Dutch Captain: Johan de Witte

Johan the Witte lived from 1635 to 1683. He was son-in-law of De Ruyter, since he married De Ruyter's daughter Cornelia in1659. He was captain of a company of marines and distinguished himself in September 1673 at the siege of Naarden. Andrew says that Johan de Witte had fought in the Four Days' Battle and the St. James's Day Battle on board his father-in-law's flagship, the Zeven Provinciën. In October, the Admiralty of Amsterdam appointed him a captain. In 1674, he commanded the Provincie van Utrecht (60 guns) in De Ruyter's expedition to Martinique. Sources:

1. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.

2. Carl Stapel, note "Vlootlijst van de tocht naar Martinique", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Hendrik Hondius

Hendrik Hondius served as Cornelis Tromp's flag captain on the Hollandia at the Four Days' Battle in June 1666. He reported after the battle that the Hollandia had been struck by an English incendiary bullet. Frank Fox suspects that such a device caused the loss of the Duivenvoorde and the Hof van Zeeland. After the Hollandia collided with the Liefde, the Hollandia lost her bowsprit and head, she was towed to Goeree while Cornelis Tromp shifted his flag to the Prins van Oranje (or Jonge Prins). Andrew says that he was also at the St. James's Day Battle. The Hollandia's dimensions were: 165ft x 41-3/4ft x 15-1/4ft. At the Four Days' Battle, her crew consisted of 400 sailors and 50 soldiers. Her casualties were 14 killed and 23 wounded. Her armament at the Four Days' Battle was 10-brass 24pdr, 18-iron 18pdr, 28-brass 12pdr, and 24-brass 6pdr. The 18 and 24pdr guns were on the lower tier. The 12pdr were all on the upper tier. The third tier was incomplete, but consisted of 20-6pdr. There were 4-6pdr in the cabin. Sources:

1. H.A. van Foreest and R.E.J. Weber, De Vierdaagse Zeeslag 11-14 Juni 1666, 1984.

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

This is my translation of a passage from Vol.VI of Dr. Elias's work Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen (p.121):

On Monday, the 10th [November, 1653], the storm reached its high point, under dense hail showes and hunt snow. Expecially the Directors’ ships, which were sparingly supplied with anchors and ropes generally, had trouble with what the hurricane had to offer. Many of the ships dragged their anchors and drifted landwards, and this included the majority of the Director’s ships. Against two States’ warships lost (the Gouda of Amsterdam, under captain Ooms, which lost half the crew, and the Prins Willem of the Noorderkwartier, under captain Boermans, with twelve men found dead) were six ships lost from the different Directors.

Dutch Captain: Jan de Haes

Mr. Carl Stapel sent me this information about Jan de Haes. I have done some translation to English:

     Jan de Haes

Admiralty of the Maze

Born       :
Married    :
Died       :  1666   beheaded

Details: nephew of vice-admiral Witte de With

1652  8-1 to 29-8    commander of the hired ship Beer  24 guns  crew of 86 men
1653  8  August      commander of the English prize Rosenkrans. 
                     The ship was almost burned down. 
                     The crew mostly went over to an English ship. 
                     He brought the ship back to  Goeree with a skeleton crew.
1654                 He commanded the Prins Hendrik (1653) in the Channel
1656 19 november     He commanded the Vrede (1654) in the Channel
1657                 He is not still in service of the Admiralty of the Maze
1658  25 sept        He commanded the Gelderland (1634) in a fight with privateers
1659                 In the Sont with the Schiedam (16??)
                          (according to A. Vreugdenhil).  
1666                 He detained captains and threatened them with death. 
                        He was caught, taken, and condemned to death. 
                      (he was extorting merchant and fishing captains)
                     In September 1666, he was beheaded (!)  

The Dutch frigate Schermer (1690)

This from notes supplied by Mr. Carl Stapel. This is my translation:

Schermer frigate built in 1690
                                            Length: Beam:  Hold: Guns  In service:
Amsteram   Schermer or Beschermer  frigate  130ft   34ft   14ft  44    1690–1703

In 1690 built by Hendrick Cardinael at Amsterdam - a ship of the fifth charter 

Date      Captain                 Guns Crew  Notes
1694      Cornelis Hoogenhoek     44         under Hiddes de Vries fought 
                                                against Jean Bart  
1696      Cornelis Hoogenhoek     44   200   convoyer    
23/5/1703 commandeur Jacob Teengs 44         sea battle in the Bay of Biscay 

The ship was captured by French under the command of Duquay-Trouin.

Jacob Teengs was taken prisoner, but was exchanged in half-a-year.

Source: Notes of A Vreugdenhil. Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam

The VOC ship Mars in 1653

On July 20th, 1653, Tromp ordered Reynst Corneliszoon Sevenhuysen to transfer his crew from the Rode Leeuw to the ship Mars. The Mars was on loan from the VOC for service in the war. One source calls Captain Sevenhuysen's old ship the Profeet Samuel. In any case, his old ship was paid off, as it was worn out and would have needed to be refitted. Mr. Carl Stapel had a listing in one of his emails about a Mars.

