Captain: Jan Gijsen (or Gijzen)

Jan Gijsen (or Gijzen), from Hoorn, served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. In July 1640, he was with a group of four ships that had gone to Vlissingen to revicutual. In 1640 and 1641, he was often operating with Lieven de Zeeuw, Paulus Coole, Govert Voorns, and Claes Ham. In late January 1643, he was off Flamborough Head. In October, he was with Tromp and a group of ships, including the Aemilia, the ships of Joris van Cats, Captains Bouckhorst, Joost Bankert, Swart, Dorrevelt, Frans Janszoon, Willem Janszoon Codde, Lieven de Zeeuw, Gerrit Meyndertszoon van Uyl, Verhaeff, Govert Voorens, and Ringelszoon. In 1646, he was with Tromp's fleet blockading Dunkirk. In 1648, he commanded the Witte Eenhoorn (30 guns) in Witte de With's relief fleet sent to Brazil. He arrived in Brazil in March 1648. He died on 28 September 1648 and was barried at Recief. His ship was taken over by Pieter Adriaenszoon, his lieutenant. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
2. W. J. van Hoboken, Witte de With in Brazilië, 1955.

This my rather poor attempt at translating the piece about the rearguard at Scheveningen

This is my rather lame attempt at translating a piece by Dr. Elias from Vol.V of Schetsen, about the rearguard action and aftermath at the Battle of Scheveningen. You can at least get a feel for what happened. I am still learning Dutch and expanding my vocabulary:

Only once in the rearguard action over 5 or 6 hours, off the north bank of the Meuse, did the English gain the upper hand in a sharp ship-to-ship fight. A ship from the North-Holland contingent was lost, the Prins Maurits of 32 guns, the ship of Captain Taenman, who acted as Vice-Admiral of Pieter Florissen’s squadron. The ship sank with the masts sticking up with the flag still flying. The ship sank, taking with it part of the crew. Only the topmasts showed out of the water, showing the place where the fight had happened.

It seemed that the entire Hoek of Holland seemed a graveyard of ships. Pieces of burnt and broken wreckage were taken on board and boats were washed ashore along the beach and in inlets along the bank. Three miles out to sea, from the mouth of the Meuse northward, was covered with floating figureheads, painted stern rails, pieces of head rails, mops, straps, and pigs. With our slow retirement in the night, about 11pm with burning fires past Katwijk came, with De With's rearguard of only 5 or 6 ships! Only small ships more wanted to distinguish he yet faintly for self out; all the remaining could not be seen and had as far away as they could. Yet the enemy had relented. Already with the increasing darkness at 8 o’clock, the firing came to an end. By moonlight, the pursuit went forward. Just about midnight, the wind shifted to the south-southwest, and the navigation through rain, bad visibility and high seas was too much for the English, and Monk was forced to give up and turned to the west northwest.

A passage from De Jonge about the fleet sent to aid Venice in 1618

This is based on my first cut at a translation of a passage from De Jonge's book , Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, from 1858:

It deserves to be noted that it assisted the Dutch common good in these years of truce to aid the Republic of Venice not only with soldiers but also with warships. Twelve ships under the command of Admiral Melchior van den Kerckhove left in the year 1618, and others followed. The Dutch assistance fleet behaved courageously and proved to be valuable to the Venetian service. In the meantime, it was less from the services performed for pay that the aid fleet was sent. It was more to prove to what degree the power of the United Netherlands had grown. It was now able to provide other nations with assistance and the renown of its navy had already been established in these days that others called upon its help.

Dutch Captain: Dirk Pieterszoon Heertjens (or Heertges)

Dirk Pieterszoon Heertjens served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded the three-masted jacht Windhond (18 guns). In the fall of 1652, under the command of Augustijn Balck, Dirk Pieterszoon Heertjens sailed with a convoy to Muscovy. In March 1653, following the Battle of Portland, the Windhond was operating against English shipping from the Texel. We also know that he fought in the Battle of the Gabbard (12-13 June 1653), still in command of the Windhond. He had put into the Texel after the battle. He was accused of having run from the battle, and was courtmartialed. He was cashiered by the courtmartial, never to be allowed to serve again, and was fined. 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. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.

Dutch Captain: Stoffel (Christoffel) Juriaenszoon

Stoffel Juriaenszoon served the Amsterdam Directors. His ship, the Sint Francisco (also called the Swarte Reiger) seems to have been hired in March 1652. His ship was substantial, of dimensions 133ft x 28.25ft x 13.25 with the standard 28-gun armament of 12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. The crew consisted of between 100 and 105 men. According to Dr. Ballhausen, he fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. He served with the fleet in the summer and sailed to the Shetlands in July and August. He probably fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock on 8 October 1652. He seems to have missed the Battle of Dungeness, but fought in the Battle of Portland. On the third day (2 March 1653), his ship got in among the English, lost its mainmast and was taken. The Sint Francisco was one of those ships taken to Dover. 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 Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
4. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.
5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
6. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.

