The seven Rotterdam Directors' ships

We know a good bit about six of the seven ships hired in 1652 by the Rotterdam Directors. The one exception is the Erasmus, which Vreugdenhil did not even know about, when he made his list of Dutch ships and we only know the name and captain. Sijmon Cornelisz van der Meer commanded the Erasmus up until the ship was sunk in action in June 1652. One other ship, the Sint Pieter, was apparently damaged in fight in June. Adriaen de Zeeuw commanded the Sint Pieter from the time it was hired until the fight in June. He left the service and Sijmon Cornelisz van der Meer took command of the Sint Pieter. His service was spotty in the war. In the summer of 1652, he was too ill to be at sea and his lieutenant, Jan Jansz van der Valck commanded the Sint Pieter, including in the Battle of Plymouth, with De Ruyter's fleet. Several of the ships served through the war, and perhaps, beyond. One was Ruth Jacobsz Buys' ship the Hollandia and the other was the Prins. This is a summary list of ships and captains:

Adm    Ship          Guns Crew Captain                       Fate
R-Dir  Erasmus                 Sijmon Cornelisz van der Meer sunk in action June 1652
R-Dir  Sint Pieter   28   122  Adriaen de Zeeuw            
                               Sijmon Cornelisz van der Meer
                               Lt. Jan Jansz van der Valck
R-Dir  Jonas         36   125  Jan Evertsz de Liefde         Eventually paid off
R-Dir  Prins         38   120  Corstiaen Corstiaensz       
                               Jacob Cleijdijck
R-Dir  Hollandia     26   105  Ruth Jacobsz Buys
R-Dir  Meerman       30   120  Jacob Cleijdijck              sunk on 28 Feb 1652
R-Dir  Sint Pieter   29   110  Isaac de Jongh                foundered in Aug 1652

Sources:

1. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Directieschepen van de Maze d.d. 6 maart 1653", 2006

The Dutch jacht Ruiter, taken by the English at Lowestoft

Ron van Maanen has the dimensions for the jacht Ruiter that was captured by the English at the Battle of Lowestoft. I do not have the captain's name along, but perhaps I can add that later. The Ruiter later served in the English navy as the flyboat Horseman. The Dutch dimensions were 95ft x 24-1/2ft x 10-1/2ft with a height between decks of 5-3/4ft. The Ruiter carried 18 guns and had a crew of between 60 and 65 men. This was a former East India company ship. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "ZEELAND", undated

The English prize Bonaventura in 1653

The English hired ship Anthony Bonaventure, along with the Garland had both attacked Tromp's flagship in the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December 1652. Johan Evertsen came to Tromp's rescue and together, they captured the Anthony Bonaventure and Garland. In 1653, the Anthony Bonaventure was fitted out by the Middelburg Directors. Ron van Maanen says that the Bonaventura carried between 30 and 36 guns and had a crew of 110 men. Ron says that the English recaptured the ship in the Battle of Scheveningen, and later sold it. Sources:

1. Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906
2. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript, the "Zeeland" document, undated

Ron van Maanen has the dimensions for the Zwanenburg, burnt at Lowestoft in 1665

One of the ships for which Ron van Maanen has dimensions but not a gun list, is the Zeeland ship Zwanenburg, burnt at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. Cornelis Kuijper commanded the Zwanenburg in the battle. The Zwanenburg was quite small: 110ft x 26ft x 10ft with a height between decks of 6ft. At the Battle of Lowestoft, the Zwanenburg carried 30 guns and had a crew of 120 men. Sources:

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996
2. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992

One gap in our knowledge is the dimensions and lists of guns for ships hired (or perhaps some are Landsschepen) by the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier during the First Anglo-Dutch War. These are some of the ships involved:

