English Captain: William Lee

William Lee served in the Restoration navy. In 1665, he commanded the Fortune fireship. In 1666, he commanded the fireship Paul, a Dutch prize from the First Anglo-Dutch War. Frank Fox writes that William Lee commanded the Fortune fireship in the Four Days' Battle in June 1666. The Paul was still fitting out at that date. William Lee fought in the St. James's Day Battle where the Fortune was expended. In 1672, he commanded the Olive Branch fireship. He was appointed captain in 1665 and entered the Swedish service in 1676. He was murdered in 1678. Andrew says that he commanded the Gottenborg in the Battle of Kjoge in 1677. Sources:

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.
3. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994.