Dutch Captain: Gerrit Munt (or Munth)

Gerrit Munt served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He started the First Anglo-Dutch War in command of the hired ship Huis van Nassau. Dr. Ballhausen says that he fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 March 1652. He served with the fleet in the summer of 1652 and sailed to the Shetlands in July and August with the fleet. There is an undated manuscript of similar date to that included in Thurloe (dated 22 June 1652). The document in Thurloe (reprinted in The First Dutch War, Vol.V) gives him as captain of the "Ganapan", which is, of course, a misreading of "Sampson". When you see the 17th Century Dutch handwriting for "Sampson", the resemblance is striking. The first time I saw "Sampson", I thought that I had found the reference to "Ganapan", although when I looked more closely, I found that the word was actually "Sampson". In the handwritten manuscript of similar date, Gerrit Munt was said to command the ship "Lastdrager". He may have fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, and almost certainly fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. 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. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
4. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
5. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.II, 1859

An early Dutch ship: the Abraham

I think that we are fortunate to have as much information as we do about Dutch ships from the early part of the 17th Century. For example, Ingelbrucht van de Leu commanded the ship Abraham for the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam) in 1629. The Abraham had been built in 1611 and was a ship of 180 lasts. We are on shakey ground estimating dimensions from lasts, but I do it anyway, for I find it useful. A ship of 180 lasts could have dimensions something like 118ft x 27ft x 12ft. The Abraham carried 22 guns and had a crew of 90 men. We also know the list of guns, in detail:

2-12pdr, 2-chambered 12pdr, 2-8pdr, 13-5pdr, 1-3.5pdr, and 2-2.5pdr

We can immediately see that the smaller guns are odd calibers and are probably archaic. You might think that they were Falcons and Falconets. Sources:

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

Dutch Captain: Jan ter Stegen (or Verstegen)

Jan ter Stegen commanded the Amsterdam Director's ship Zwarte Raven (30 guns and a crew of 78 men) in June 1645. He was with Witte de With's fleet that forced a convoy of merchant ships into the Sound without paying the toll to the Danes. During the First Anglo-Dutch War, he served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. From the beginning of the war, he commanded the small hired ship, the Keyser (26 guns and a crew of 100 men). He was with the fleet in June 1652 and took part in Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. He survived the storm. The Keyser was paid off and Jan ter Stegen was appointed as captain of the Prinses Aemilia (28 guns) when Willem van der Zaan was moved to the Campen in place of his dead brother, after the Battle of Portland. The Prinses Aemilia was in the Texel roads on 17 April 1653, with Witte de With's squadron. In the event, at the Battle of the Gabbard, the Prinses Aemilia was commanded in the battle by Jan ter Stegen's lieutenant Jan Franszoon Smit. The Prinses Aemilia was lost at the Gabbard. The Prinses Aemilia was one of four ships that had become tangled after a collision. One, the Frisian jacht Prins Willem escaped while the rest were taken (the Neptunis, the Prinses Aemilia, and the Sint Matheeus). 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.V, 1928.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
5. G. W. Kernkamp, De Sleutels van de Sont, 1890.

Dutch Captain: Arent Dirckszoon

Arent Dirckszoon served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. We don't know for sure what ship he commanded, but Arent Dirckszoon commanded a 26-gun ship in Witte de With's fleet in June 1645 that forced a convoy of merchant ships into the Sound without paying the toll to the Danes. Dr. Ballhausen says that Arent Dirckszoon fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1645, in Pieter Florissen's squadron. He was with the fleet during the summer and took part in Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. He commanded the Monnick (or Monnikendam), a ship of 24 guns and a crew of 95 men. The Monnick eventually carried 28 guns and had a crew of 109 men. Arent Dirckszoon was with Witte de With's fleet in August and September and fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock on 8 October 1652. Later in the year, he was with the fleet and fought in the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December 1652. Dr. Ballhausen says that Arent Dirckszoon fought in the Battle of Portland (the Three Days Battle) from 28 February until March 2 1653. Dr. Ballhausen also lists Arent Dirckszoon as having fought in the Battle of the Gabbard from 12 until 13 June 1653 and at the Battle of Scheveningen on 10 August 1653. We also know that in July 1654, Arent Dirckszoon commanded the Wapen van Alkmaar (28 guns), a ship of the same size as the Monnick. Sources:

1. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
2. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
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. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
6. Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
7. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.

A question...

My brother is starting a business, and he is considering making ship models for use in naval wargaming. He has long thought about ships for the Anglo-Dutch Wars. His first question is what scale that gamers would like to see. I would add another question: what type ships would people like to have available for gaming? I had thought that you might use larger scale ships and fight situations such as the Brederode at the Battle of Dungeness, when she was attacked by the Garland and the Anthony Bonaventure. Tromp was saved when Jan Evertsen came up in support in the Hollandia, and they took the two attackers, one at a time.