N Mars hired from the VOC-Enkhuisen 46-50 guns 130ft x 32ft x 13ft

I had thought that this might have been the ship mentioned in published sources.

Dutch Captain: Allart (or Albert) Matthijszoon (Updated)

Allart (or Albert) Matthijszoon (or Mathijszoon) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was in the fleet equipped and sent to Denmark in 1659 under the command of Michiel De Ruyter. He commanded the Kampen (Campen) (40 guns and a crew of 190 men). From 1661 to 1663, he served under De Ruyter in the Mediterranean Sea. He commanded the frigate Edam (32 guns). He also fought in the Battle of Lowestoft, where he commanded the Hilversum (58 guns and a crew of 258 men). He was assigned to Egbert Meeuwssen Kortenaer's squadron. At the end of the battle, the Hilversum was attacked by the fireship Bramble, and was then captured by the 4th Rate Bristol. Sources:

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

2. G. L. Grove, Journalen van de Admiralen Van Wassenaer-Obdam (1658/59) en De Ruyter (1659/60), 1907.

Another good tidbit from Mr. Carl Stapel: Hans Hartwich

This is my translation of another piece from Mr. Carl Stapel about the captain Hans Hartwich.

Hans Hartwich or Hartwijk: Admiralty of Amsterdam 

Date       Adm Ship type       Name    guns  crew  Notes
07-06-1673 A  frigate          Haas    24    100   Schooneveld I
14-06-1673 A  frigte           Haas    24          Schooneveld II
21-08-1673 A  frigate          Haas    24          Kijkduin (Battle of the Texel)
1674       A  transport        Neptunis12    32    off France and to Martinique
1683       A  ship of the line Tijdverdrijf  52    expedition to Gothenburg
15-11-1683 A                   Tijdverdrijf        lost in a strong storm
1691       On 6 June 1691 he was present at the burial of Cornelis Tromp.                       

Dutch Captain: Hugo van Nieuwenhoff (Nieuhoff)

Hugo van Nieuwenhoff (or Nieuhoff) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1659, he commanded the Doesburg (40 guns) in De Ruyter's fleet in the Sound. In 1661, we find him still commanding the Doesburg (now 42 guns), and with De Ruyter's fleet sent to the Mediterranean Sea. In June 1665, he commanded the Landman (48 guns) and fought in the Battle of Lowestoft. In June 1666, he fought in the Four Days Battle, where he commanded the Stad en Lande (60 guns). In August (July 25, old style), he fought in the St. James's Day Battle, where he was still commanding the Stad en Lande (now 58 guns). Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedryf van den Heere Michiel De Ruiter, 1687.
3. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
4. G. L. Grove, Journalen van de Admiralen Van Wassenaer-Obdam (1658/59) en De Ruyter (1659/60), 1907.

Abraham van der Hulst also served under De Ruyter in 1661

From Mollema and Brandt, we know that Abraham van der Hulst, who served the Admiralty of Amsterdam, served under the command of De Ruyter in the Mediterranean Sea in 1661. We do not seem to know the name of his ship at that date. He was not with De Ruyter until later. The last we knew, he commanded the Hilversum (50 guns) in 1658.

Dutch Captain: Simon Loncke

Simon Loncke served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He lived from 1635 until 27 March 1676. He was killed in a fight with the redoubtable French privateer Jean Bart. Simon Loncke was a convoy commander in the fight, commanding the small frigate Tholen (18 guns). He was promoted to captain in 1665. According to Mollema, Simon Loncke commanded the Sphaera Mundi (40 guns) under De Ruyter's command. This actually seems to have been in August 1665. According to Frank Fox, he commanded the frigate Visscher (16 guns) in the Battle of Lowestoft. In December 1667, he set sail under the command of Abraham Crijnssen, bound for the Caribbean Sea. He took part in the capture of Suriname and fought in the Battle of Nevis, allied with a squadron from the French West Indies Company. They fought against an English squardron. The French behaved badly and the Dutch escaped without loss. During this period, Simon Loncke commanded the frigate West Cappelle (28 guns). In May 1665, he commanded the frigate Delft in the Battle of Solebay. He also fougth in the Battle of the Texel, where he commanded the Utrecht (50 guns). Sources:

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

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

3. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.

