- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1860.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Wassenaar 1693", 2005.
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Monday, February 06, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jan (or Jacob?) van der Goes
Jacob van der Goes served the Admiralty of the Maze. In 1696, he commanded the Maas (or Maze) (72 guns) in the fleet commanded by Philips van Almonde. He was assigned to Philips van Almonde's squadron. I am somewhat confused, because there is also mentioned a Jan van der Goes. De Jonge's list for 1696 clearly identifies the captain of the Maze as Jacob van der Goes. However, the index only mentions Jan van der Goes. We also know that in May 1699 and in 1700, Jan van der Goes commanded the Wassenaer (60 guns). In 1699, he was in the convoy service in the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1700 was still in the Mediterranean. He helped to take Carthagena in 1706. He helped to strengthen Port Mahon until the place was forced to surrender. In 1708 and 1709, he was with the winter fleet. Sources:
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Dutch Captain: Andries Stilte
Andries Stilte served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1686, he commanded the frigate Oudkarspel (36 guns). In that year, he refused to let the French search his ship. In 1688, still commanding the Oudkarspel, he was in the fleet that carried Willem III to England. In 1692, the Oudkarspel ran aground in the Slenk as was sunk. In 1693, he was with the Allied squadron in the Mediterranean Sea under the command of Sir George Rooke. He fought in the Battle of the Smyrna fleet, where he commanded the Gelderland (72 guns). Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
Dutch Naval Officer: Jacob de Jongh
Jacob de Jongh was born in Enkhuizen about 1640. He died at Enkhuizen on 4 December 1718. He served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He was appointed as a lieutenant in 1665. He was promoted to Captain in either 1674 or 1688. He must have been the commander of the Noorderkwartier (68 guns) in the Battle of La Hougue in June 1692. He also must have commanded the Maagd van Enkhuizen (72 guns) in 1696 with the fleet commanded by Philips van Almonde. On 23 October 1699, he was appointed as Schout-bij-Nacht. In 1705, he was in the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. On 11 April 1709, he was appointed as Vice-Admiral. On 17 Ferbruary 1713, he was appointed as Lieutenant-Admiral. Sources:
- Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Dutch Captain: Gerrit Hooft
Gerrit Hooft served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1688, he commanded the Nijmegen (46 guns) in the fleet that took Willem III to England. In July 1689, he was in a group of three frigates commanded by Paulus van der Dussen. They fought a sharp action against four Dunkirkers not far from the Texel. Gerrit Hooft was unlucky to be killed by a cannonball. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
The attack on the Smyrna Fleet in June 1693
A large fleet of merchant ships from England, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden sailed for the Mediterranean Sea, convoyed by a force commanded by Sir George Rooke. The fleet was commonly called the "Smyrna Fleet". The convoying force was a mixed fleet of English and Dutch warships:
Ship Guns Commander
Royal Oak 64 Gerard Elwes, flagship of
Vice-Admiral Sir George Rooke
Breda 62 flagship of Rear-Admiral Thomas Hopsonn
Monmouth 58 Peter Pickard
Lumley Castle (M) 56 George Meester
Monck 52 Stafford Fairborne
Lion 52 Thomas Gardner
Loyal Merchant (M) 50 Philip Harris
Princess Anne (M) 48 William Wakelin
Tiger Prize 48 Robert Sincock
Woolwich 46 Christopher Myngs
Newcastle 46 John Baker
Chatham 44 John Leader
Smyrna Factor (M) 40 Edward Littleton
Sheerness 28 John Norris
Lark 16 Peter Wotton
Admiraal Generaal 84 Rear-Admiral P. van der Goes
Gelderland 72 Andries Stilte
Zeeland 64 Philip Schrijver
Wapen van Medemblik 64 Juriaan van der Poel
Oost-Stellingwerf 52 ?
Nijmegen 50 ?
Schiedam 50 W. van Rechteren
Wapen van den Schermer 44 ?
Salamander, bomb vessel ?
Suzanna, bomb vessel ?
Dispatch, brigantine 2 Thomas Peacok
Speedwell, fireship 8 Thomas Simonds
Vulture, fireship 8 William Lindsey
Muscovia Merchant, storeship
Daniel Parsons
two Dutch fireships
The battle went badly for the Allies, as two Dutch ships were lost, the Wapen van Medemblik and the Zeeland, as well as 92 merchantships "taken, burnt, or sunk". The result could have been worse, if the French captains had followed Tourville's orders. The battle was fought near Lagos, Portugal and Cape St. Vincent.
Sources:
- R. C. Anderson, Lists of Men-of-War 1650-1700: Part I English Ships 1649-1702, 1966.
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.
Friday, February 03, 2006
From my translation of an article from Oud-Holland 17
This is the start of my translation of this article:
The First War with England and W. van de Velde the Elder 1) by P. Haverkorn van Rijsewijk
Translated by James Bender
The battle near Folkestone between Maarten Tromp and Blake, on 19 May 1652, was followed in July by the first war between the Netherlands and England. It began under unfavorable circumstances for our land. The Dutch fleet was weaker than the English and was hampered by the merchant fleets, which were given to them and furthermore by the administration here that was as bad as that in England was good. The war took an unfortunate turn in July when Tromp set to see from the Zeeland coast. He wanted to attack Ayscue, who was near the Downs, watching for Dutch merchant vessels. Adverse winds, however, impacted execution of his plan. After that, he wanted to follow Blake, who went to the North Sea to destroy the Dutch herring fleet. Storms prevented him from doing this, as well. On 16 August he headed homeward with undone business. His actions had failed so badly that his policies were subjected to intense scrutiny. He was dismissed and Witte Corneliszoon de With was appointed in his place.
In the beginning of August, M. A. De Ruijter sailed with a Zeeland squadron to escort a merchant fleet through the Channel. On 26 August he beat Ayscue near Plymouth. This was the first battle in this war and the last of Ayscue. Against the return of De Ruijter, Blake sailed, after defeating a French fleet near Calais on 14 September. In the Channel, he united with Penn, to combine against De Ruijter. This threat to the county was foreseen and a fleet was collected near the Wielings, under the command of Vice-Admiral Witte Corneliszoon de With. De Ruijter passed Penn in the night, unobserved, and on 2 October, near Dunkirk and Nieuport, he met the dispatched fleet. On 8 October, the State's fleet was seen, not far from the Kentish Knock, somewhat North of Blake's fleet, which was somewhat more numerous. Blake immediately sailed their way, with great resolve. They had the advantage of the wind, larger ships with larger cannons. The Dutch made the initial mistake of firing at the masts and sails, rather than the ship hulls. When about 20 captains, mostly Zeelanders, fled, so Blake achieved the victory and sailed triumphantly back to England, while the defeated Dutch fleet turned back toward Goeree on 10 October.