Adm   Ship              Guns Crew   Captain
N     Lastdrager        32   110    kapitein Gerrit Munt (1653)
N     Profeet Samuel    30   110    kapitein Reijnst Cornelisz Sevenhuijsen (1653)
N     Peereboom         24    87    kapitein Tijs Tijmensz Peereboom
N     Harder            31   146    kapitein Jan Backer (1653)
N     Prins Maurits     32    97    kapitein Cornelis Pietersz Taenman
N     Vergulde Schel    24   110    up to March 1653: kapitein Teunis Veghterszoon
                                    after March 1653: kapitein Claes Valehen
N     Tobias            30   119    kapitein Jan Claesz Ham (1653)
N     Mars              38   125    kapitein Reijnst Cornelisz Sevenhuijsen (1653)
N     Wapen van Alkmaar 28   107    kapitein Gerrit Nobel (1652)
N     Land van Beloften 29    70    kapitein Jan Noblet (1652)
N     Huis van Nassau   28   109    kapitein Gerrit Munt (1652)
N     Alkmaar           28    95    kapitein Jan Warnaertsz Capelman (1652)
N     Rode Leeuw        29    75    kapitein Reijnst Cornelisz Sevenhuijsen (1652)
N     Engel             29    75    kapitein Cornelis Wogters (1652)
N     Nieuw Kasteel     19    65    kapitein Claes Allertszoon (1652)
N     Adam en Eva       29    70    kapitein Jan Heck (1652)
N     Wapen van Holland 28    90    kapitein Herman Munnekes (1652)

I have started the process to update my list of Dutch war losses at AngloDutchWarBlog.com

Since we have learned so much in the last year about the Dutch in the First Anglo-Dutch War, I need to update my list of Dutch losses in the war on AngloDutchWarBlog.com. I hope to have that online later today.

Jacob Claesz Duijm's ship Vergulde Sonne

Jacob Claesz Duijm commanded the ship Vergulde Sonne (or Zon in the modern spelling) from the spring of 1652 up until the Battle of the Gabbard, when the ship was lost. The Vergulde Sonne was an Enkuizen Directors' ship. The ship was also called the Schellinghout. Ron van Maanen had found the dimensions of the Schellinghout, but did not know that this was the same ship as the Vergulde Sonne. Carl Stapel found the connection between the names, the dimensions, and the list of guns:

The ship Vergulde Sonne, kapitein Jacob Claesz Duijm
 a ship hired by the Enkhuizen Directors

Length from stem to sternpost: 127ft
Beam:                           26ft
Hold:                           12-1/2ft
Height between decks:            6ft

28 guns:
4-brass 18pdr, 8-12pdr, 6-8pdr, 6-6pdr, 2-4pdr, and 2-2pdr

Crew:
24 April 1653: 115 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Lijst van Nederlandse schepen in maart 1653", 2006
3. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

The Friesland ship Westergo in 1652 and 1653

The Friesland ship Westergo served with De Ruyter's fleet in July to September 1652. He fought in the Battle of Plymouth in August and was apparently in the Battle of the Kentish Knock. Witte de With had concerns about luitenant-commandeur Tijmen Claeszoon's conduct in the battle, and he was sent in with a letter to luitenant-admiraal Tromp, but nothing happened. In late December 1652, he was a convoyer for merchant ships from the Goeree and joined the fleet after that. He fought in the Three Days Battle and then in the Battle of the Gabbard in June 1653. The Westergo was lost in that battle, perhaps due to bad judgment by Tijmen Claeszoon. The ship later served in the English navy as the Westergate, surviving to serve in the Restoration navy until lost at sea in 1664. I have the details about the ship from Carl Stapel and Ron van Maanen:

The ship Westergo, kapitein Joris Pietersz van den Broecke
                  luitenant Tijmen Claeszoon
Length from stem to sternpost: 114ft
Beam:                           26-1/4ft
Hold:                           12ft
Height between decks:            6-1/4ft

28 guns
Crew 110 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Lijst van Nederlandse schepen in maart 1653", 2006
3. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

More complete information about Joost Bulter's ship Stad en Ommelanden

Carl Stapel had found more complete information about Joost Bulter's ship Stad en Ommelanden (also called Stad Groningen). This is the ship which was sunk at the Battle of the Gabbard on 12 June 1653:

The ship Stad en Ommelanden, kapitein Joost Bulter
Length from stem to sternpost: 120ft
Beam inside the planking:       28ft
Hold:                           11-1/2ft
Height between decks:            7ft

28 guns: 4-brass 12pdr, 2-iron 10pdr, 12-iron 8pdr, and 10-iron 5pdr
Crew: 110 men

Sources:

1. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Lijst van Nederlandse schepen in maart 1653", 2006

A question about the Harder and Harderinne in 1653

Two ships, the Harder and the Harderinne (Harderin) were in service in July of 1653. The Harder was apparently hired by the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier and the Harderinne was hired by the Enkhuizen Directors. Ron van Maanen has the details of the Harder and Harderin that served with the Admiralty of Amsterdam. They are both said to have been acquired in 1653. The question is if these are the same ships that were later employed by the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Ron van Maanen has the data for the two ships:

The ship Harder

Dimensions: 114ft x 28ft x 11-1/4ft

The ship Harderin

Dimensions: 118ft x 29ft x 12ft

Witte de With's journal lists the two ships in July and September 1653:

Adm    Ship               Guns Crew  Commander
N      Harder             30   108   Jan Backer
En-Dir Harderinne         30   120   Dirk Gerritsz Pomp

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated but circa 1992
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen die liggen voor Texel op 22 juli 1653", 2006
3. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

My current Dutch ship list format

I am experimenting with a format modeled after Carl Stapel's format that he uses in Dutch. One difference, other than that mine is in English rather than Dutch, is that I have a single document, not one document per ship. I spoke to Frank Fox, and asked him about how he adds information about references used. He uses end notes, and generally does not put the superscript numbers in the text. I am using a rather bad system that works for me. I don't want to deal with the Microsoft Word end note system. Instead, I am using a system that derives from the Artificial Intelligence community and has been used in their publications, at least in the past. This is an incomplete example of the format:

A Duivenvoorde  1655

Dimensions: 140ft x 32ft x 13-1/2ft

Guns:
11/06/1666   lower tier: 8-18pdr, 12-12pdr  upper tier: 18-8pdr  quarterdeck: 8-3pdr

1655    Built, perhaps at Amsterdam
11/06/1666 46 guns  kapitein Jonkheer Otto van Treslong in the Four Days' Battle
                    crew: 179 sailors and 28 soldiers
                    On 11 June, the Duivenvoorde was set afire by English incendiary
                    shot, burned and exploded. 36 men survived. kapitein Treslong
                    and about 170 other men died.

References:
[Weber], [van Maanen], [Distant Storm]



Published Sources:

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

[Distant Storm] Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666,  1996



Unpublished Sources:

[van Maanen] Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992

[7 Oct 1674] Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Eskader onder C. Tromp op 7 oktober 1674 in de baai van Roses te Cadiz", 2006

Frank Fox says that there are English intelligence reports about Dutch ships

Frank Fox says that there are English intelligence reports about Dutch ships. There are probably just guns and crew, while we are looking for dimensions and lists of guns. When you start finding that sort of information, it is addictive and you want more.

The VOC ship Batavia

The ship Batavia, purchased at Zaandam by the Rotterdam Chamber of the VOC, fought in the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. Ron van Maanen has the details about the Batavia:

The ship Batavia, kapitein Nicolaes Naalhout

Length from stem to sternpost:  136ft
Beam:                            29-1/2ft
Hold:                            14ft
Height between decks:             7ft

44 guns:
Lower deck: 20-12pdr
Upper deck: 16-8pdr, 8-3pdr

Crew:
148 sailors and 46 soldiers

Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2006
2. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992

A mystery possibly solved

In The First Dutch War, Vol.V, there is a list of ships and captains from the Admiralty of Amsterdam after the Battle of Scheveningen and listing damage and remaining gunpowder in many instances. A "Captain Quaeff" is mentioned. He commanded a ship named "Morgenstar". There is now reason to believe that the captain was Albert Claesz de Graeff, who had commanded the hired ship Hollandia. The ship might possibly be the same ship, the Star or Ster, previously commanded by Jacob Paulusz Cort. The other possibility is a "mystery ship". I am now leaning towards the Star, as I have not had time to really research the issue.