4. J. C. M. Warnsinck, Abraham Crijnssen de verovering van Suriname en zijn zeeslag op Virginië, 1936.

De Ruyter's squadron in 1661

At the end of May of 1661, most Amsterdam ships in the Texel set sail. At that date, De Ruyter was a Vice-Admiral. The following ships had been equipped:

A  Liefde            60  270   Vice-Admiral De Ruyter
A  Geloof            58  260   Commandeur Gideon de Wildt
A  Middelburg        42  190   Willem van der Zaan
A  Muiltromp         42  190   Jan van Campen
A  Vrede             42  190   Jacob van Meeuwen
A  Doesburg          42  190   Hugo van Nijhof
A  Asperen           32  130   Jacob Corneliszoon Swart
A  Edam              32  120   Allart Matthijszoon
A  Star              32  120   Joost Verschuur
A  Groene Kameel, supply fluit Enno Doedes Star

By the time they reached the south coast of Portugal, they had been joined by other ships, so that they were now 17 strong. After a council-of-war, they organized the squadron into four divisions:

First Division:

A  Liefde            60  270   Vice-Admiral De Ruyter
A  Middelburg        42  190   Willem van der Zaan
A  Muiltromp         42  190   Jan van Campen
A  Vrede             42  190   Jacob van Meeuwen
A  Star              32  120   Joost Verschuur

Second Division:

NQ Westfriesland     50        Vice-Admiral Meppel
M  Prinses Louise    40*       Aert van Nes
NQ Hollandsche Tuin  48*       Cornelis Jacobszoon de Boer
NQ Wapen van Alkmaar 38*       Evert Nachtglas

Third Division:

Z  Vlissingen        42*       Schout-bij-Nacht Cornelis Evertsen
Z  Ter Veere         42*       Adriaan Banckert
Z  Delft             34*       Cornelis Evertsen de Jonge
M  Stad Utrecht      42*       Jan de Liefde

Fourth Division:

A  Geloof            58  260   Commandeur Gideon de Wildt
A  Doesburg          42  190   Hugo van Nijhof
A  Asperen           32  130   Jacob Corneliszoon Swart
A  Edam              32  120   Allart Matthijszoon

* estimates

The 40-gun ship Gelderland

I received a piece from Mr. Carl Stapel about the ship Gelderland from 1634. I need to do some more research on this ship, as some of this is different from what I would expect. I was glad to see the dimensions in Amsterdam feet. I could only estimate them, based on the Admiralty of Rotterdam (the Maze) document dated February 26, 1652, which listed them in Maas feet.

Gelderland 
built in 1634                                                        
Admiralty of the Maze     

Gelderland dimensions: 128.5ft x 30.5ft x 13.5ft  40 guns  in service from 1634-1659
  Date Captain                      Guns Crew Notes
  1636 van Coulster
2/1652 Michiel Fransz van den Bergh 40 
  1652 Aert van Nes                           collision with the St Nikolaas ( sunk )
  1653 Aert van Nes
3/1653 Aert van Nes                  40  140  The Three Days Seabattle (Portland)
6/1653 Aert van Nes                  40  140  Battle of Nieuwpoort (the Gabbard)
8/1653 Aert van Nes                  40  140  Battle of Ter Heide (Scheveningen)
  1654 Aert van Nes                  40  
  1657 Leendert Haexwant             50 
  1659 Juriaan Poel or Pols          40  175  April 1659–Sept 1660 in the Sound 
                                                and at Funen  

The ship was last mentioned in 1659.

The Dutch ship Dordrecht, built in 1692

Mr. Carl Stapel has provided details of the ship Dordrecht, built in 1692. This is from the combination from Captain Warnsinck's notes, De Jonge, Mollema, and notes from A. Vreugdenhil. I have translated the Dutch to English:

Dordrecht 1692

Admiralty of the Maze  
Dordrecht 
Length: 156ft
Beam: 42ft
Draft: 15-3/4ft 
Guns: 72 
In service: 1692 – 1716

Built in 1692 by Van Leeuwen - a ship of the second charter
Armament: 14-24pdr; 12-18pdr; 28-12pdr; 10-6pdr and 10-4pdr

  Date  Captain                    Guns Crew Employment
  1694  Evert de Liefde            72        voyage to the Mediterranean Sea
  1695  Evert de Liefde            72        in the Mediterranean Sea
  1696  Evert de Liefde            72   375  with Almonde in the North Sea
  1697  Evert de Liefde            72        in the Channel   
  1700  SBN Paulus van der Dussen  72   400  in the Sound and at
                                               the bombardment of Copenhagen
  1702  Barend van der Pot         72        capture of the silverfleet at Vigo   
  1704  Barend van der Pot         72        capture of Gibraltar
8/1705  Barend van der Pot         72        Battle of Malaga: 4 killed
                                                          and 32 wounded
  1708  Johan van Convent          70        off the coast of Dunkirk

The ship was sold in 1716 as unusable.

Dutch Captain: Isaac Uitterwijk

Isaac Uitterwijk served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1671, he commanded the small frigate Postiljon (24 guns). In 1673, he commanded the Zuiderhuis (44-48 guns). He fought in the Schooneveld battles and the Battle of the Texel in August. In the latter battle, he was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's division. In July 1675, he commanded the frigate Damiaten (34 guns). He went to the Mediterranean with De Ruyter, and fought in the Battles of Stromboli, Agosta (Etna), and Palermo. (The latter information is from Andrew). Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedryf van den Heere Michiel De Ruiter, 1687.
3. Jaap R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.