One result of this defeat was that Maarten Harpertsz. Tromp was restored as commander of the fleet. On 1 December he set sail to sea fro the Meuse, burned with merchant vessels destined for Bordeaux to get wine. Jan Evertsen operated near him with some warships and 70 merchant vessels. By that time, our fleet was comprised of approximately 90 ships, 8 fireships, and some small craft, accompanied by more than 400 merchant vessels. On the 4th or 5th of December, they anchored at the latitude of Dunkirk. On the 9th, Tromp was near the Southern entrance to the Downs, where Blake was situated. He left his hiding place, however due to the change of wind, he had to anchor at the latitude of Dover. Tromp was near the same area, only to the leewards, on the next afternoon, about 3 o'clock, when the two fleets started fighting near Dungeness, near the Singels. The Dutch were now more powerful than the English, and twenty ships, mostly hired merchant vessels, and were with Blake during the encounter. These had to turn toward Dover, and on the next day, he was back in the downs, where the most ships were there in the Thames. After his victory, Tromp accompanied the merchant vessels to the Isle of Rhé, taking several English prizes along the way. He stayed near Bordeaux to wait for the returning merchant fleet.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Dutch Captain: Christiaan Bernhard, Graaf van Bentheim
Christiaan Bernhard, Graaf van Bentheim served the Admiralty of Amstedam. In 1683, he served as a volunteer in the fleet. He fought in the Battle of La Hougue, where he commanded the Edam (50 guns). He was assigned to Philips van Almonde's division. In 1694, he was sent to Carthagena in the West Indies. In 1696, he served with the fleet under the command of Philips van Almonde, where he commanded the ship Zeeland (64 guns). In the West Indies, he captured the Spanish San Christo. He died of disease in 1697. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst La Hogue 2 juni 1692", 2005.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Dutch Naval Officer: Jacob Jan van Cooperen (or Koperen)
Jacob Jan van Cooperen (or Koperen) served the Admiralty of the Maze. He was born in Rotterdam in 1669 and died there in December 1732. He was appointed as a lieutenant on 27 July 1690. On 20 February 1691, he was appointed as a captain-lieutenant-at-sea. In 1693, he was promoted to extra-ordinary captain. On 15 February 1698, he was promoted to full captain. He fought in the Battle of Vigo Bay, where he commanded the Wassenaar (60 guns). Finally, on 22 September 1713, he was appointed as a Schout-bij-Nacht by the Admiralty of the Maze. In 1706, he was one of the seamen who took part in the storming of Alicante. In 1708, he was part of the force that strengthed Lisbon. In 1711, he cruised on the coast of Catalonia. In 1711, he was sent to Naples and Tuscany. In 1714, he took his division to the Baltic. In 1725, he was sent to the Algerian coast. Sources:
- Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Wassenaar 1693", 2005.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Dutch Naval Officer: Maarten Barentszoon Boom
Maarten Barentszoon Boom served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He was born on 7 January 1663 at Zierikzee and died on 21 November 1729 at Middelburg. He was appointed as a Kapitein-ter-Zee in 1691. On 2 June 1692, he fought in the Battle of Cape La Hougue, where he commanded the Goes (54 guns). In 1693, he captured a Dunkirk privateer. In 1697, he served with a squadron sent against Dunkirk. On 1 November 1706, he was promoted to Schout-bij-Nacht. In 1718, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral, and on 25 July 1721, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Admiral.
Sources:
- Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst La Hogue 2 juni 1692", 2005.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Dutch Captain: Barend van der Pott
Barend van der Pott served the Admiralty of the Maze. He was born in Vlaardingen and in 1709 was 44 years old. In 1691 he was appointed as an Extra-ordinary captain and in 1695 he was appointed as an Ordinary Captain. In 1695, he commanded the frigate Rotterdam (34 guns) as a convoyer in the North Sea. In 1696, he was assigned to the service involved with protecting commerce at sea. He commanded the ship Schiedam (50 guns). On 22 October 1702, he fought in the Battle of Vigo Bay, where he commanded the Dordrecht (72 guns). He captured four Spanish galleons.
Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Rotterdam fregat 1695", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Voordrachten vlagofficieren in 1709", 2005.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jan de la Palma
Jan de la Palma served the Admiralty of Zeeland. Andrew supplied his first name and I have not been able to confirm that. He joined the fleet on 4 June 1692, two days after the Battle of La Hougue. He commanded the ship Zierikzee (62 guns). In 1696, he commanded the Walcheren (72 guns) and served with the fleet under the command of Philips van Almonde. He signed a letter in 1701 to the admiralty, along with Cornelis Evertsen, Geleijn Evertsen, Schout-bij-Nacht Den Boer, and captains Wiltschut, Mosselman, De Mauregnault, and Boom. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Doeke Roos, Twee Eeuwen Varen en Vechten 1550-1750, 2003.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst La Hogue 2 juni 1692", 2005.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
More about Cornelis Adriaanszoon Cruijck
Dr. Elias has more about Cornelis Adriaanszoon Cruijck. Cornelis Arentszoon Cruijck served the East-Indian-Indian company, up to November 1652. At that time, he became captain of the Vogelstruijs (eventually taken by the English at the Battle of Portland). Later, he was appointed to the council and as assistant to Lord Obdam. He established himself later at Schiedam, where in 1665, he was appointed to the town cuncil. Later that year, he was placed on the council of deputies of their high majesties of the fleet. Sources:
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.VI, 1930.
Friday, January 27, 2006
The relief squadron sent to Brazil from 1650 to 1652
We know just a very little about the relief squadron sent to Brazil in the period from 1650 to 1652. The survivors returned home in May-June 1652, although some were lost in the process. This is the list of ships and captains as we know them:
M ? ? Marinus de Clerq arrived at Rotterdam 25 June M Dolphijn 28 guns Captain Schooneman? arrived at Rotterdam 25 June M Nijmegen 26 guns Paulus van den Kerckhoff sunk by the English 10 June F ? ? Hendrick Janszoon Camp ? F ? ? Tjaert de Groot arrived at the Texel 13 June A Gewapende Ruiter 36 guns Boëtius Schaeff Captured by the English 18 June A Aemelia 28 guns Floris van Oy arrived at Amsterdam 12 June A Graaf Willem 40 guns Captain Tas arrived at Amsterdam 20 June A Westfriesland 28 guns Captain Boonacker arrived at Amsterdam 20 June Z ? ? Cornelis Loncq arrived at Wielings 20 JuneSources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
- Admiralty of Rotterdam, list of ships from 26 February 1652.
- website De Sneuper.
- A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Dutch Captain: Calis
I do not have any record of Captain Calis's first name, but he served the Admiralty of Zeeland and fought in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690. He commanded the ship Tholen (60 guns) and was assigned to Gerard Callenburgh's division in Cornelis Evertsen's squadron. His ship was one of those lost after the battle. His ship was burnt rather than let it fall into French custody.
Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Dutch Captain: Willem van der Zaan the younger
Willem van der Zaan, the younger, was the son of the great Dutch naval officer of the same name. Like his father, he served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Willem van der Zaan was with the fleet that took Willem III to England in 1688 where he commanded the Maria Elizabeth (46 guns). On 27 July 1689, he was with the fleet in the Channel where he commanded a frigate or small ship of the line (from Andrew). On 30 June 1690, he fought in the Battle of Beachy Head, where he commanded the Agatha (50 guns). He was assigned to Gerard Callenburgh's division. He was killed in a heroic fight against Forbin's small unit in 1692. Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.II, 1859.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst slag bij Bevesier 10 juli 1690", 2005.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jan de Jongh
Jan de Jongh served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. At the Battle of La Hougue, on 2 June 1692, he commanded the ship Noorderkwartier (68 guns). In 1696, he commanded the ship Maagd van Enkhuizen (72 guns) and was with Geleijn Evertsen's squadron off Cadiz. In 1696, he also served in the fleet commanded by Philips van Almonde.
Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst La Hogue 2 juni 1692", 2005.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Dutch Captain: Justus Hoogenhoek
He served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1688, he commanded the frigate Damiaten (32 guns) and was the fleet that took Willem III to England. He was assigned to Lt-Admiral Scheper's squadron. He commanded the ship Hollandia built in 1683. On 2 June 1692, he commanded the Harderwijk (46 guns) at the Battle of La Hougue. He was assigned to Vice-Admiral Callenburgh's division. In 1693, he and his convoy were in danger, but escaped. He was in the Mediterranean Sea in 1697, and was part of a relief fleet sent to Carthagena. In 1697, Justus Hoogenhoek was in the Caribbean. He commanded the Hollandia (72 guns). He was part of a small unit, mostly English ships, that recaptured a Spanish prize, the San Christo, from the French. He was the fourth captain who had been on the voyage to the West Indies. Justus van Hoogenhoeck, who was one of the most experienced and brave commanders of this time period, of whom we have several times mentioned by De Jonge, came to an unfortunate end. With his ship Hollandia (72 guns), he returned to England in March 1698, where his ship would be repaired. They were caught in a strong storm and Hoogenhoeck and his crew were lost. Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst La Hogue 2 juni 1692", 2005.