Dutch Captain: Claes Janszoon Sanger

Claes Janszoon Sanger served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He commanded the ship West Cappelle (or Westcappel) in the First Anglo-Dutch War. His ship was sometimes called the Galjas van Middelburg. His ship was with Tromp's fleet on 23 May 1652, and probably fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. In June 1652, he ship carried 26 guns and had a crew of 110 men and was with the fleet. He fought in the Battle of Plymouth in August, under Michiel De Ruyter's command. Witte de With sent his ship in for repairs on the recommendation of De Ruyter, as it was one of a group of ships that needed repairs from the last battle. He fought in the Battle of Portland in March 1653. Dr. Ballhausen had pointed out that Claes Janszoon Sanger was one of 17 captains and ships from Zeeland that returned home together after the battle. He probably fought in the Battle of the Gabbard in June. The July 1653 list of ships at Vlissingen includes 12 ships from the Admiralty of Zeeland, including a number that were very small, as was the West Cappelle. He fought in the Battle of Scheveningen in August 1653 where his ship was sunk and he was taken prisoner by the English. 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.III, 1925.
5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
6. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.

The Dutch situation after Scheveningen in August 1653

This is based on my translation of a passage in Vol.V of Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen by Dr. Elias. I have somewhat edited and augmented what was there:

Besides weakening our fleet by the loss of three senior officers (so that only De With and Pieter Florissen had been left with the fleet, as Tromp was killed, De Ruyter forced to go into Goeree, and Jan Evertsen’s ship was disabled) and the 9 named captains lost (some of whom were Cornelis Evertsen de Oude, Claes Janszoon Sanger, Andries Fortuijn, Gerbrand Schatter, and Jan de Haes taken prisoner and Willem Adriaanszoon Warmont and Cornelis Taenman killed), the fleet suffered the complete loss of 10 ships. The Zeeland contingent had suffered the worst, having lost 4 ships. Of them, the Hollandia (Captain Adriaan Bankert) and the Westcappel (Captain Claes Janszoon Sanger) had been sunk, the Eendracht was burnt (Captain Andries Fortuijn), and the Zeeuwsche Leeuw (or Wapen van Zeeland) was lost by exploding gunpowder that cracked the hull two and sank the ship (Captain Cornelis Evertsen de Oude). Of the Amsterdam ships, there were three lost: the Hollandia (commandeur Evert Anthonissen), the Dolphijn (Captain Gerbrand Schatter), and the Omlandia (Marten Schaeff). All were sunk. Moreover, the enemy had taken the Rosencrans (Captain Jan de Haes) and afterwards burnt her. The Frisian states’ ship Sevenwolden (Captain Frederik Stellingwerff) and the East Indiaman Mercurius (Captain Pieter de Bitter) were sunk. The English had saved as many of the crews as they could and took them into captivity.

English Captain: John Utber

John Utber served in the Restoration navy. In 1663, the Duke of York appointed him as lieutenant of the 4th Rate Phoenix. In 1664, he became lieutenant of the 3rd Rate Plymouth. In 1665, he was appointed captain of the 5th Rate Guernsey (28 guns). He was killed in the attack on the Dutch East Indiamen at Bergen on 2 August 1665. 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.

English Captain: Nicholas Parker

Nicholas Parker served in both the Commonwealth and Restoration navies. He commanded the frigate Bryer from 1656 until 1658. From 1659 until 1660, he commanded the Fagons (renamed Milford after the Restoration). In 1661, he was appointed to command the Greyhound. In 1663, he was appointed to command first the Coventry and then the 4th Rate Nonsuch (40 guns). He was with Sir Thomas Allin's fleet that sailed for the Mediterranean Sea in August 1664 and arriving at Gibraltar in September. In 1668, he was appointed to command the 4th Rate Tiger. He was operating in the Mediterranean area and off Spain with Sir Thomas Allin in 1668, but he was ill. He died of his illness in October 1668. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, The Journals of Sir Thomas Allin, Vol.I 1660-1666, 1939.
2. R. C. Anderson, The Journals of Sir Thomas Allin, Vol.II 1667-1678, 1940.
3. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964.
4. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

English Captain: William Long

William Long served in the Restoration navy. Later in 1665, he was lieutenant of the Golden Phoenix prize. In 1666, Prince Rupert and the Duke of Albemarle appointed him as lieutenant of the Dutch prize Slothany. In 1668, he was lieutenant of the Resolution. The King appointed him as captain of the Zante frigate on 3 February 1673. He was operating with the fleet in the late spring. On 26 April 1675, he was appointed as First Lieutenant of the Harwich. On 15 September 1678, the King appointed him as captain of the Europa. On 12 December 1678, he became captain of the hired ship Loyal Subject. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, Journals and Narratives of the Third Dutch War, 1946.
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

English Naval Officer: Jeremy Smith

Jeremy Smith served in both the Commonwealth and the Restoration navies.