Dutch Naval Officer: Lodewijk Craft

Lodewijk Craft was the Graaf van Nassau-Saarbrücken. He lived from March 28, 1663 until February 14, 1713. He was an officer of the infantry. He volunteered for the navy in 1683 commanded the fleet that took Willem III to England in 1688. He served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was a kapitein extra-ordinarie in 1688. He was appointed as a kapitein-ter-zee in 1689. On January 2, 1696, he was promoted to Schout-bij-Nacht. He left the service in 1697. This is based on the short biography in Luc Eekhout's Het Admiralenboek.

I finally published the list of De Ruyter's fleet from 1674

It is not near the top of this blog, but I have finally published the list of De Ruyter's fleet that went to Martinique in 1674. It is dated June 8, on this blog.

Dutch Captain: Jan de Groot

Jan de Groot served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He commanded the ship Alkmaar at the Battle of the Sound in 1658. The Alkmaar was probably the ship built in 1654 that was 134ft x 34ft x 12ft. He seems to have been assigned to Pieter Florissen's squadron in the battle. His leading and assistant quartermasters only had merchant experience. The ship's upper stern displayed the arms of the city of Alkmaar. Perhaps someone can make a better translation from the German (from a note on page 716 of Dr. Ballhausen's book):

"Er war ganz unerfahren, befand sich auf seinem ersten Seezuge, sein Ober- und Unterseuermann haten seither nur auf Handelsfahrzeugen gedient. Aug dem Hintersteven befand sich das Wappen der Stadt Alkmaar."

Dr. Ballhausen's book is essentially divided into two volumes in one book. The first is about the First Anglo-Dutch War and the second is the war between the Netherlands and Sweden from 1658 to 1659. Sources:

1. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Sowie der Schwedisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1658-1659, 1923.

2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Captains", 2004.

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

4. J. Watts de Peyster, The Battle of the Sound or Baltic, 1858.

Mr. Carl Stapel contributed this information about the frigate Damiaten

This is from another contribution by Mr. Carl Stapel. He sent information about the frigate Damiaten:

Damiaten

The ship was built by Jan van Reene at Amsterdam

Type:      frigate
Admiralty: Amsterdam 
Name:      Damiaten          
Built:     1663  

1663-1689:                 
Length:    120ft     
Beam:      30ft       
Hold:      12.5ft                
Guns:      32
         
1686:
Length:    120ft     
Beam:       29ft                               
Guns:      34

Date      Captain                 Guns Sailors Soldiers  Note

1664      Hendrik Adriaansz       32   135     0         With De Ruyter in the
                                                         Mediterranean Sea

1666 to 1671                                             Hired by Denmark

6/1672    Jan de Jong             32                     Battle of Solebay

5/1673    Mattheeus Megank        32

23-5/1673 Mattheeus Megank        32    84     26        At the first Schooneveld
                                                         battle, Mattheus Megank
                                                          was severely wounded.
                                                         The ship was badly damaged
                                                           and was repaired.
8/1673   Mattheeus Megank         32    79     8         The Battle of the Texel
                                                            (Kijkduin)
1674     Cornelis van der Zaan    34    96     72        With De Ruyter at Martinique
7/1675   Isaac Uitterwijk         34    160              In the Mediterranean Sea
8/1675   Isaac Uitterwijk                                The ship was damaged in a
                                                         storm and was leaky.
                                                         It was repaired
                                                          at La Corona.
8-1/1676  Isaac Uitterwijk        34    160              At the Battle of Stromboli
22-4/1676 Isaac Uitterwijk        34                     At the Battle of Etna
1-6/1676  Isaac Uiterwijk         34                     At the Battle of Palermo
1677                                                     The ship was laid up.
25-6-1686                                                The ship was reported
                                                         to be in the dock at
                                                         Amsterdam
1688      Jan Hogenhoeck          30    140              In the fleet that carried
                                                          Willem III to England
6/1689    Philipe van der Gijssen 36    -                With Gerard Callenburgh
                                                           in the Channel

The ship was last mentioned in 1689.