- A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Dutch Captain: Arnold Manart
Arnold Manart served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In early 1686, he convoyed merchant ships to Spain. He and Willem van Ewyck, both with ships of 40 guns, were attacked by a French squadron. In 1688, he commanded the Schattershof (46 guns) in the fleet that took Willem III to England. In 1696, he took part in the third bombardment of Calais. Later in 1696, he was with the Dutch fleet in the Sound. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Algemeen Zaakregister, 1862.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Dutch Captain: Philips (or Philip) Schrijver
Philips Schrijver served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. On 2 June 1692, he fought in the Battle of La Hougue, where he was assigned to Karel van der Putten's squadron. He commanded the Zeeland (64 guns). In June 1693, Philips Schrijver fought in the defence of the Smyrna convoy, under the command of Sir George Rook. He still commanded the Zeeland (64 guns). Philips Schrijver distinguished himself in this battle. He and Juriaan van der Poel tacked towards the land, trying to draw the French away from the convoy. After "a most desperate defence", their ships were taken. On 22 October 1702, he fought in the Battle of Vigo Bay, where he commanded the Slot Muiden (72 guns). He fought in the capture of Gibraltar on 21-23 July 1704 (0ld style), where he commanded the Veere ( 60 guns). He was with the group that attacked the Old Mole. On 23 August 1704, he fought in the Battle of Velez Malaga, where he commanded the Gelderland (72 guns). After being active in 1707 (VOC retourvloot) and 1708, he died in 1711. Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Dutch Captain: Poppe Binckes
Poppe Binckes (or Foppe) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He may have fought in the Battle of the Gabbard. We only see him mentioned in the summer of 1653, when he commanded the three-masted yacht Brak (18 guns) and fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. Jan Admirael had commanded the Brak at the Battle of the Gabbard. There is a van de Velde picture online that shows the Brak's sistership, the Windhond, in action, near the flagship Brederode. In 1652, and possibly into early 1653, Pieter van Zalingen had commanded the Brak. The last we read of him is from a document that is probably from March 1653. On 13 December 1653, Poppe Binckes was involved with convoying merchant ships in the Sound. When he arrived at Gothenburg, he gave heart to the merchant captains who had hope of more warships arriving to convoy them. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.VI, 1930.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Dutch Captain: Adriaan Noortheij
Adriaan Noortheij served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1688, he commanded the frigate Wulpenburg (32 guns and a crew of 130 men) in the fleet that took Willem III to England. In 1690, he commanded the ship Elswoud (50 guns and a crew of 210 men). He fought in the Battle of Beachy Head and was killed. He was assigned to Karel van der Putte's division. The Elswoud was one of the ships burnt after the battle, rather than let them be captured due to their damage. Sources:
- William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1861.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst slag bij Bevesier 10 juli 1690", 2005.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Dutch Naval Officer: Jan Janszoon van der Valck
Jan Janszoon van der Valck served the Rotterdam Directors. In the summer of 1652, he was lieutenant of Sijmon Corneliszoon van der Meer, who commanded the ship Sint Pieter (28 guns and a crew of 122 men). Captian van der Meer's first ship, the Prins (apparently) had been sunk in combat with English frigates in the Channel. In fact, he went back to sea in the Sint Pieter. He was so ill, he had to relinguish command to his lieutenant. Jan Janszoon van der Valck apparently commanded the Sint Pieter on Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. He was specifically mentioned on 13 August 1652. He was not mentioned further in the published literature.
Sources:
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
- A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Dutch Captain: Evert Pieterszoon Swart
Evert Pieterszoon Swart served the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC (the East Indian Company). He commanded the VOC warship Gerechtigheid, which we estimate to have carried about 36 guns. If, in fact, the Gerechtigheid was built to the same charter as the Mercurius, the ship may have carried as many as 40 guns. We now know that the Mercurius was a ship of dimensions 123ft x 30ft x 12ft. On 23 April 1653, he put to sea in the Gerechtigheid to join Witte de With at the rendezvous. On that basis, we can be reasonably assured that he fought in the Battle of the Gabbard in June. From the list of ships at Vlissingen in July 1653, we see that there were three ships belonging to the Amstedam Chamber of the VOC which fought in the Battle of the Gabbard. Evert Pieterszoon Swart definitely fought in the Battle of Scheveningen, where he was in De Ruyter's squadron. Within the squadron, he was assigned to Frans Mangelaer's small unit. On 12 August, the Gerechtigheid was lying at anchor, two miles to sea from Scheveningen. He was with Witte de With's fleet on the voyage to Norway in September to November 1653, and died with the majority of his crew, when the Gerechtigheid foundered in the storm.
Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.VI, 1930.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "a grisaille by Willem van de Velde of the VOC ship Mercurius", 2005.
- Staten Generaal 1.01.04 Inv. Nr. 5556, "List of ships at Vlissingen on 2 July 1653", 1653.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Dutch Naval Officer: Pieter de Moor
Pieter de Moor served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He fought in the First Schooneveld Battle, where he was assigned to De Ruyter's squadron. He commanded the Advijs jacht Tonijn (6 guns). He was still with De Ruyter on 12 June and probably fought in the Second Schooneveld Battle, as well. In August, he fought in the Battle of the Texel, where he was in Aert van Nes's division in De Ruyter's squadron. Sources:
- Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
- J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Dutch Captain: Johannes Michielszoon (or Michiels)
Johannes Michielszoon (or Michiels) served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He commanded one of the 100 ships of the Extraordinary Equipage of 1652. His ship carried 20 guns and had a crew of 100 men. His ship was described as a fast-sailing storeship. I suggest that he may have commanded the ship Augustine that was captured by the English and used as a "victualler" during the last part of the First Anglo-Dutch War. I would imagine that the Dutch name might have been Sint Augustijn. After the Battle off Dover, in early June 1652, Tromp sent Joannes Michielszoon to Ostend and Nieuwpoort, where two ships in distress might have gone. In July 1652, he was acting as a scout for Tromp's fleet when he took a small English vessel from Dover and learned that Blake had taken the English fleet to the north. In response, Tromp resolved to take his whole fleet of 83 warships and 9 fireships north, as well. Tromp left Adriaan Jansz. den Oven's jacht cruising off the Wielingen to let ships looking for the Dutch fleet know where they have gone. On 15 January 1653, he was with four Zeeland warships convoying some merchantmen and West Indiamen from "the islands". The four ships included the ships of Joannes Michielszoon, Claes Janszoon, Cornelis Mangelaer, and Jan Duijm. Joannes Michielszoon fought in the Battle of Portland and was reported by Jan Evertsen, in his journal, to have been killed there.
Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jacob Claeszoon Boot (or Boet)
Jacob Claeszoon Boot (or Boet) served the Monnikendam Directors. He probably commanded the ship Leeuwin (32 guns and a crew of 115 men). The guns consisted of 4 brass and 28 iron guns. In June, he served with the fleet during June to August 1652, and was on the voyage to the Shetlands. He took part in the council of war on 6 August on board the Brederode. He also fought in the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December 1652 and the Battle of Portland on 28 February to 2 March 1653. Sources:
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
- Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
- Jodocus Hondius, Onstelde-Zee, Oft Zee-Daden, 1654.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Dutch Captain: Emmanuel Zalingen
Emmanuel Zalingen served the Admiralty of Amsterdam during the First Anglo-Dutch War. He commanded the hired fluit, the Aartsengel Michiel (40 guns and a crew of 120 men). His ship carried relatively small guns, despite the size of the ship. He reported late to De Ruyter's fleet on 26 July 1652 and was assigned to Jan Gideonszoon Verburch's division. He fought in the Battle of Plymouth on 26 August 1652. He joined Witte de With's fleet with the rest of De Ruyter's fleet, but was sent in for repairs on 2 October 1652, as his was among the ships judged unfit for battle. On October 29, Witte de With ordered captain Zalingen's ship to receive victuals for 10 weeks at sea. At the end of the year, he was ordered to the Mediterranean Sea, where his ship was used a storeship. Sources:
- R. C. Anderson, "The First Dutch War in the Mediterranean," The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.49, No.4, November 1963.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
New information about "Cornelis Hoola"