Advice (42 guns) in 1653. He fought in the Battle of the Gabbard in June 1653, where he was assigned to the Red Squadron, in the Generals' division. He very likely fought in the Battle of the Battle of Scheveningen, as well. R. C. Anderson thinks that the Advice was probably absent from the battle and operating off Scotland, but there are two pieces of evidence that argue otherwise. One was the published list of ships and captains at the Gabbard includes the Advice with Jeremy Smith as captain. Then, there is a document from 14 June that Anderson mentions in a note that says that the Advice's lieutenant was killed in the last battle. If we had access to Calendar of State Papers Domestic for 1652 to 1653, perhaps we could resolve the question.

Jeremy Smith continued to serve through the rest of the Interregnum. In 1654, he commanded the Torrington. In 1656, he commanded the Essex. From 1656 until 1657, he commanded the Dunbar.

After the Restoration, he commanded the 3rd Rate Mary (former Speaker) in 1664. He fought in the Battle of Lowestoft, where he was a second to the Duke of York. He was caught in a fierce fight with Bastiaan Centen in the Oranje (76 guns). After the battle, Jeremy Smith was knighted for his performance in the battle. He was apparently to the 1st Rate Sovereign, later in the year. This would seem to be contradicted by Frank Fox's list that shows him in the Mary on the expedition to Tangier. In September, he took part in the capture of the Dutch Indiamen. He received a share of the prize money. For his first independent operation, he commanded a fleet sent to Tangier from December 1665 until they returned in March 1666. At the time of the Four Days' Battle, his ship the Mary was at Portsmouth taking on victuals. Later in 1666, he was in the newly completed 2nd Rate Loyal London. He fought in the St. James's Day Battle where he commanded the Blue Squadron and flew his flag on the Loyal London (92 guns). Jeremy Smith was considered to be the protege of the Duke of Albemarle. He was in conflict with Sir Robert Holmes in July 1666, and it took the King's intervention to resolve the situation. In 1668, he was in the 2nd Rate Royal Katherine. Later in 1668, he joined the navy board along with Sir Thomas Allin, and served well until his death in 1675. We also know that he visited the fleet in the fall of 1672, and had responsibility for signing pay tickets for sailors. 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, The Journals of Sir Thomas Allin, Vol.II 1667-1678, 1940.
3. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964.
4. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
5. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

Michael Robinson's identification of Corstiaen Corstiaenszoon's ship

On page 8 of Vol.I of the Van de Velde Paintings book was where the author an Van de Velde expert Michael Robinson identified Corstiaen Corstiaenszoon's ship as the Prins te Paard. His reliance on Dr. Ballhausen, who has so many errors that we would be cautious in accepting anything he says without finding corroboration. If the identification is from writing on the drawing, then I am more willing to accept the identification. A good deal of what Michael Robinson used was from articles from Oud Holland, which published, among other topics, articles about the Van de Veldes and their artwork.

The storm in the Channel in late May 1652

This is based on my translation of the account in Dr. Elias' Vol.II of Schetsen:

The start of the journey was not successful. Already on the 23rd, the fleet, close under the coast of Flanders, was assaulted by a fierce north wind that scattered the ships while a gloomy drizzle took away the crews’ view. Between the poor visibility and the rough sea, the Admiral who commanded the “armada” thought that there was a serious danger of being driven onto the Flemish banks. After some of his ships had gone astray, Tromp decided on the 24th (of May) that between the rough seas and the mist, that they fleet needed to move to five miles off Dunkirk, with the whole fleet to anchor there. For four days, the dangerous weather kept him at this anchorage. Soon, by the 28th, the wind began to subside, although the seas remained turbulent, he decided to raise the anchors, taking a chance, and to collect the fleet, which was urgently needed, as some ships had drifted. He was therefore ready to pursue his mission, although some of the Directors’ ships captains complained that they had lost anchors and cables in the storm. This was foreseen, but he only had two anchors and two cables left. About that time, the wind increased again, and Tromp resolved to cross over to the English coast.

