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 James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript “Dutch Captains”, 2005.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.