Dutch Naval Officer: Jan Gerrit van Wassenaer

Luc Eekhout has only a very small entry for Jan Gerrit van Wassenaer. In his other lists we find that he was a Luitenant-Admiraal of the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier and West-Friesland from 1709 to 1711. From 1711 until 1723, he was Luitenant-Admiraal for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He lived from 1672 to 1723. There is a painting of Jan Gerrit as a child on a page about "Tentoonstelling Duivenvoorde". There is also a listing of his appointments on a page of "W" names. Carl Stapel pointed out De Jonge, so I went there for information. The topic originally had come up due to a communication from LCOL Bruce Adams, MC, USA, as he has a medical paper on the subject. In 1682, Jan Gerrit was appointed as midshipman or naval cadet at the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1686, he was a luitenant. From 1688 to 1690, he was flag captain of Philips van Almonde. He fought in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690. The Koning-Stadthouder Willem III appointed him as extra-ordinaris kapitein in 1690. In 1692, he fought in the Battle of La Hougue. When Lodewijk Graaf van Nassau died, Jan Gerrit was promoted to Schout-bij-Nacht for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He became the squadron commander in the Channel. In 1702 he fought at Cadiz and Vigo Bay. He seems to have been wounded at the former battle. In 1704, he was at the capture of Gibraltar by Rooke. He also fought in the Battle of Malaga. Later in 1704, he was promoted to Vice-Admiraal of Amsterdam, seemingly through political influence. In 1705, his flagship was the Unie (92 guns), and he was present at the capture of Barcelona. In 1706, he was at the relief of Barcelona and the captures of Alicante, Carthagena, and Majorca. In 1707, he commanded the Dutch fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. Mr. Stapel points out a reference in Prof. J. R. Bruijn's book from 1993 that says that Jan Gerrit spoke excellent English, and that promoted his rapid advancement. Even though Jan Gerrit never went to sea again, from 1709 to 1711, he was luitenant-admiraal of the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier and West-Friesland. From 1711 until his death, he was luitenant-admiraal of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. This account depends heavily on the paper by Mr. Stapel about Jan Gerrit van Wassenaer. Sources:

1. Jaap R. Bruijn, The Dutch Navy of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, 1993.
2. Jaap R. Bruijn, Varend Verleden: De Nederlandse Oorlogsvloot in de 17de en 18de eeuw, 1998.
3. Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
4. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
5. communication from Mr. Carl Stapel.

Dutch Captain: Dirck Bogaart

Dirck Bogaart served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. At the beginning of the war, he commanded the Juffrouw Catharina (24 guns and a crew of 80 men). His was one of the ships taken by Blake's fleet on July 22, 1652, while convoying Dutch fishing busses off the coast of England. The he Rotterdam fireship captain Willem Willemszoon Bondt reportedly saw the Juffrouw Catharina arrive in Stavanger on August 6, under an English prize crew. Dirck Bogaart was with Van Wassenaer's expedition to Danzig in 1656. He commanded the Westfriesland in that operation. In 1658, he also commanded the Westfriesland (26 guns and a crew of 104 men) at the Battle of the Sound. Sources:

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

2. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.

3. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.

4. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.

5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

6. G. L. Grove, Journalen van de Admiralen Van Wassenaer-Obdam (1658/59) en De Ruyter (1659/60), 1907.

Dutch Captain: Nicolaes de With

Nicolaes de With had served the West-Indies Company, the Admiralty of Amsterdam, and the Amsterdam Directors. In 1648 to 1649, he took part in the ill-fated relief force sent to Brazil under the command of Witte de With. He was a cousin of the admiral. He commanded a ship hired by the West Indies Company, the jacht Wakende Boey. Witte de With eventually appointed him to command the Admiralty of Amsterdam ship Zutphen in place of Barent Cramer. In early 1652, he was appointed to command a ship hired by the Amsterdam Directors. We first see he mentioned as captain of the Prins Maurits on March 12, 1652. The dimensions of the Prins Maurits were 130ft x 30ft x 13ft. The height between decks was 7ft. On March 12th, the armament was 34 guns, consisting of 18-12pdr, 6-6pdr, 6-4pdr, and 4-3pdr. By November 8th, the armament was 4-brass 12pdr, 14-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 4-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. His lieutenant in March was Marten Juriaenszoon. On November 19th, 1652, the ship was wrecked due to errors by a pilot. Dr. Ballhausen says that Nicolaes de With fought at the Battle off Dover on May 29th, 1652. He was also with Tromp's fleet on the voyage to the Shetlands in July-August 1652. He may have fought at the Battle of the Kentish Knock, but he is not mentioned in the Resolutions of the States General. Sources:

1. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.

2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript “Dutch Directors' Ship Information 1652-1653”, 2004.

3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1925.

4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

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

6. W. J. van Hoboken, Witte de With in Brazilië, 1955.

The little frigate Kroonvogel

Thanks to Mr. Carl Stapel, we have some information about the little frigate Kroonvogel:

Kroonvogel frigate 1666

Amsterdam   Kroonvogel  length: 88ft beam: 22ft hold: 9-3/4ft        18 guns
in service: 1666-1696
  1/1676 Jacob Willemsz Broeder     Battle of Stromboli
  4/1676 Jacob Willemsz Broeder     Battle of Etna
  6/1676 Jacob Willemsz Broeder     Battle of Palermo
  6/1689 Captain Regoort            in the harbor at Spithead       14 guns  crew of 50 men      
    1696 Jacob Teengs de Jonge      convoy service in the North Sea 16 guns  crew of 65 men          

The ship was last mentioned in 1696.