Their High Majesties granted commanders the use of discretion regarding actions based on the content of the concerned article or instruction of the practice and purpose of their High Majesties with respect to contact with the English. The state did not appear to have intended that Tromp take an aggressive stance with regard to granting respect to the English in the narrow and North Seas or the French in the Mediterranean Sea. Compared to their rival great powers, their High Majesties pursued a very circumspect policy which the senior naval officers ignored in their defiant stand towards rendering honors, This was in spite of clear instructions which were ignored. The Dutch commanders hoped to only have to salute the strongest English forces and that some of the English commanders would not enforce the salute. Tromp was loyal and patriotic commander, and his aggresive spiriti made a conflict inevitable that would lead to the opening of hostilities. This is my paraphrase, slightly summarized, of a passage from page 55 from Vol.II of Schetsen. Source:

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

May 22nd 1652 off the Start

(Joris) Van der Zaan reported that the convoy escorted by 3 warships was returning from Genoa and Livorno with 7 rich Straatsvaarders carrying cargo valued at 50 barrels of gold. On 22 May the convoy had encountered Captain Young with a couple of frigates, who was guarding the westward approaches. Van der Zaan had reacted negatively to the order to strike his colors, ignoring the example of the convoy commander Huurluyt (Huyrluyt), who had struck his. This led to a sharp fight between the stubborn Amsterdammer and the English commander, which lasted 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Van der Zaan was finally forced to yield. He struck his flag and Young let the convoy proceed without further hindrance. This is based on my translation of a passage written by Dr. Elias. Source:

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

The situation in May 1652

A provisional resolution was passed by their high majesties authorizing the hiring of ships on 16 May 1652. A definite decision was made by 28 May. Those ships of the "extraordinary equipage" which were ready by 28 May were to be sent to Tromp's fleet. Of the 50 Directors' ships, only 25 were ready and of the 38 admiralty ships, on 8 were at the rendezvous. Of Tromp's ships on 20 May, there were 7 Amsterdam Director's ships. This is based on my translation of a passage in Dr. Elias's book, in Vol.II. Sources:

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

A revised list of fishery protection vessels on 22 July 1652

Based on what Dr. Elias wrote in Vol.II of Schetsen, this would seem to be a better mapping of captains to ships for the fishery protection squadron taken by the English on 22 July 1652:

Dirk Claesz. van Dongen, admiral Paulus                24 guns   Rotterdam
Reynout Venhuizen, vice-admiral  Waterhond             24 guns   Rotterdam
                                 Kalmar Sleutel        22 guns   Rotterdam
Jan Noblet                       Land van Beloften     24 guns   Noorderkwartier
Captain Munnekes                 Wapen van Holland     30 guns   Noorderkwartier              
                                 Sampson van Enkhuizen 28 guns   Noorderkwartier
Jan Heck                         Adam en Eva           24 guns   Noorderkwartier
Willem Ham                       Sampson van Hoorn     24 guns   Noorderkwartier
                                 Jan Baptista          22 guns 
                                 Arke Noachs           24 guns   Amsterdam
                                 Zwaan                 28 guns   Amsterdam
Dirk Bogaert                     Juffrouw Katharina    22 guns   Amsterdam
Hendrik Kroeger                  Marcus Curtius        24 guns   Amsterdam

Dutch Captain: Dirk Claeszoon van Dongen

Dirk Claeszoon van Dongen served the Admiralty of the Maze. He served with Tromp's fleet during the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs in 1639. He commanded a buss convoyer at the time. In early October 1639, soldiers were distributed in the fleet from garrisons. Dirk Claeszoon van Dongen's ship received 20 soldiers. In the Battle of the Downs, he started the battle in Tromp's squadron. His employment normally was to protect "the great fishery". In 1652, he was still employed on fishery protection duties, except that he was now a more senior officer. He commanded a squadron of 15 vessels on fishery protection duties. That included 5 vessels hired by the directors of the fishery. The general resolution of 10 May 1652 included 15 ships for the protection of the fishery out the 150 ships of the "great equipage". When the English frigates approached, Dirk van Dongen's ship drifted from the others. Apparently, he and Reynout Venhuysen surrendered to the English without fighting, when the English offered quarter. The two were eventually imprisoned. This would indicate that Van Dongen was the "admiral" and Venhuysen his "vice-admiral". Sources:

1. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.

The fishery protection vessels on 22 July 1652

One thing that I learned from this research is that Captain Munnekes, whose ship, the Wapen van Holland (30 guns) was captured on 22 July 1652 is probably the captain who fought in the Battle of Dungeness. His name was something like Herman Munnekes (or Munnich). If we take a ship-centric perspective on the list of ships performing fishery protection duties on 22 July 1652, we see the following:

Rijnhart Venhuizen, admiral Paulus                24 guns   Rotterdam
vice-admiral (Dongen?)      Waterhond             24 guns   Rotterdam
                            Kalmar Sleutel        22 guns   Rotterdam
Jan Noblet                  Land van Beloften     24 guns   Noorderkwartier
Captain Munnekes            Wapen van Holland     30 guns   Noorderkwartier                
                            Sampson van Enkhuizen 28 guns   Noorderkwartier
Jan Heck                    Adam en Eva           24 guns   Noorderkwartier
Willem Ham                  Sampson van Hoorn     24 guns   Noorderkwartier
                            Jan Baptista          22 guns   
                            Arke Noachs           24 guns   Amsterdam
                            Zwaan                 28 guns   Amsterdam
Dirk Bogaert                Juffrouw Katharina    22 guns   Amsterdam
Hendrik Kroeger             Marcus Curtius        24 guns   Amsterdam

One troubling aspect of this is that Vreugdenhil does not list a Jan Baptista, or anything similar, although other sources definitely do show the ship. There is some reason to believe that there might have been as many as 15 fishery protection vessels.