A note from the Rotterdam notary records reopened the issue of the identity of the captain of the Amsterdam Directors' ship Moorin. The notation mentions Cornelis Houtebeen (wooden leg) as the commander of the Moorin on 25 July 1653. We thought that we knew that the Moorin's captain in October and November was "Captain Tol". However, Dr. Ballhausen says that the Moorin's captain was Cornelis Corneliszoon Jol, apparently the son of Cornelis Jol, "Admiral Houtebeen". Dr. Ballhausen also says that Cornelis Corneliszoon Jol was also known as Cornelis Jol Hola (Tola) and had commanded the ship Leiden in 1652. This seems to be a case where we can be reasonably sure that Dr. Ballhausen is correct. His last name could also be rendered as Holla or Hoola. By the way, we know specifications for the Moorin:
Moorin Amsterdam Directors Dimensions: 125ft x 29ft x 12-3/4ft Guns: 28 consisting of 10-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 8-6pdr, and 2-3pdr Hired circa 28 January 1653Sources:
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Captains", 2004.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Directors' Ship Information 1652-1653", 2004.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Moorin", 2006.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Dutch Captain: Harmon Sonne
Harmon Sonne served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1652 and 1653, he commanded the hired ship Madonna della Vigna. The Madonna della Vigna had a crew of 100 men and very likely carried 28 guns, although we cannot confirm that fact. He fought in the Battle of Livorno on 14 March 1653, under the command of Johan van Galen. His ship was the only Dutch ship lost in the battle. The Madonna della Vigna fought the Levant Merchant (28 guns) and was forced to beach, north of the harbour. The Madonna della Vigna had served under Venetian command from at least 1649 until 1651 and had fought in two battles: the Battle of Focchies on 12 May 1649 and the action of 10 July 1651. Sources:
- R. C. Anderson, "The First Dutch War in the Mediterranean," The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.49, No.4, November 1963.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
Tromp's council-of-war on 6 August 1652
Following the storm in the Shetlands, on 6 August 1652, Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp held a council-of-war on board his flagship, the Brederode. The list of captains present has been preserved and is published in Vol.I of The First Dutch War, in the order listed at the end of Tromp's document. It is available on the Google Book Search. From what we know, we can augment this list with additional information:
Officer: Admiralty: Ship: Guns: Crew: Maarten Harpertsz. Tromp Rotterdam Brederode 54 270 Witte Cornelisz. de With Rotterdam Prinses Louise 36 ? Albert Claesz. de Graeff Amsterdam Hollandia 32 110 Nicoleas Marrevelt Amsterdam Zeelandia 36 120 Abraham van der Hulst Amsterdam ? 26 100 Hector Bardesius Amsterdam Directors Nieuw Gideon 34 115 Corstiaen Corstiaenszoon Rotterdam Directors Prins te Paard 38 120 Adriaan Banckert Zeeland ? 26 100 Joris van der Zaan Amsterdam Campen 38 130 Cornelis Hoola Amsterdam Leiden 28 100 Johannes van Regermorter Middelburg Directors ? 30 105 Jacob Cornelisz. Swart Amsterdam Directors Faam 28 110 Stoffel Juriaenszoon Amsterdam Directors Sint Francisco 28 105 Allert Janszoon Zeeland Dubbele Arend 28 100 Abraham Hendricksz.van Campen Amsterdam Directors Arke Troijane 28 100 Pieter Adriaanszoon van Blocker Hoorn Directors ? 28 105 Teunis Vechterszoon Noorderkwartier ? 24? 70 Jacob Adriaansz. Penssen Middelburg Directors Gouden Leeuw 30 110 Pieter Aldertszoon Noorderkwartier Burcht? 24 100 Antheunis Post, Allert Janszoon's skipper Lambert Bartelszoon Zeeland ? 18 100 Johan Evertsen Zeeland Hollandia 38 160 Pieter Florissen Noorderkwartier Monnikendam 36 138 Gideon de Wildt Amsterdam Vrede 42 160 Cornelis Evertsen de Oude Zeeland Wapen van Zeeland 30 120 Pieter Schellinger Noorderkwartier Stad Medemblik 26 100 Arent Dirckszoon Noorderkwartier Monnick 24 95 Adriaan Nicolaesz. Kempen Zeeland Amsterdam 30 120 Philips Joosten Zeeland Hollandia ? ? Jan Jacobsz. van Nes Rotterdam Gorcum 30 131 Pieter Gorcum Zeeland Dordrecht? 17? 50? Jacob Paulussen Cort Amsterdam Star 28 95 Gerrit Femssen Noorderkwartier Wapen van Enkhuizen 30 110 Jacob Claesz. Boot Monnikendam Directors Leeuwin 32 115 Gijsbert Malcontent Enkhuizen Directors ? 28 110 Cornelis van Houtten Amsterdam Directors Witte Lam 30 110 Gillis Thyssen Campen Amsterdam Gouden Leeuw 24 80 Ruth Jacobsz. Buys Rotterdam Directors ? 26 105 Gerrit Nobel Noorderkwartier Burgh van Alkmaar 24 95 Gillis Janszoon Zeeland Zeeridder 28 100 Daniel Cornelisz. Brackman Zeeland ? ? ?
Monday, January 09, 2006
Dutch Captain: Wolphert van Brederode
Wolphert van Brederode served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In June 1652, his ship and that of Evert Anthonissen were sent to convoy corn ships to Muscovy. He commanded the ship Hoop (24 guns and a crew of 80 men). On 29 October, he was under orders with Marten Schaeff (Vice-Admiral), Jan Janszoon Lapper, Pieter van Zalingen, Hendrick Huyskens, and Cornelis Janszoon Poort, to convoy East Indiamen into the Sound and to protect them from harm. By March of 1653, his ship had been paid off. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Dutch Captain: Pieter Teunissen Bonteboer
Pieter Teunissen Bonteboer served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded the hired ship Zwarte Arend in the Mediterranean Sea. He fought in the Battle of Livorno on 14 March 1653. There is a Van de Velde picture of the battle that was drawn based on the accounts, a Willem van de Velde de Oude was not present, as no other artist was, either. The Zwarte Arend took the English Peregrine, after the Peregrine had lost her mizzenmast to the Roode Haas in a 1-1/2 hour fight. Sources:
- R. C. Anderson, "The First Dutch War in the Mediterranean," The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.49, No.4, November 1963.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jacob Sichelszoon
Jacob Sichelszoon (or possibly Jan Sichelszoon or Sichelsen) apparently served the Admiralty of Zeeland and commanded a hired ship, the Wapen van Swieten (28 guns and a crew of 95 men). On 29 July 1652, the States General had appointed Michiel De Ruyter to command a fleet to be stationed at the Wielings (Wielengen) rendezvous to convoy merchant ships in the Channel. Jan Sichelszoon was one of the captains assigned to this fleet. He apparently fought in the Battle of Plymouth on 26 August 1652 (a new style date). After De Ruyter's fleet joined Witte de With's fleet, some ships that had been damaged were sent in for repairs. Jacob Sichelszoon's ship was one of those needing repairs, so he missed the Battle of the Kentish Knock. We do not see any further mention of Jacob (or Jan) Sichelszoon in the published literature available to us. Volume II of The First Dutch War, which contains much of this information, can now be read at the Google Book Search. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Dutch Naval Officer: Arnoud Leunissen
Arnoud Leunissen served the Admiralty of Zeeland in 1673. He commanded the advijs jacht Jonge Maria (10 guns). He fought in the first and second Schooneveld battles. He fought in the Battle of the Texel. In all these battles, he was assigned to De Ruyter's division. Sources:
- Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.
- J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Schooneveld I 7 juni 1673", 2005.
Another good book in the Google Book Search
Another good book in the Google Book Search is State Papers Relating to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, Anno 1588. This is a book that contains a good deal of original source documents relating to the Armada campaign. If you search for "Defeat of the Spanish Armada", you will find some interesting books as well this one. The advantage of this book is the original source material and the fact that it must now be in the public domain.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Dutch Captain: Quirijn van der Kerckhoff (UPDATED)
I need to revise this, as Carl Stapel had pointed out that Quirijn van der Kerckhoff had fought in the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, and had other milestones after 1653. Quirijn van der Kerckhoff was the brother of captain Paulus van der Kerckhoff. They both served the Admiralty of the Maze (or Rotterdam), as did their father, Jan Jansz van de Kerckhof. At the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War, Quirijn commanded the hired ship Maria (26 guns and a crew of 110 men). His ship was one of the "100 Hundred ships" to be hired by the Admiralties, after the Directors had hired their 50 ships. He took part in Tromp's voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. He seems to have missed the Battles of the Kentish Knock and Dungeness. There is a mention of him operating with Augustijn Balck, who commanded the convoy to the Sound in the fall of 1652. In any case, he took part in the Battle of Portland and was reported killed on the first day, 28 February 1653. Dr. Ballhausen says that he was assigned to Tromp's squadron. Reports had said that his brother had been killed, but there was a record that Quirijn was buried on 6 April 1653. That must have been someone different. A careful reading of Dr. Elias shows that Quirijn Pouwelszoon van den Kerckhoff was killed in the Battle of Portland. In fact, Quirijn van der Kerckhoff (perhaps Quirijn Janszoon van der Kerckhoff) brother of Paulus, seems to have survived, as he was promoted to kapitein-ordinaris, in place of his brother Paulus on 23 July 1658. Paulus had died in May 1658. We also know that a "Crijn Cerckhove" (an alternate spelling) commanded the Wapen van Rotterdam (50 guns) in the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. Carl Stapel says that he eventually moved to North Holland and died there. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.
