven, under the command of Cornelis Kuyper, met Jan Evertsen and the returning Zeeland ships, as they returned to Vlissingen after the Battle of Portland. Due to the fact that Cornelis Cuyper that we are discussing commanded the Goes before and after this date, I suspect it is a different man with the same name. In 1656, Cornelis Cuyper commanded the Utrecht on the expedition to Danzig. He also fought in the Battle of Lowestoft, where he commanded the Zwanenburg. He was killed in the battle, when his ship collided with the Marseveen and the Ter Goes. They surrendered, by a rogue English fireship captain burnt them, anyway. Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.

2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.

3. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.

4. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.VI, 1930.

5. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.

6. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.

7. Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.