The captured firshery protection ships from 22 July 1652

It turns out that the biography of Cornelis Tromp, from 1692, has what is supposed to be a list of captains whose ships were captured or sunk on 22 July 1652. We know a more complete lists of ships, but not the mapping to captains.

Rijnhart Venhuizen        Paulus             24 guns    Rotterdam
Gerrit Janszoon Schuimer 
Dirk Gerritszoon (Pomp?)                                Noorderkwartier ?         
Jan Noblet                Land van Beloften  24 guns    Noorderkwartier
Captain Munnekes          Wapen van Holland  30 guns    Noorderkwartier                 
Luitje
Dirk Claeszoon van Dongen                               Rotterdam
Dirk Bogaert              Juffrouw Katharina 22 guns    Amsterdam
Jan Heck                  Adam en Eva        24 guns    Noorderkwartier
Hendrik Kroeger           Marcus Curtius     24 guns    Amsterdam
Dirk Vijch                                              Rotterdam
Willem Ham                Sampson van Hoorn  24 guns    Noorderkwartier

Dutch Captain: Dirk Vijch

Dirk Vijch served the Admiralty of the Maze. He was captured by the English on the morning of 22 July 1652. He was commander of the Enkhuizen fishing busses. The biography of Cornelis Tromp seems to confirm that (page 50). He was repartiated in September and relieved Cornelis Engelen Silvergieter as captain of the small frigate Overijssel (22 guns). In December, he fought in the Battle of Dungeness, where he was in De With's squadron (although Michiel De Ruyter was acting commander in De With's absence). Following that, he was engaged in convoying. In the period following the Battle of Portland, there was a great deal of trouble with mutinies, and Dirk Vijch's crew seems to have mutinied at the end of March 1653. In April 1653, he was operating independently off the English coast, presumably looking to disrupt shipping. Dr. Ballhausen says that Dirk Vijch fought in the Battle of the Gabbard (Nieuwpoort) in June. The First Dutch War, Vol.IV seems to support that assertion. If we can rely upon the Staet van Oorlog te Water for 1654, Dirk Vijch still commanded the Overijssel in July 1654. Sources:

1. anonymous, unpublished manscript "Staet van Oorlog te Water voor den Jaere 1654", 1654.
2. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
3. Lambertus van den Bosch, Leven en Bedryf van den Vermaarden Zeeheld, Cornelis Tromp, 1692.
4. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
5. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.
6. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.

Another look at the Admiralty of the Maze in March 1653

As we have previously noted, we have a summary of the Dutch ships in service, except the Directors ships, in March 1653. I wanted to see if I could see any sign of the ship that Michael Robinson called the Prins te Paard. The original list from the Hollandsche Mercurius attributed 38 guns and a crew of 110 men to the ship. The captain was originally Corstiaen Corstiaenszoon. He took part in Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. Hendrik de Raedt's pamphlet gave an armament of 38 guns and a crew of 120 men. The guns must be correct, then, at least for 1652. After Corstiaen Corstiaenszoon was killed at the Battle of Portland (the Three Days' Battle), Jacob Cleijdijck became her captain. Jacob Cleijdijck's Rotterdam Director's ship the Meerman (30 guns) was sunk at Portland, so he was reassigned to the Prins te Paard. One issue is whether the Prins te Paard was hired by the Rotterdam Directors or the Admiralty of the Maze. Hendrik de Raedt's pamphlet says that the Prins te Paard was one of the 100 ships hired in 1652. If that is the case, then the Prins te Paard should appear in the list for March 1653 in Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I. The summary is as follows, where I have attempted to supply the ship name and captain. The problem I see is that there is no place for the "Prins te Paard" as a 38 gun ship. The evidence suggest that it was, in fact, a Directors' ship:

Landsschepen

Ship name             Commander                       guns     Sailors    Soldiers
Brederode             Lt-Admiral Tromp                54       200        50
                      Egbert Meeuwssen Kortenaer
Gelderland            Michiel Franszoon van den Bergh 40       110        30
Prinses Louise        Abel Roelants                   36       124        46
Dolphijn              Paulus van der kerckhoff        32        95        30
Gorcum                Willem Adriaanszoon Warmont     30     80-95     20-30
Rotterdam             Jan Aertszoon Verhaeff          30     80-95     20-30
Gelderland            Aert van Nes                    24        80        20
Utrecht               Leendert Haexwant               22        80        20
Overijssel            Dirk Vijch                      22        80        20
Haai, adviesjacht                                      6        15
fireship                                                        14        
fireship                                                        14

Hired ships

Ship name             Commander                       guns     Sailors    Soldiers