- Johan E. Elias, De Vlootbouw in Nederland 1596-1655, 1933.
- Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "crijn van den kerckhove", 2006.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "krijn kerkhove", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Paulus van den Kerckhoff of Paulus van de Kerkhoven", 2005.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
A good book in the Google Book Search: Granville Penn's book
I would highly recommend the book by Granville Penn, Memorials of the Professional Life and Times of Sir William Penn. I have a copy of the book that is falling apart. It is a great thing to have this book be part of the Google Book Search. You may find it by searching with the title.
Dutch Captain: Adriaen de Zeeuw
Adriaen de Zeeuw served the Rotterdam Directors. We believe that his ship was one of those attacked by English frigates in the Channel in June, when Sijmon Corneliszoon's ship, the Prins, was sunk. Adriaen de Zeeuw's ship was damaged by gunfire, and we do not read any more about him in the published literature that is available to us. He only appears in the list from the Hollandsche Mercurius (reprinted in The First Dutch War, Vol.I), circa June 1652 and Hendrick de Raedt's pamphlet. His ship was lying in the Meuse, having been damaged. Sources:
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Dutch Captain: Willeboort Leendertszoon (or Lenaertszoon)
Willeboort Leendertszoon (or Lenaertszoon) served the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam). In 1628 and 1629, he commanded the ship Dolphijn. The Dolphiijn was a vessel of 170 lasts and had a crew of 85 men. The Dolphijn was built in 1623. In 1629, the Dolphijn's armament consisted of 2-24pdr, 2-chambered 24pdr, 2-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 4-6pdr, 2-5pdr, 2-4pdr, and 5-steenstukken with 5 chambers. In 1633, he still commanded the Dolphijn, but the ship now carried 29 guns. An extra 2-4pdr were added (this is if you count steenstukken, which seems to be a common practice, but which I have not done in the past). Willeboort Leendertszoon does not appear in any of the published sources available to me. Sources:
- Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1628.
- Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1629.
- Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1633.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Dutch Captain: Dirck Janszoon Bijnacht
Dirck Janszoon Bijnacht served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. We know that in 1621, he commanded the ship Leiden (Leyden), a vessel of 150 lasts that carried 30 guns and had a crew of 90 men. It seems likely that Dirck Janszoon and Dirck Janszoon Bijnacht are the same man. We know that Dirck Janszoon Bijnacht commanded the Orangieboom in 1628. I looked again at my notes from the Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1628, and that seems to be confirmed. That Staet gives the captain of the Orangieboom as Dirck Janszoon in March 1627. The Orangieboom was a vessel of 120 lasts that carried 22 guns and had a crew of 75 men. The guns were 2-chambered guns and 14 ordinary guns with 6-steenstukken. We also know that he was still in command of the Orangieboom in 1629, when the ship's crew was now 80 men. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen en kapiteins in 1621", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen en kapiteins in 1629", 2005.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Dutch Captain: Jan Ysbrantszoon (or Ijbrantszoon)
Jan Ysbrantszoon (or Ijbrantszoon), from Edam, served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Jan Ysbrantszoon commanded some ship in the fleet that went to the Mediterranean Sea with Moy Lambert from May 1619 until October 1620. In 1621, he commanded the Gekroonde Liefde, a vessel of 130 lasts that carried 16 guns and a crew of 75 men. In 1628, he commanded the ship Vrieslandt, a vessel of 150 lasts probably built in 1617. The Vrieslandt carried 28 guns and had a crew of 80 men. I was somewhat confused about Jan Ijsbrantszoon and Jan Ijsbrantszoon Halffhoorn, as I had wondered if they were the same or different men.
Sources:
- Carl Stepel, personal communication "moy lambert's fleet mei 1619-oktober 1620", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen en kapiteins in 1621", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen en kapiteins in 1628", 2005.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Dutch Captain: Teunis Vechterszoon
Teunis Vechterszoon (or is his name Sijmon Vechterszoon?) served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. Sometimes, his last name was spelled Veghterszoon. During 1652, he commanded a small hired ship, of which we do not know the name. Dr. Ballhausen had suggested that the name was the Scheletje, but I believe that is a misreading of the source. His ship had a crew of 70 men, so we would suppose that the ship's armament was 24 guns. He served with the fleet in June 1652. While Hendrik de Raedt's pamphlet omits mention of him, he seems to have made the voyage to the Shetlands, as he attended the council of war on the Brederode on 6 August 1652, following the storm. He joined Witte de With's fleet on 29 September 1652, so he likely fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock. He also was with Tromp's fleet at the Battle of Dungeness. He disappears from the published literature that I have after that date. Apparently, his journal from 1652 survived, at least until about 1925. I have started the process to attempt to acquire a copy. Dr. Elias refers to him as Symon Veghterszoon, but I believe it is the same man. Sources:
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
- Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Friday, December 30, 2005
I am hoping to find two journals from 1652
Dr. Elias references quite a few journals in Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons zeewezen. I have inquired to the Nationaal Archief to see what could be done about acquiring copies of journals for H. E. de Bertry and Symon Veghterszoon. The latter, we do not know the name of his ship.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Dutch Captain: Abaham Hendrickszoon van Campen
Abraham Hendrickszoon van Campen served the Amsterdam Directors. He took command of the Arke Troijane in March 1652, when the Directors hired the ship. The Arke Troijane was a 28-gun ship with a crew of 100-106 men. The ship carried 28 guns, consisting of 12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. The ship's dimensions were 116ft x 26-3/4ft x 12ft. The height between decks was 6-1/4ft. Abraham van Campen and his ship were with Tromp's fleet in May 1652 and fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. His ship was one of those which had lost anchors, chains, cables in the storm prior to the battle. The majority of Tromp's fleet of 42 ships were Directors' ships from Amsterdam and Zeeland. He continued with the main fleet into June and made the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. In late August and September, he was with Witte de With, sailing from the Zeeland shallows in mid-September. His ship lost its bowsprit in a collision with Allert Janszoon's ship (the Dubbele Arend) on 25 September. He arrived at Goeree on 18 October, in company with 6 other ships. On 2 December 1652, he was with Witte de With's squadron with Tromp's fleet in the operations that led up to the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December. Abraham van Campen fought in the Battle of Portland and was killed in fighting on the first day, 28 February 1653, and his ship was sunk. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Directors Ship Information", 2004.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1925.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Battle on 16 May 1654 inside the mouth of the Dardanelles
Andrew pointed out this page from the Wikipedia about a fight on 16 May 1654 at the Dardanelles: "This battle, which took place on 16 May 1654, was the first of a series of tough battles just inside the mouth of the Dardanelles Straits, as Venice and sometimes the other Christian forces attempted to hold the Turks back from their invasion of Crete by attacking them early."
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Dutch Captain: Cornelis de Bagijn
Cornelis de Bagijn served the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam). He was born about 1573. He was promoted to captain in 1621. He commanded the ship Leeuwinne, a vessel of 180 lasts with a crew of 90 men, at least from 1626 until 1627. There is a note that in November 1626, he commanded the ship Geunieerde Nederlanden. The ship lay for 8 days at Hellevoetsluis, taking on victuals. In 1626, his ship was lying in the Goeree Gat. He was executed for cowardice in the face of the enemy on 26 November 1627. He had given up his ship to the Dunkirkers without a fight. Many of his crew were sold as slaves, but he was released. The Staet van Oorlog te Water for 1628 listed him, but he was already dead. One version of the list gave his ship as the Leeuw, a vessel of 24 guns with a crew of 90 men. In that list, the ship was said to be 150 lasts. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Cornelis Cornelisz de Bagijn", 2005.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Dutch Captain: Ruth Jacobszoon Buys
Ruth Jacobszoon Buys served the Rotterdam Directors during the First Anglo-Dutch War. He commanded a 26-gun ship with a crew of 105 men. We still have not discovered the name of his ship. He was with Tromp's fleet in June 1652, and took part in the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. In August, he was in Witte de With's squadron. He probably fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock. He also took part in the Battle of Dungness on 10 December 1652 (New Style). He also seems to have been with Witte de With's fleet that sailed to Norway in October 1653 and returned late, into the face of a storm where many ships were lost or damaged. Sources:
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Andrew pointed out this page about a battle in 1649
Andrew sent me an email that pointed out this battle in 1649. The Wikipedia has the page:
The naval Battle of Focchies took place on 12 May 1649, during the Cretan Wars, at Focchies, near Izmir (Smyrna) in western Turkey, when a Venetian fleet of 19 ships, under Giacomo Riva, defeated a Turkish fleet of 11 ships, 10 galleasses (mahons) and 72 galleys.Many of the Dutch ships listed later served in the First Anglo-Dutch War, in the Mediterranean Sea (for example, the Profeet Samuel and Madonna della Vigna).