So, was Jan Duijm's ship the Salamander?

At least up to November 1652, the Zeeland captain Jan Duijm commanded the ship Salamander, according to what Carl Stapel found. Carl wondered if this was the same ship that Pieter Marcuszoon commanded. In a list dated 17 August 1653, from Witte de With's journal, Pieter Marcuszoon is shown to command a ship of the Admiralty of Zeeland with 34 guns and a crew of 130 men. In October, a list with ship names gives the name of his ship as Salamander. This was probably the same ship as August, as a list from September 1653 gives his ship the same armament and crew. Sources:

1. Carl Stapel, personal communication "Z Salamander", 2006
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Another page dated 12 March 1652

The second page in the list from 12 March 1652 has more Amsterdam Directors' ships:

The ship Arche Troijane, 12 April
(the ship commanded by Abraham van Campen)
Dimensions: 116ft x 26-3/4ft x 12ft x 6-1/4ft

The ship Blauwen Arent, 17 April
(the ship commanded by Dirck Pater)
Dimensions: 127ft x 28-1/2ft x 12-1/4ft x 6ft-10in

The ship Mauritius, 16 April
(the ship commanded by Nicolaes de With)
Dimensions: 130ft x 30ft x 13ft x7ft
Guns: 18-12pdr, 6-6pdr, 6-4pdr, 6-3pdr

The ship Roosenboom, 10 April
(the ship commanded by Gerrit Schuyt)
Dimensions: 118ft x 27ft x 12-1/2ft x 6ft

The ship, the Lam, 12 April
(the ship commanded by Cornelis van Houten)
Dimensions: 127ft x 27-1/4ft x 12-1/2ft x 6-1/2ft

The ship, the Elias, 24 April
(the ship commanded by Jacob Sieuwertsz Spahnheijm
 with lieutenant Frans Fransz Sluyter)
Dimensions: 132-1/2ft x 30ft x 13ft x 6-1/2ft

Page from 13 March 1652 listing Amsterdam Directors' ships

There is a page dated 13 March 1652 (but with entries from later) that has some interesting things, most of which is common knowledge, but there is a bit that seems unique:

The ship Sint Francisco, 7 April
 (the ship commanded by Stoffel Juriaenszoon)
  133ft x 28-1/4ft x 13-1/4ft x 6-1/2ft
  Guns: 8-12pdr, 6-8pdr, 8-6pdr, and 2-4pdr

The ship nieuw Gidion
 (the ship commanded by Hector Bardesius, whose 
   lieutenant was Ulrich Claesz de Jaeger)
  132ft x 29-1/2ft x 13-1/2ft x 6-1/2ft

The ship, the Swarte Leeuw, 29 April
 (the ship commanded by Hendrick de Raedt)
  130ft x 28ft x 13-1/2ft x 6-1/4ft

The ship, the Valck, 15 April
 (the ship commanded by Cornelis Jansz Brouwer)
  132-1/2ft x 26-1/6ft x 12-3/4ft x 6-1/2ft

The ship, the Faem, 6 April
 (the ship commanded by Jacob Swart)
  116ft x 28ft x 11ft x 7ft

The ship, the Groote Alexander, 7 April
 (the ship commanded by Jan Maijkers)
  131-1/2ft x 27-3/4ft x 13ft x 6-3/4ft

The ship Sint Maria, 16 April
 (the ship commanded by Sipke Fockes)
  122ft x 27ft x 11-1/4ft x 6ft

I am pretty much convinced that what Ron van Maanen has for the ship Frisia is, in fact, Schelte Wiglema's ship

Schelte Wiglema commanded the Friesland ship Frisia from sometime in the summer of 1652 until the ship exploded in the Three Days Battle (AKA, the Battle of Portland) in early 1653. Ron van Maanen has the details of the Frisia, which despite the dates, must be post-lost documentation of the ship:

The ship Frisia, commanded by kapitein Wiglema

Length from stem to sternpost: 120ft
Beam:                           28ft
Hold:                           11ft (or 11-1/4ft)
Height between decks:            7ft

28 guns: 2-12pdr, 4-10pdr, 8-8pdr, 10-6pdr, and 4-5pdr

Crew: 110 men

On 17 September 1652, Witte de With's journal says:

Capn. Wiggelma crew: 108 guns: 29 supplies: 13 weeks

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Zeeland", undated
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

The Dordrecht of 1653

Ron van Maanen has the details about the Zeeland ship Dordrecht, completed in 1653 and in service until 1673:

The ship Dordrecht, built in Middelburg in 1653

Dimensions: 130ft x 34ft x 13-1/2ft  7ft between decks
Measurement: 300 lasts

Guns: 
30 March 1665: 4-24pdr, 2-18pdr, 14-12pdr, 12-8pdr,
                  8-6pdr, 2-4pdr, 2-3pdr, and 2-2pdr

1667: 4-24pdr, 4-18pdr, 26-12 and 8pdr,
         18-6, 4, and 3pdrs

Ron van Maanen has information about the Arend

Ron van Maanen has information, in his "Zeeland" document, about the Vlissingen Directors' ship Arend, which I believe is the same as the Dubbele Arend. He has all the important details:

The ship, the Arend, a ship hired by the Vlissingen Directors
and in service from 1652 to 1653 (Ron says only 1652)

Length from stem to sternpost: 112ft
Beam inside the planking:       26ft
Hold:                           12ft
Height between decks:            6ft

26 guns: 2-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 10-6pdr, and 4-4pdr

Crew: between 98 and 118 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Zeeland", undated

A court martial on 29 September 1653

On pages 75 to 76 of The First Dutch War, Vol.VI, the court martial of luitenant Hendrick Hey is described. He was convicted and was sentenced to be "keelhauled three times with a halter round his neck". He was sentenced to be imprisoned for 20 years and to pay the costs of bringing him to trial. There are some familiar names on the court martial board and some unknown to me:

A. Halewijn
Gillis Janszoon
Jan Pouwelszoon
B. Russell
Dirck Vijgh
Hendrick de Raedt
E. Gomes
Aert Jansz van Nes
Willem van der Zaan
E. Meijer

Zeeland ships with Witte de With's fleet in September 1653

On page 175 of Witte de With's journal for 11 September 1653, he gives a list of ships belonging to the Admiralty of Zeeland:

Adm   Ship             Guns Crew Commander
Z     Amsterdam        32   120  kapitein Kempen
Z     Wapen van Ceulen 30   120  kapitein Mangelaer
Z     Salamander       34   125  kapitein Pieter Marcuszoon
Z     Goes             25   110  kapitein Kuijper
Z     Lieffde          23    94  kapitein Dingeman Cats
Z     Walvis, ammunition ship    kapitein Willem de Mataele

Sources:

1. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

A remaining mystery: Abraham van der Hulst's ship in Hendrick de Raedt's list

There is a good deal of reason to think that Abraham van der Hulst commanded the Amsterdam ship Groningen from the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War. The only reason to question that is that Hendrick de Raedt's list (and the Hollandsche Mercurius list) indicate that Abraham van der Hulst's ship carried 26 guns and had a crew of 100 men. The indication is that this was a purpose-built warship, rather than a hired ship. The Groningen was a 40-gun ship, so this could not be the Groningen. We might think that this is an error in the list, except that other ships in the list that might have seemed to be in error were found to be relatively accurate, to my surprise. The two ships where that was true were the two Zeeland frigates, those commanded by Lambert Bartelszoon (18 guns and a crew of 100 men) and Johannes Michielszoon (20 guns and a crew of 100 men). Sources:

1. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Lijst van schepen van 20 juni 1653", 2006

The VOC ship Huis van Nassau (or Nassouw)