Dutch Captain: Jacob Paulussen (Pauluszoon) Cort

Jacob Paulussen Cort served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded the 32-gun ship Utrecht in Witte de With's relief expedition to Brazil. His ship blew up when a Portuguese captain exploded his ship rather than be captured on September 28, 1648. During the First Anglo-Dutch War, he commanded the ship Star. Initially, the Star carried 28 guns and had a crew of 95 men. The ship was 120ft x 28ft x 12ft and had been built in 1644. By mid-1653 the Star carried 30 guns and had a crew of 100 men. At the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War, he was assigned to Witte de With's squadron. He took part in Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652, and attended the council-of-war that took place prior to leaving home. While on the voyage, he witnessed Lambert Pieterszoon's ship being close to sinking. Lambert Pieterszoon's ship was notoriously leaky. He fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock, under Witte de With's command. His ship was lying at St. Martin in early 1653, after the Battle of Dungeness. He had been assigned to Tromp's squadron at Dungeness. He fought in the Battle of Portland, where he was probably still assigned to Tromp's squadron. He was probably at the Gabbard and Scheveningen, as well. Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
2. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
3. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript “Dutch Captains”, 2005.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

I had forgotten that I had solved the question about who Anthonis Fappenlain was

The First Dutch War, Vol.V, mentions Anthonis Fappenlain as being in Michiel De Ruyter's squadron at the Battle of Scheveningen. On April 24, 2004, I had posted a piece about De Ruyter's squadron that explained that Anthonis Fappenlain (or Foppenthey) was Thijs Tijs Tijssen Peereboom's lieutenant. Apparently, he actually commanded the ship in the battle, so he was called "lieutenant-commander" or luitenant-commandeur. The ship was the Noorderkwartier ship Peereboom (24 guns). I had forgotten that I had solved this issue, in part thanks to Dr. Elias.

A stamp-related piece about Tromp and the Aemilia

Watercraft Philately for March-April 2003 has a PDF file about Tromp and the Aemilia during the campaign of 1639, particularly. I noticed this piece while looking for Michiel Doorn, otherwise known as Miguel de Orna, a Spanish Dunkirker.

Dutch Captain: Simon Corneliszoon

Simon Corneliszoon seems to have served the Rotterdam Directors. There is a puzzling note from about June 1652 that his ship had been sunk. We have not been able to correlate that note with a ship name. The most visible source is the Hollandsche Mercurius from 1652, but we also have the handwritten list that corresponds to the published list. That still remains to be studied in depth. The list from the Hollandsche Mercurius was reprinted in The First Dutch War. Dr. Ballhausen wrote that Simon Corneliszoon had commanded the Meerman at the Battle of Portland. We would tend to discount that except for the fact that Jodocus Hondius wrote that the Meerman with 28 guns (4 brass and 24 iron guns) fought in the Battle of Portland. By mid-1653, Simon Corneliszoon commanded the Rotterdam Director's ship Sint Pieter. Presumably, he commanded the Sint Pieter in both the Battle of the Gabbard and the Battle of Scheveningen. Sources:

1. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript “Dutch Captains”, 2005.
3. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
5. Jodocus Hondius, Onstelde-Zee, Oft Zee-Daden, 1654.

Dutch Captain: Jacob Hermanszoon Visscher (or Visser)

Jacob Hermanszoon Visscher was a fireship during the First Anglo-Dutch War. He commanded the Gekroonde Liefde from Middelburg. He was assigned to Michiel De Ruyter's fleet that was convoying merchant ships in the Channel during the summer of 1652. He was assigned to the Schout-bij-Nacht's squadron, along with Leendert Arentszoon de Jager. He fought in the Battle of Plymouth. There is a note that on September 22, 1652, he had become separated from the fleet. He likely had been with the main fleet after De Ruyter joined Witte de With. There is no further record of his service. Sources:

1. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.

2. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
3. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.

Dutch Captain: Jacob Wolphertszoon

Jacob Wolphertszoon (or Wolfertszoon or Wolfertsen) served the Admiralty of Zeeland. In December 1652, he fought in the Battle of Dungeness, where he was assigned to Jan Evertsen's squadron. In early 1653, he fought in the Battle of Portland, and commanded a ship that was one of the 17 ships that sailed back to Zeeland after the battle. Late in the battle, he supplied Cornelis Evertsen de Oude with two barrels of gunpowder and some match. He almost certainly fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, and definitely fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. At Scheveningen, he was in Michiel De Ruyter's squadron and was in Marcus Hartman's small unit, along with Jacob Swart and Captain de Bitter. De Ruyter issued orders, in detail, to the smaller units composing his squadron. Sources:

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

2. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.

3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.