Sunday, December 25, 2005
We are experimenting with concept maps
Concept Maps seem like a good way to represent knowledge about ships, captains, and battles. We have been experimenting with them and Mind Maps (look at FreeMind). This is an example of what a concept map might look like, which shows my first attempt at representing ships, captains, and admiralties. Mind Maps seem well-adapted to structuring information for a book, as ultimately, the result needs to be linear. Concept maps seem more adapted to knowledge representation.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Dutch Captain: Sybert Vijgh
Sybert Vijgh served the Admiralty of Rotterdam (0r the Maze). In 1628, he commanded a small vessel with a crew of 30 men. In 1636, he commanded the Zeekalf, which had been built in 1622. The Zeekalf was a vessel of 200 lasts armed with 4 brass and 20 iron guns. The crew consisted of 90 sailors and 20 soldiers. On 13 March 1639, he was with Witte de With's squadron, which included Witte de With, Willem van Colster, Sijbert Vijgh, Willem van Brederode, Captain Halffhoorn, Captain Keert te Koe, Claes Ham, and Govert Voorns. In August, Willem van Colster complained that Sybert Vijgh had taken a flyboat but had not brought the ship to him, as he was Vijgh's commander. Charles Boxers says that he was in Tromp's squadron at the Battle of the Downs. Carl Stapel says that he was buried in January 12th 1642, so that in October 1642, it could not have been Sybert Vijgh who was in the Downs with Captain Forant. It must have been his son Dirk, who fought in the First Anglo-Dutch War. Sources:
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, De Proefjaar van Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp 1637-1639, 1946.
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
- Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
- Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Dutch Captain: Jan Theuniszoon Sluys
Jan Theuniszoon Sluys served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He took command of the Walcheren (30 guns, a crew of 90 sailors and 20 soldiers) in April 1637, replacing Pieter Meeuszoon Vloo. The Walcheren was a vessel of 200 lasts. He was a captain of the Amsterdam admiralty, where he presumably only served from April 1637 until 25 August 1645, when we learn that he had died. He fought in all the battles in the autumn of 1639, and in the last battle, had the honour to bring in the first prize. From Blauhulck, we learn that he had the nickname of Boer Jaep, a name that we would otherwise only associate with the Van Nes family, which can cause confusion. Sources:
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
- Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Dutch Captain: Barent Hendrickszoon Schaeff
Barent Hendrickszoon Schaeff served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. We know that he commanded the Vergulde Raven with Mooy Lambert's fleet that was in the Mediterranean Sea from May 1618 to February 1619. the Vergulde Raven was a vessel of 150 lasts. In 1619, he commanded the Zutphen, a vessel of 200 lasts. From May 1619 until October 1620, he was with Mooy Lambert's fleet in the Mediterranean Sea to fight the North African pirates. On 17 November 1627, he commanded a small vessel with a crew of 30 men. The size of the crew is the only thing we know about the ship. Sources:
- Staten Generaal "1 01 06", inventory number 12561-56", Amsterdam Admiralty ship list, 1628.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "moy lambert mei 1618 - till february 1619", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "moy lambert's fleet mei 1619-oktober 1620", 2005.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Dutch Captain: Carsten Pieterszoon Rosegaerdt
Carsten Pieterszoon Rosegaerdt served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In September 1617, he commanded the ship Vriesland, which had a crew of 82 men. It is likely that the Vriesland was a vessel of 140 or 150 lasts. In December 1628, the Vriesland carried 2-chambered 12pdr, 4-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 6-5pdr, and 6-steenstukken. Carsten Rosegaerdt was with Hillebrandt Quast's fleet sent to fight pirates in the Mediterranean Sea from September 1617 until May 1618. In 1628, he commanded the ship Tonijn, a vessel of 140 lasts which had a crew of 100 men. We know that the Tonijn was built in 1614 and was a vessel of 150 lasts (or, perhaps, just 140 lasts). In 1621, the Tonijn carried 24 guns and had a crew of 103 men. In September 1627, the Tonijn carried 2-18pdr, 4-12pdr, 4-8pdr, 8-5pdr, and 6-steenstukken. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "Moy Lambert 1616 en Hillebrant Quast 1618", 2005.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dutch Captain or Skipper: Adriaan Dommertszoon
Adriaan Dommertszoon (or is it Dommaszoon?) served during the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs in 1639. In September 1639, he was assigned to Witte de With's squadron. Adriaan Dommertszoon commanded the ship Sint Laurens (32 guns and a crew of 90 men). Charles Boxer indicates that he was among a group of captains from the WIC and the VOC. Dr. De Boer calls him Adriaan Dommertszoon, while Charles Boxer calls him Adriaan Dommaszoon. Tromp's Journal says that Adriaan "Domens" ship was hired at Amsterdam and carried 32 guns. The crew was 87 men. Amazingly enough, we know the dimensions of the ship in Amsterdam feet: 137ft x 29ft x 14ft. Adriaan Dommertszoon was operating with Tromp's fleet near the south coast of England from June through September 1639. He was still in Witte de With's squadron during the fight on 16 September, demonstrating that "Domens" and Dommertszoon are one in the same. He seems to have been with Witte de With's squadron of 30 ships at the Battle of the Downs, although I cannot definitely confirm that. Sources:
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
- Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
The Sint Pieter in the summer and fall of 1652
Sijmon Corneliszoon van der Meer apparently commmanded the Rotterdam Directors' ship Sint Pieter (28 guns and a crew of 122 men) after his ship, the Prins, was sunk by English frigates in the Channel in June 1652. When Sijmon van der Meer's health had deteriorated, his lieutenant Jan Janszoon van der Valck took command. By 13 August, Lieutenant van der Valck was in command, and was still in command in October.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Dutch Captain: Dirk Jasperszoon Cleynsorger
Dirk Jasperszoon Cleynsorger (or Cleysorgh) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. We know that in Novembe 1619, he was in the Mediterranean Sea, with a fleet, operating against Algerian pirates. He commanded the ship Leiden (Leyden) with Mooy Lambert's fleet that was operating in the Mediterranean Sea from May 1619 until October 1620. The Leiden was a vessel of 150 lasts. This is the only period that I have seen him mentioned. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "moy lambert's fleet mei 1619-oktober 1620", 2005.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Dutch Captain: Jan Pellicoren
Jan Pellicoren served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was with Hillebrandt Quast's fleet sent to the Mediterranean Sea to fight pirates from September 1617 until May 1618 He commanded the ship Hollandt, a vessel of 300 lasts with a crew of 130 sailors. He commanded the ship Zeelandia in Mooy Lambert's fleet sent to the Mediterranean sea to fight pirates from May 1619 until October 1620. The Zeelandia was a vessel of 280 lasts. He commanded a small vessel in March 1627 with a crew of 46 sailors. He was still commanding an unknown ship in 1628. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication "Moy Lambert 1616 en Hillebrant Quast 1618", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, personal communication, "moy lambert's fleet mei 1619-oktober 1620", 2005.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Jan van Diemen's ship in 1631
In 1631, Jan van Diemen commanded the Rotterdam ship Eendracht. This was a vessel of 170 lasts. A ship of that size might have dimensions of 118ft x 28ft x 11.5ft. In all likelihood, the proportions would have been different. The Eendracht had been built in 1624. Her armament consisted of 2-chambered brass 24pdr, 2-half cartouwen 18pdr, 2-brass 12pdr, 2-iron 12pdr, 2-iron 10pdr, 10-iron 8pdr, and 6-iron 4 pdr. The Eendracht's crew consisted of 85 sailors. This is based on information from the Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1631.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Dutch Captain: Jacob Volckertszoon Vinck (or Vink)
Jacob Volkertszoon Vinck (or Vink) served the Admiralty of the Maze. He lived until 1631. He was promoted to captain in 1621. Andrew found a great page that includes a listing about Jan Jacobsen, talking about an epic fight in 1622, in which Jacob Vinck distinguished himself, while fighting Dunkirkers. This was when, under Mooy Lambert (Lambert Hendrikszoon), he fought against 3 Dunkirkers, where the Dunkirk admiral was caught. In 1623, he distinguished himself, under Josias de Moor, against the Dunkirkers by the Sorlings. In 1625, he served under Haultain at Rochelle. In 1627, he served under Van Dorp in the blockade service for Dunkirk. We know that in 1628 and 1629, he commanded the ship Utrecht, a vessel of 150 lasts. The Utrecht had a crew of 80 men and carried 30 guns (including 2-18pdr, 4-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 6-5pdr, 2-4pdr, and 6-steenstukken). In 1629, he served under Piet Hein against Dunkirkers and captured one. In 1631, he distinguished himself in a fight against 3 Dunkirkers, but stranded near Vlissingen, and drowned. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
- Rick Vermunt, page from the Isle of Tortuga website, uncertain date, circa 2004.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Dutch Captain: Pieter Meuszoon Vloo
Mollema says that Pieter Meuszoon Vloo served the Admiralty of the Maze, and was promoted to captain in 1626. In 1626, he hunted two Dunkirkers along the shore. In 1627, he served in the blockade of Dunkirk under Van Dorp. Earlier in 1628, he seems to have commanded a larger ship, the Campen, a vessel of 140 lasts. In March 1628, he commanded the Leiden, a vessel of 110 lasts armed with 4-chambered 12pdr, 4-12pdr, 8-8pdr, and 4-5pdr. Her crew consisted of 70 sailors and 30 soldiers. He still commanded the Leiden in 1629. In 1629, he took part in the attempt to block Dunkirk with ships to be sunk. He took a Dunkirker near Terschelling. In 1631, he took a Dunkirker and was awarded a golden chain for his distinguished service. Dr. Graefe wrote that in 1636, Pieter Vloo served the Admiralty of the Maze and commanded the ship Walcheren (30 guns), a vessel of 200 lasts. In 1638, he distinguished himself again, under Tromp against the Dunkirkers. In 1639, he distinguished himself in the Battle of the Downs. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.