Roskam                Corstiean Eldertszoon           26        80        20
Gulden Beer           Jan de Haes                     26        80        20
Maria                 Quirijn van den Kerckhoff (dead)26        80        20

Hollandia             Ernestus de Bertrij             26    Paid off Nov 1652

Losses

Captured

Ship name             Commander                        guns     Sailors    Soldiers

Prinses Roijaal Marie Willem Joosten van Colster       36
Maagd van Dordrecht                                    26
Wapen van Rotterdam                                    26
Sint Paulus                                            24 (not listed by De Jonge)
Waterhond                                              24 (not listed by De Jonge)
Kalmar Sleutel                                         22 (not listed by De Jonge)

Sunk

Ship name             Commander                        guns     Sailors    Soldiers

Gelderland            Dirk Juynbol                     30       131              
Nijmegen              Paulus van den Kerckhoff         26       
Wapen van Holland     Hendrik de Munnik                26       

Dutch Naval Officer: Jacob Hoek

Jacob Hoek served in both the Dutch navy and the Danish navy. Most of the information about Jacob Hoek's service in the Danish navy is from Andrew, except that from Anderson. Jacob Hoek served in De Ruyter's expedition to Martinique in June 1674, where he commanded the snauw Faam. He served the Admiralty of the Maze during his Dutch naval service. While De Ruyter led a fleet to the Mediterranean Sea, Jacob Hoek went to the Baltic where he served in the Danish navy. He commanded the 62-gun ship Enighed in 1676. He fought in the Battle of Eland in June 1676 and took part in operations at Rugen in August 1676. In 1676, he commanded the Christiana (54 guns). He fought in the Battle of Kjoge Bay on July 1st, 1677, under command of Niels Juel. He was assigned to the Third Squadron under Admiral J. Rodstehn. This turned out to be a great Danish victory over the Swedes. Frank Fox has told me that Niels Juel was a master of line tactics. I believe that he was the reason that the Danes fared so well in the war. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, Naval Wars in the Baltic, 1910.
2. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.

Dutch Naval Officer: Cornelis Boermans

Cornelis Post served the AdmiraltyAbout 16 May 1673, Cornelis Boermans commanded the fireship Vergulde Post (4 guns). He was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's squadron. He fought in the First Schoonveld Battle on 7 June 1673, where he was still with Cornelis Tromp's squadron. He was still with the fleet on 12 June, so he probably fought in the Second Schoonveld Battle, as well. He served with De Ruyter's fleet on the expedition to Martinique in 1674. He commanded the fireship Sayer (4 guns). Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.

Dutch Naval Officer: Jan Corneliszoon Poot

Jan Corneliszoon Poot served the Admiralty of Zeeland as a commandeur. He fought in the First Schooneveld Battle, where he was in Cornelis Tromp's squadron. He had been with the fleet on 23 May, prior to the battle. He was still with the fleet on 12 June, so he probably fought in the Second Schooneveld Battle, as well. In August, he fought in the Battle of the Texel, where he commanded the adviesjacht Bruinvis (Bruijnvisch) (6 guns). He was assigned to Jan de Haan's division in Cornelis Tromp's squadron. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Hendrik Hendrikszoon

Hendrik Hendrikszoon served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In June 1666, he fought in the Four Days' Battle, where he commanded the fireship Wapen van Engeland. He was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's squadron. In 1667, he took part in the Raid on Chatham, where he commanded the fireship Katharina. He was assigned to Aert van Nes's Second Squadron. In 1671, he commanded the fireship Velsen in De Ruyter's squadron. He apparently fought in the Battle of Solebay, where he still commanded the fireship Velsen. He was now in Van Ghent's squadron. On 23 June 1672, he was with the fleet, assigned to Isaac Sweers' squadron. He was also with the fleet on 31 July, where his fireship Velsen was said to have 4 guns. About 21 September, he was with the fleet off the Texel. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.

Dutch Captain: Anthonie Liederkercke

Anthonie Liederkercke served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He lived from 1587 until 1660. He was promoted to extra-ordinary Captain in 1623 and to ordinary captain in 1647. He seems to have served under Mooi Lambert and in 1626 took three Dunkirker prizes. He was awarded a golden chain. In 1626, he also took an ambassador to Barbary. In 1628, he was a commander at Vlissingen. In 1639, he distinguished himself before Dunkirk and at the Battle of the Downs. In 1640, he carried supplies to Morocco. From 1643 until 1644, he served in the blockade service before Dunkirk. In 1645, he commanded the Amsterdam ship Gelderland (32 guns) and was with Witte de With on the expedition to push a large fleet of into the Sound without paying the toll to Denmark. Andrew says that he commanded a ship in 1647, and that Cornelis Tromp, when he was very young, served as his lieutenant. Sources:

1. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.
2. G. W. Kernkamp, De Sleutels van de Sont, 1890.
3. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.