Witte de With's journal for May 1653 mentions a ship belonging to the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC (the united East India company). The ship was commanded by kapitein van Strijp, carried 34 guns and had a crew of 112 men. Witte de With's journal for October 1653 confirms that this ship was the Huis van Nassau. The journal spells the name "Huijs van Nassouw". At that late date, the captain was still Jan Pietersz van Strijp. Ron van Maanen has the dimensions for the Huis van Nassau. They were: 133-1/2ft x 27ft-4in x 13ft-10in, with a height between decks of 6ft-10in. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

The Amsterdam ships Omlandia and Hoop

Up until June 1652, Boetius Schaeff had commanded the Gewapende Ruyter (36 guns), a Portuguese prize. The Gewapended Ruyter was sunk by the English in June 1652, while returning home from Brazil. Carl Stapel has found that in September 1652, that Boetius Schaeff was in command of the Amsterdam ship Omlandia, which in September 1652 carried 28 guns and had a crew of 85 men. After the Three Days Battle, Boetius Schaeff was appointed to command the ship Hoop (28 guns). In the Battle of the Gabbard (or, the Two Days Battle, or Battle of Nieuwpoort), Boetius Schaeff and his lieutenant were killed and his crew mutinied. In his place, Dirck Pater was appointed to command the Hoop. When Boetius Schaeff was appointed to command the Hoop, his father Maarten Schaeff had been appointed to command the Omlandia. At this stage, the Omlandia carried up to 32 guns. The Omlandia was sunk at the Battle of Scheveningen, although Maarten Schaeff seems to have survived the battle. Sources:

1. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "maerten en boetius schaeff", 2006
3. Carl Stapel, personal communication "some new information which might interest you", 2006
4. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Reynst Cornelisz Sevenhuysen's ships in 1652 to 1654

Reynst Cornelisz Sevenhuysen served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier and commanded a series of ships during 1652 to 1654:

Adm   Ship              Guns  Crew   Dates
N     Rode Leeuw        24-29 75-85  1652
N     Profeet Samuel    30           1653 until after the Gabbard
N     Mars              38    125    1653, from July
N     Alkmaar           32     90    1654, newly completed

Sources:

1. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652
2. Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, 1654
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen die op 10 en 11 september 1653 zijn uitgelopen", 2006
4. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Herman Walman and Joris Block on 17August 1653

I wondered if Witte de With's journal would mention both HermanWalman and Joris Block at the same time. On 17 August 1653 (pages 159 and 160), there is a listing of the fleet that includes both of them:

Adm   Ship             Guns  Crew  Commander
A     Hollandsche Tuin 24     97   Joris Block
A-Dir Hollandsche Tuin 36    140   Herman Walman

Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912
2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928
3. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Herman Walman (or Wallemans)

Apparently, in November 1652, Herman Walman was luitenant under kapitein Swart on the Amsterdam Directors' ship Vliegende Faam (Schetsen, Vol.III, note on page 87). On 11 August 1653, the Amsterdam Directors' ship Hollandsche Tuin, under the command of Herman Walman, was mastless after the Battle of Scheveningen, and had to "drive along the coast" towards the Texel. The other Hollandsche Tuin was a the ship hired by the Admiralty of Amsterdam, and at this date was commanded by Joris Block. The First Dutch War, Vol.V, on page 364 lists the damage to the smaller Hollandsche Tuin, commanded by Joris Block, and gives the gunpowder before the battle (7,000 lbs) and that remaining after the battle (5,400 lbs). This was the ship previously commanded by Hillebrandt Jeroenszoon, who was killed while fighting in the Battle of Scheveningen. He had taken command of the Zutphen, after his brother Ewout was severely wounded in the Three Days Battle. Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912
2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1925
3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928
4. Carl Stapel, personal communication about Hillebrandt Jeroenszoon, 2006

I was interested to find this about Vice-Admiral van Foreest

When the Germans attacked the Netherlands in 1940, Lt-Cdr van Foreest was executive officer of the incomplete cruiser Jacob van Heemskerck. the ship had its propulsion plant installed, so Lt-Cdr van Foreest commissioned the ship and got underway from Amsterdam. He took the ship to Great Britain, where the ship was completed and fought in the war. Presumably, this is the co-author of Dr. Weber's book about the Four Days' Battle.