- J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Dutch Captain: Adriaen Gerritszoon Bras
Adriaan Gerritszoon Bras served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He fought in the Battle of Gibralter, under Heemskerck, where he commanded the ship Stad Hoorn. From May 1618 until February 1619, he served under Moy Lambert (Lambert Hendrickszoon) in the Mediterranean where they were to operate against the North African pirates. Sadly, Captain Bras is not mentioned by either Mollema or De Jonge. Sources:
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "moy lambert mei 1618 - till february 1619", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Vlootlijst Gribaltar 25 april 1607", 2005.
On 16 February 1636, Jan Evertsen’s ship lay at anchor in the Downs. With him were captains Joost Bankert, Vlieger, and Adriaan Janszoon den Oven. A fifth ship, under Pieter Ita, cruised near the Flemish banks. There was a report that Jacques Collaert had come, concerned about Ita, and Evertsen’s ship raised anchor to support Ita. On the 18th, Evertsen and his captains fought with Collaert and his Vice-Admiral Mattheus Rombout, and at the end, Collaert’s and Rombout’s ships were brought to a sinking condition. With 48 dead and 50 wounded, Evertsen arrived back at Vlissingen on 27 February. This is based on the account in Doeke Roos's book Twee Eeuwen Varen en Vechten 1550-1750 (2003).
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Dutch Captain: Adriaan Engelen Silvergieter
Adriaan Engelen Silvergieter served the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam). His brother was Cornelis Engelen Silvergieter. Cornelis took part in the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs in 1639, but Adriaan must have been already gone. From September 1625 until January 1626, Adriaan was with joint English-Dutch fleet sent to the Mediterranean Sea to fight Spain. We do know that Adriaan still commanded the ship Neptunis in 1629, and we know some of her specifications. This was a ship built in 1614, a vessel of 140 lasts. The Neptunis had a crew of 80 men and carried 2-chambered 24pdr, 2-12pdr, 2-chambered 12pdr, 2-5pdr drakes, 13-4pdr, and 6-steenstukken (27 guns, if you are willing to count steenstukken, which Jan Glete says were swivels. Sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Eerste Engels-Nederlandse vloot expeditie tegen Spanje sept 1625 – jan 1626", 2005.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Dutch Captain: Pieter Aldertszoon
Pieter Aldertszoon served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. Dr. Ballhausen says that the ship he commanded was the Burcht (24 guns and a crew of 100 men). According to Dr. Ballhausen, he fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. He was with the fleet in June and took part in the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. He seems to have been absent from the Battle of the Kentish Knock. He did fight in the Battle of Dungeness in December. He also fought in the Battle of Portland and was reported killed in the battle. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Dutch Captain: Anthonis van der Haept
Anthonis (or Anthony) van der Haept served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In April 1627, in 1628 and 1629, he commanded the large ship Thetis, a vessel of 250 lasts. Example dimensions for a ship of 250 lasts would be 128ft x 31.5ft x 13.5ft, although I expect that the Thetis had different proportions than these. The Thetis had a crew of 100 to 106 men and carried 34 guns, if you count steenstukken. The guns consisted of 2-24pdr, 2-18pdr, 2-chambered 18pdr, 12-12pdr, 10-8pdr, and 6-steenstukken. Carl Stapel credits the Thetis with 36 guns, including steenstukken, apparently. In August 1635, Anthonis van der Haept was part of two squadrons of ships under the command of Willem Codde van der Burch and Vice-Admiral Quast when they were operating against the Dunkirker admiral Colaert and his fleet, and fought an action against Coleart. Sadly, that is the extent of information that I have from my sources:
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Dutch Captain: Bastiaan Bardoel
Bastiaan Bardoel served the Amsterdam Directors. When the Directors hired ships in March 1652, Bastiaan Bardoel was appointed to command the Engel Gabriel (28 guns). The Engel Gabriel had dimensions 124ft x 28.5ft x 13.5ft, and had a height between decks of 6-3/4ft. The guns carried were 4-brass 12pdr belonging to the state, 8-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. Early in 1652, he lieutenant was Cornelis Corneliszoon Joll. According to Dr. Ballhausen, he fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. He was with the fleet in the summer of 1652 and he was on the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. The last we hear of him was in December 1652, when he was with a squadron operating against smugglers in the Baltic. The Baltic Squadron included Admiralty of Amsterdam captsins Barent Cramer, Pieter van Zalingen, Gerbrand Schatter, Hendrik Huyskens, and "Lieutenant van Lapper" (Jan de Lapper?), and Amsterdam Directors captains Cornelis Janszoon Brouwer, Gerrit Schuyt (still in the Roseboom), Bastiaan Bardoel, and Dirck Pater. Sources:
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Directors Ship Information", 2004.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Dutch Captain: Cornelis Rocuszoon Teincen (or Feincen)
Cornelis Rocuszoon Teincen served the Zierikzee Directors. Dr. Ballhausen says that Cornelis Teincen commanded the ship Liefde (34 guns and a crew of 110 men). We know that he served with the fleet in the summer of 1652, at least from June, and was on the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August. He also fought in the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December 1652, as well. Dr. Ballhausen says that he fought in the Battle of Portland (the Three Days Battle). Sources:
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
- Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
- Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Dutch Captain: Abraham Verleth
Abraham Verleth commanded a newly built ship, the Walvisch (30 guns and a crew of 110 men). He apparently fought in the Battle of the Gabbard and the Battle of Scheveningen. The only published source that mentions him is Vol.V of Dr. Elias's book, Schetsen. The Walvisch was an Amsterdam Directors' ship. Witte de With's journal from August 1653 would seem to be a good source of information from this period, if we could obtain a copy. We also are pretty certain that the Walvisch was not in service in April or earlier, based on records of Amsterdam Directors' ship from January through April 1653. After the Battle of Scheveningen, the Walvisch was one of those ships that Witte de With accused of running from the battle. Sources:
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Dutch Captain: Paulus van den Kerckhoff
Paulus van den Kerckhoff was born about 1616 and died in May 1658. He served the Admiralty of the Maze. His father was Jan Janszoon van de Kerckhof and his brother was Quirijn van den Kerckhoff. Paulus commanded the Nijmegen (26 guns), a purchased ship formerly named Kasteel van Medemblik. On the voyage back from Brazil in June 1652, his ship was sunk. After that, he was given command of the ship Gulden Dolphijn (eventually, 32 guns). Paulus fought in the Battle of Dungeness in December 1652 and then fought at the Battle of Portland from 28 February until 2 March 1653. His brother was said to have been killed in that battle, but he seems to have survived. He probably fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, after which his ship was unfit for immediate service. Tromp planned to transfer his crew to other ships. In the winter of 1653 to 1654, he and Corstiaen Eldertszoon captured a ship, the Fortune. They went into Vlissingen to repair damages suffered in the fight. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
- Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Paulus van den Kerckhoff of Paulus van de Kerkhoven", 2005.