Dutch Captain: Dirk Klaaszoon Harney

Dirk Klaaszoon Harney served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He apparently commanded the fireship Sint Jakob en Anna with the fleet in September 1672, after the actions on 3 September and 9 September. On 10 May 1673, he was with the fleet off of Schooneveld. He now commanded the fireship Vrede. He was with Lt-Admiral van Nes's Second Squadron. By about 16 May, he was with Cornelis Tromp's squadron. He fought in the First Schooneveld Battle on 7 June. On 12 June, he still eommanded the Vrede in Tromp's squadron. He fought in the Battle of the Texel, where he commanded the fireship Vrede (4 guns). He was assigned to Isaac Sweer's division in Cornelis Tromp's squadron. In 1675, he sailed for the Mediterranean with De Ruyter's fleet sent to aid the Spanish in their fight against the French. He commanded the fireship Jakob en Anna. He fought in the Battle of Stromboli on 8 January 1676. He was in the Third Squadron. He fought in the Battle of Etna on 22 April 1676, where he was assigned to the Second Squadron. He still commanded the fireship Jakob en Anna (4 guns). Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Jan van Kampen

Jan van Kampen served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. On 23 June 1672, he commanded the fireship Sayer (4 guns) in De Ruyter's First Squadron. On 31 July, he was still in the Sayer in De Ruyter's squadron. He was still in command of the Sayer with De Ruyter in September 1672, as well. By May 1673, he commanded the fireship Wapen van Emmerick (4 guns) in Lt-Admiral van Nes's squadron. By 16 May, he was in Tromp's squadron. He commanded the Wapen van Emmerick fireship in the First Schooneveld Battle. Prof. Bruijn wrote that after 7 June 1673, he commanded the Wapen van Velsen (4 guns) in Tromp's squadron. He was absent from the fleet list for 12 June 1673. We know that he commanded the fireship Wapen van Velsen in the Battle of the Texel, where he was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's division. He was in De Ruyter's expedition to Martinique in June 1674, where he commanded the fireship Leidster (4 guns). In 1675, he commanded the fireship Salm in De Ruyter's fleet that sailed for the Mediterranean Sea. On 8 January 1676, he was with De Ruyter at the Battle of Stromboli. On 22 April, he fought at Etna. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Thomas Vlugh

Thomas Vlugh served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He lived from about 1640 until 11 November 1683. He was promoted to captain in 1672 and Vice-Admiral on 6 October1673. In 1674, he served under Cornelis Tromp in the expedition to French coast and in the Mediterranean Sea, where he convoyed a retourvloot. In 1677, while serving as a squadron commander in the Channel, he captured a Turkish pirate and cruised against the Dunkirkers. In 1683, he served under Schepers on the expedition to Gothenburg. He was drowned on the homeward voyage with his ship Westfriesland (80 guns), when his ship was wrecked in a storm. Sources:

1. Lambertus van den Bosch, Leven en Bedryf van den Vermaarden Zeeheld, Cornelis Tromp, 1692.
2. Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
3. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
4. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst 1683 bestaande uit 29 gewapende oorlogsschepen", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Willem Willemszoon

Willem Willemszoon served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded the fireship Draak (4 guns) in 1673. He commanded the Draak with the fleet in early May 1673. He was assigned to De Ruyter's squadron. On 17 May, he was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's squadron. He fought in the First Schooneveld Battle on 7 June. On 12 June, he was with the fleet at Schooneveld, still with Tromp's squadron. Presumably, he fought in the Second Schooneveld Battle, as well. He also fought in the Battle of the Texel, where he was assigned to Jan De Haan's division in Tromp's squadron. In June 1674, he commanded the fireship Groene Draak (the same ship?) with De Ruyter's expedition to Martinique. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Jan Janszoon Verboekholt

Jan Janszoon Verboekholt served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1667, he commanded the jacht Windhond (18 guns), which was apparently newly completed. He was with the fleet in May 1667. he took part in the Raid on Chatham, where he was assigned to Van Ghent's Third Squadron. On 18 June, he was up the Thames to Rochester with the group of ships that included Jan van Brakel's ship Vrede and and Jan Danielszoon van Rijn's Pro Patria fireship. On 15 July 1667, he was with De Ruyter's squadron. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst tocht naar Chatham", 2005.

Dutch Captain: Pieter Magnussen (or Magnuszoon)

Pieter Magnussen (also called Magnuszoon) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He fought in the St. James's Day Battle in August 1666. He commanded the frigate Edam (37 guns). He was assigned to Cornelis Tromp's division in the Third Squadron. He took part in the actual Raid on Chatham in the Raadhuis van Haarlem. He was assigned to van Ghent's Third Squadron. He was also with the fleet in July 1667, as well, which was destined for the Thames. Sources:

1. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
2. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst tocht naar Chatham", 2005.