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

Dutch Captain: Boëtius Schaeff

Boëtius Schaeff served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The Portuguese ship São Bartholomeu had been captured on 28 September 1648. Captain Schaeff had been appointed to command her. She was eventually renamed as the Gewapende Ruyter (36 guns), and served as a ship of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The captain, Boetius Schaeff, was able to provide his ship with provisions in the West-Indies and arrived in Amsterdam in the beginning of August 1649. While the Admiralty had arrested Witte de With on suspicion of desertion, they honoured Schaeff with a golden chain because of the capture of the ship. In the autumn, they sent him back to Brazil. He was returning from Brazil in June 1652, when his ship was captured by the English and taken to the Downs. He later commanded the Hoop. On April 7, 1653, he attended a council of war on board Witte de With's ship Luipaard. In 1653, he fought in the Battle of the Gabbard (or the Battle off Nieuwpoort, or the Two Days Battle). He and his lieutenant were killed in the battle, and the crew mutinied after that and sailed into the Meuse in great disorder. The ship had been heavily damaged. The deputies of the State of Amsterdam anticipated repairing the Hoop, finding a new crew, and appointing a new commander. Sources:

1. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.

2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.

3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.

4. Johan E. Elias, De Vlootbouw in Nederland 1596-1655, 1933.

5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

6. W. J. van Hoboken, Witte de With in Brazilië, 1955.

Dutch Captain: Willem Claeszoon Ham

Willem Claeszoon Ham served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. At the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War, he commanded the bus convoyer Sampson (24 guns). His ship is sometimes called the Sampson van Hoorn. He apparently had a foot shot off at the Battle off Dover on May 29, 1652. He was sent back to the Texel with Joris van der Zaan, to finish convoying the merchant vessels home, along with taking home Sipke Fockes' mastless ship, the Sint Maria (28 guns). They also took all the wounded men who needed more attention than could be given in the fleet. Willem Ham's ship was one of those 12 ships taken by Blake's fleet on August 2, 1652, while they were convoying fishing ships (busses). The ships taken were 1 30-gun ship, 2 28-gun ships, 7 24-gun ships, 1 22-gun ship, and 1 20-gun ship. Willem Ham was later given command of the ship Tobias. The Tobias was one of the 100 ships hired in 1652 by the admiralties. Apparently, the Tobias carried 26 guns and had a crew of 90 men. This is all that I have been able to find about Willem Ham. Sources:

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

2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.

3. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.

4. A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.

Dutch Captain: Johan Hendrickszoon van Nijs

Johan Hendrickszoon van Nijs has very little presence in the published literature. Dr. De Boer's book about the campaign omits any mention of him from the index. That is true for Charles Boxer's book, as well, but he does list him in various lists in his book, even though he omits him from the index and supposedly complete list towards the end of his book. The explanation may be that his name was not van Nijs, but Denijs or De Nijs. Hendrick Corneliszoon Denijs is frequently mentioned in the literature about the summer campaign of 1639. He also was mentioned in the Staet van Oorlog the Water for the years 1628 and 1629. Hendrick Corneliszoon Denijs served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He seems to have commanded a convoyer in the Battle of the Downs. Charles Boxer mentions Commandeur Johan Hendrickszoon van Nijs as being assigned to a squadron with Cornelis Engelen Silvergieter, Captain Waterdrincker, Captain van Dongen, Frans Janszoon, Captain Forant, Captain Regermorter, Captain De Zeeuw, Captain Juynbol, and Captain Melcknap. This appears on page 178. A Commandeur Denijs appears in the margin on page 182, so this may be the same man, with a mangled spelling of the name to account for the other reference. Having seen much handwritten Dutch from the 1620's and 1630's, it is plausible that names would be misspelled and the handwriting difficult to read. As of now, we must assume that the one entry was mangled, and that this is a member of the Denijs family, perhaps actually Hendrick Corneliszoon Denijs. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
3. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.

Dutch Captain: Jan Adriaanszoon van Dieman

Captain Jan Adriaanszoon van Dieman served the Admiralty of Rotterdam (the Maze). In 1628 and 1629, he commanded a small jacht of 60 lasts armed with 8 guns. In 1636, he commanded the ship Prins Hendrik, vessel of 200 lasts. A ship of 200 lasts might be as large as 124ft x 29ft x 12ft. The Prins Hendrik was completed in 1629. Her crew consisted of 90 sailors and 20 soldiers. The Prins Hendrik carried 24 guns, consisting of 10 bronze and 14 iron guns. He left the Goeree Gatt on April 29, 1639, incompany with Tromp in the Aemilia. Vice-Admiral de With was lying off the Meuse with captains Coulster, Vijch, Brederode, Voornham, Keert de Koe, Halffhoorn, and Ringelssen. Tromp and Captain van Dieman headed to join the others. At the Battle of the Downs, Jan van Dieman was in Lt-Admiral Tromp's squadron. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
3. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
4. Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.

Dutch Captain: Pieter Pieterszoon de Wint (UPDATE)

We know from Dr. De Boer that Pieter Pieterszoon de Wint commanded the Admiralty of Amsterdam flagship Frederick Hendrick (36 guns and a crew of 120 men) during the Battle of the Downs in 1639. The Frederick Hendrick had been Wemmer van Berchem's flagship in 1636. His lieutenant had been Jacob Tronquoy. In 1636, the ship had a crew of 110 sailors and 20 soldiers. The armament at that time included 16 bronze and 20 iron cannons. UPDATE: in 1639, Vice-Admiral Witte de With used Pieter de Wint's ship as his flagship at the Battle of the Downs. They were associated with Gelderland, according to Charles Boxer. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
2. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
3. Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.