The advijsjacht Loopende Hert

The advijsjacht Loopende Hert was apparently built in 1662. I believe that the Loopende Hert took part in the Four Days' Battle in early June 1666. Ron van Maanen has the details, which Dr. Weber apparently had not seen. I conveniently do not have my copy of Dr. Weber's book along with me, so I cannot check it (but I wrote about this in the past). I just have Ron's document "'Oorlogsschepen' van de admiraliteit van de Maze in de zeventiende en achttiende eeuw":

The advijsjacht Loopende Hert

Length from stem to sternpost: 76ft
Beam:                          19ft-7in
Hold:                           9ft-3in

8 guns (16 March 1665): 4-6pdr and 4-4pdr

Crew: 20 to 40 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "'Oorlogsschepen' van de admiraliteit van de Maze in de zeventiende en achttiende eeuw, unpublished manuscript", undated
2. H.A. van Foreest and R.E.J. Weber, De Vierdaagse Zeeslag 11-14 Juni 1666, 1984

Witte de With's letters have the answer

(Blogger seems to be getting bad again) Page 117 of Witte de With's letters gives an expanded list of Rotterdam ships that explains the earlier list:

Adm   Ship            Guns  Crew  Commander
R     Utrecht         22     98   commandeur Haexwant
R     Overijssel      24     98   kapitein Vijgh
R     Rotterdam       32    120   luitenant-commandeur Pieter Verhaven
R     Gorcum          30    116   kapitein Willem Arensz Warmont
R     Dolfijn         32    116   kapitein Kerckhoff
R     Gelderland                  kapitein Aert Jansz Jongen Boer (van Nes)
R     Brederode       56    268   Lt-admiraal Tromp's flag captain

Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2006
2. Witte de With, letters from 1653 to 1658, Archive E8811 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Admiralty of the Maze ships in April 1653

Witte de With's journal for April 1653 lists ships operating under his command. The list of ships belonging to he Admiralty of the Maze (or Rotterdam) is interesting. I am confused by the last entry, and am not certain of the ship name:

Adm   Ship            Guns  Crew  Commander
R     Utrecht         22     98   kapitein Leendert Haexwant
R     Overijssel      24     98   kapitein Dirck Vijgh
R     a ship          23     94   luitenant-commandeur Pieter Jacobsz

I was thinking that the last was Pieter Verhaven, but Carl Stapel says that his name was Pieter Jansz Verhaven. He was Jan Aertsz Verhaeff's son. Jan Aertsz Verhaeff commanded the 30-gun ship Rotterdam. A 23-gun ship would be more likely to be the Gelderland, commanded by kapitein Aert Jansz van Nes. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2006
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

Nominal dimensions and converting between Maas feet and Amsterdam feet

In Vreugdenhil's list for 1648 to 1652, he uses Maas feet for Rotterdam ships, but does not say that. A Maas foot has 12 inches and was about 308mm or more in length. An Amsterdam foot is divided into 11 inches and was about 283mm long. He gave the dimensions for a group of ships as 106ft x 25ft x 9.5ft, which are the dimensions in the Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654. One of these ships was named Gorinchem, also called the Gorcum. Dr. Weber, in his book about the Four Days' Battle, gave the dimensions in Amsterdam feet as 116ft x 27ft x 11ft. Ron van Maanen gives more precise, measured dimensions: 115'7" x 27'3" x 10'10". These are very close to what I would expect if the dimensions in Maas feet were: 106ft x 25ft x 10ft, which is what is given in a list of Rotterdam ships from 26 February 1652. A rough and ready conversion is to multiply a length in Maas feet by 12 and divide by 11. For fractions, multiply times 11 and you get the number of inches. Sources:

1. Admiralty of Rotterdam, List of ships from 26 February 1652
2. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated but circa 1992
3. H.A. van Foreest and R.E.J. Weber, De Vierdaagse Zeeslag 11-14 Juni 1666, 1984
4. Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, 1654