- A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Dutch Captain: Gabriel Antheunissen
Gabriel Antheunissen served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He commanded the ship Kasteel van Medemblik (26 guns). He served under the command of Michiel de Ruyter in the Channel and fought in the Battle of Plymouth. In December, he fought in the Battle of Dungness, where he was with Pieter Florissen's squadron. In February-March 1652, he fought in the Battle of Portland. He disobeyed direct orders from Pieter Florissen, whom he was required to support. After the battle, he was dismissed from the service and replaced as captain by Adriaan Houttuijn. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Dutch Captain: Hendrik Kroeger (or Crueger)
Hendrik Kroeger (or Croeger) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. From the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War until 22 July 1652, he commanded the Marcus Curtius (24 guns) which was with the fishery protection squadron. On 22 July, the English captured or sank the ships in the squadron. In January 1653, he became separated from the fleet due to the bad weather. In mid-April 1653, he was with Witte de With's squadron and attended a council of war on Witte de With's ship the Luipaard. According to Dr. Ballhausen, Hendrik Kroeger commanded the ship Leiden in 1653, and fought in the Battle of Dungeness in December 1652 and the Battles of the Gabbard and Scheveningen in 1653. We know that at the Battle of Scheveningen, he was assigned to Michiel De Ruyter's squadron. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
- Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Dutch Captain: Jacob Janszoon Coppe
Jacob Janszoon Coppe served the Amsterdam Directors. He commanded the ship Catarina, a vessel carrying 28 guns and with a crew of 110 men. The dimensions of the Catarina were 125ft x 29.25ft x 12.5ft. The 28 guns included 12-12pdr, 6-8pdr, 8-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. The Catarina seems to have been hired in late January 1653, as the first document listing the ship is dated 30 January 1653. We know that the Catarina was operating with Witte de With's squadron in April 1653. He definitely fought in the Battle of the Gabbard where his ship was captured by the English. Sources:
- C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Directors' Ship Information 1652-1653", 2004.
- Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.
A courtmartial on 18 June 1653 on board the Brederode
Tromp conducted a courtmartial of four ship commanders on 18 June 1653, not very long after the Battle of the Gabbard. Those tried included:
- Lt-Commandeur Uldinich (or Ulrich) de Jaeger, the ship Nieuw Gideon (34 guns) Amsterdam Directors
- Captain Andries Douweszoon Pascaert, the ship Sint Vincent (28 guns) Harlingen Directors
- Cornelis Naeuoogh, the ship Sint Matheeus (34 guns) Amsterdam Directors
- Jan Fredrickszoon Houcboot (or Hoeckboot) Vergulde Meerman (30 guns) Edam Directors
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Dutch Captain: Pieter Willemszoon Verhoeff
Pieter Willemszoon Verhoeff served the Admiralty of Amsterdam and als the VOC. He was appointed captain in 1600. In 1607, he distinguished himself as flag captain of Van Heemskerck in the Battle of Gibraltar. There was not only Jacob van Heemskerck, but Vice-Admiral Alteras, Commandeur Mooy Lambert, Captains Marinus Hollare, Verhoeff, Roest, Harpert Maartenszoon, father of Maarten Tromp, all of whom showed great courage. Van Heemskerck was killed by a Spanish cannonball on his flagship, the Aeolus, but the Dutch won the battle. He was appointed Schout-bij-Nacht and admiral of the VOC fleet sent to Molucca. In 1609, he was assasinated at Banda. Sources:
- J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.
- J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Dutch Captain: Frans Janszoon (or Jansen)
Frans Janszoon (or Jansen) served the Admiralty of Zeeland. In 1639, he took part in the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs. In September, he commanded the Vlissingen (34 guns and a crew of 120 men: 100 sailors and 20 soldiers). At the Battle of the Downs, he served as Jan Evertsen's flag captain. Jan Evertsen flew his Vice-Admiral's flag from Frans Janszoon's ship. In late August 1640, he was with Captains Bankert, Forant, Tjaert de Groot, and the row jacht Captain Dorrevelt in the Channel. In November 1640, he and his squadron were assisting the Great Fishery, and cruising off the Hoofden. In April 1641, he commanded the ship Vlissingen. He was part of a group of ships carrying passengers, of which he carried 44. In October 1643, he was with Tromp's squadron in a fleet of two squadrons. In December 1645, Tromp was called to the Hague. Frans Janszoon was left in charge of ten ships to guard the coast. In April 1646, he was one of three captains of large ships that were to be sent to the West Indies, under the command of the West-Indies Company, despite the lack of ships to blockade Dunkirk. He was nominally part of Tromp's fleet that in April 1646 was blockading Dunkirk. Sources:
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
- Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
- Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.
The Extra-Ordrinary Equipage and reality
This is from my translation of a paragraph in Dr. Elias's book De Vlootbouw in Nederland, on pages 90 and 91:
We learned a big lesson from the sum of experience with hired and lent ships during the First Anglo-Dutch War. That lesson was the untenableness of the ancient axiom: that which one had was the backbone of the defense at sea. We had greatly overestimated our supply of suitable ships. In February 1652, a pamphlet estimated the number of ships, in the country, which could be equipped as warships was 172, and which could carry at least 24 guns. On the other hand, when the official investigation began by a couple of ship brokers from Amsterdam and North Holland that the reserve of ships of 120-144ft in length and with 24 to 50 guns was no more than 43. They also found a number of fluits that were not suited as warships. In the entire Meuse district, there was almost nothing but fluits, and those of a smaller type with a maximum length of 113ft.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Barrels of gunpowder
There is a note in Charles Boxer's book Tromp's Journal 1639 that barrels of gunpowder were 100 lbs. each. That would resolve a question about gunpowder after the Battle of Scheveningen, where in some cases the amounts were in barrels and in other cases they were in hundreds of pounds. Sources:
- C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
- Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
Dutch Captain: Jacob Meyndertszoon van Uyl
Jacob Meyndertszoon van Uyl served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded Willem van Brederode's ship Utrecht (28 guns) at the Battle of the Downs in October 1639. Willem van Brederode appears to have died prior to the battle. Jacob Meyndertszoon van Uyl is believed to have been Van Dorp's and Tromp's first flag captain. One issue is that Charles Boxer calls him Gerrit Meyndertszoon, while Dr. De Boer calls him Jacob Meyndertszoon (van Uyl). Dr. De Boer is at least consistent, as in Tromp en de Duinkerkers, he also calls him Jacob Meyndertszoon van Uyl. Jacob Meyndertszoon van Uyl was involved in a battle with Dunkirkers in July 1640, with Witte de With. He was fortunate to be saved by Captain Baselaer's ship. Witte de With's ship was heavily damaged and on fire, close to the powder room. On 14 November 1640, while cruising off the Flemish coast, he took a galliot from Ostende, with three guns, commanded by Captain Jacques Bijl. In January 1641, he was given command of a group to attack two Dunkirker frigates off Plymouth. They took the St. Juan Evangelist, which was originally a Zeeland ship. In early September 1642, he was off England with Matthijs Gilliszoon, under the command of Schout-bij-Nacht Cats. There is another note from Tromp to the States General that calls him Gerrit Meyndertszoon van Uyl, the same as what Charles Boxer called him. The multiple references seem to indicate that Gerrit and Jacob are the same man. In October 1643, he was with Tromp, who had two squadrons dedicated to blockading Dunkirk. One squadron had Tromp along with captains van Coole, the ship of Joris van Cats, Bouckhorst, Jan Gijssen, the ship of Joost Bankert, Swart, Dorrevelt, and Frans Jansen (Janszoon). The other had captains Willem Codde, Lieven de Zeeuw, Den Uyl, Verhaef, the ship of Voorens, Ringelszoon, and the ship Aemilia. We believe at this date, Tromp used the Prinses Roijaal Marie as his flagship. Sources:
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
- Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
- Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
- Johan E. Elias, De Vlootbouw in Nederland 1596-1655, 1933.
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