Dutch Captain: Sijbrandt Barendszoon Waterdrincker

Sijbrandt Barendszoon Waterdrincker served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He had been a captain for the Admiralty of Amsterdam since 1635, but we suspect that he had begun his career earlier than that date. He had been recommended by the States Generaal in 1633, and by the Prince on March 31, 1633. In 1635, he commanded the 23-gun ship Edam. On 2 April 1637, he took command of the newly built 28-gun ship Bommel. Tromp referred to him as the young captain Waterdrincker, as his father or older brother was still serving. He was on the expeditions to the Sound in 1644 and 1645. In 1648, he was commander of a squadron operating on the Spanish coast. Sijbrandt Waterdrincker seemed to have a good future, but he came to a bad end in a drunken fight. On board the ship of the Vice-Admiral, he and his lieutenant Floris Janszoon Cat were having dinner. They quarreled and Sijbrandt Waterdrincker stabbed his lieutenant, fatally wounding him. The lieutenant had enough strenght left to remove the knife and stab Sijibrandt Waterdrincker. They both died and were buried at Cadiz. This is mostly based on my translation of the short biographical sketch in Dr. De Boer's book, which is contradicted by the entry in Luc Eekhout's book. He writes that Sijbrandt Barendszoon Waterdrincker drowned in 1652, when his ship foundered off of Westcappelle. Dr. De Boer's story is good entertainment, but is it correct? Luc Eekhout also writes that Sijibrandt Barendszoon Waterdrincker served the Admiralty of the Maze, was a captain in 1624 and a Scout-bij-Nacht in 1644. Are they different men with the same name? Sources:

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

2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.

3. Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.

Dutch Captain: Lambert Isbrandszoon Halffhoorn

Lambert Isbrandszoon Halffhoorn served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier during the period from 1636 to 1639 and commmanded the ship Hollandsche Tuin. Prior to that time, he had served in the Westindische Compagne. The Hollandsche Tuin was a vessel of 180 lasts. A ship of that size might have had dimensions of 120ft x 28ft x 12ft. The Hollandsche Tuin carried 32 guns and had a crew of 120 men. The Hollandsche Tuin was formerly the flagship of Vice-Admiral Quast. Captain Halffhoorn participated in the entire campaign leading up to and including the Battle of the Downs, without ever really distinguishing himself, according to Dr. De Boer. Still, he continued to serve and took part in the expeditions to the Sound in 1644 and 1645. During that latter period, he served as a temporary Schout-bij-Nacht. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.

2. Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.

Dutch Captain: Claes Janszoon Ham

Claes Janszoon Ham served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. In May 1628, he commanded the ship Groene Draeck (30 guns and a crew of 85 men). The Groene Draeck was a ship of 240 lasts. A ship of 240 lasts could have been about 128ft x 31.5ft x 13ft. Sometime in 1628, he commanded the ship Makreel, a vessel of only 120 lasts. In 1636, he comanded the Koning David (34 guns, a crew of 100 sailors and 20 soldiers), a ship of 250 lasts. In March 1639, he was in Witte de With's squadron. At that date, Witte de With's flagship was the Maecht van Dordrecht. He seems to have fought in the Battle of the Sound. Sources:

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

2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, De Proefjaar van Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp 1637-1639, 1946.

3. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.

Dutch Captain: Herman Munnich

Herman Munnich doesn't appear plainly in the published sources, as when C.T. Atkinson transcribed Jan Evertsen's journal and translated the text for The First Dutch War, he mistakenly read the name as "Hermes Mumincx". I happen to have a copy of the original handwritten journal, however, and the name is plainly Herman Munnich. The last letter is written as an "h", although the real name could well be Herman Munnick. He seems to have served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier, and fought in the Battle of Dungeness in early December 1652. He was assigned to Pieter Florissen's squadron. The fleet was largely organized into squadrons by admiralty, although there were exceptions. I would think that Herman Munnich might be referenced in Pieter Florissen's handwritten journal from the same period, but from the translation in The First Dutch War, Vol.III, starting at page 199, he doesn't mention Herman Munnich. Sources:

1. Jan Evertsen, Journal from December 1652 to March 1653, Nationaal Archief, Staten-Generaal, 1.01.05, inventory number 9320.

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

On June 1st, 1639

Maarten Tromp recorded in his journal on June 1st, 1639, that A man was "dunked three times from the yard-arm and whipped with a wet bum before the mast", as he had deserted from Captain "Potbreecker's" ship. The man's name was Jan Janszoon of Edenburch (Edinburgh?). Apparently, desertion was a problem, and there are others who were punished, as well. So was Captain Potbreecker actually Captain Vlieger? This is based on the account in Charles R. Boxer's book The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639 (1930).