Dutch Captain: Thomas Tobiaszoon

Thomas Tobiaszoon served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was from Ireland. In 1673, he was flag captain (presumably to Cornelis Tromp) on the Gouden Leeuw, and in September 1673 was on the Waesdorp (68 guns) and the Steenbergen (68 guns). Frank Fox, in A Distant Storm, takes the lead from Dr. Weber and says that "Thomas Tobias" commanded the Harderwijk (44 guns) in the Four Days' Battle and St. James's Day Battle. This is probably Thomas Tobiaszoon. He commanded the Beschermer (50 guns) in the Raid on Chatham in May 1667. In 1671, he commanded the Prins te Paard (56 guns). At the Battle of Solebay, and in July 1672, he commanded the English prize Oudshoorn (70 guns), the former English Swiftsure, captured in the Four Days' Battle. The Dutch altered the quartergalleries and other details to hide the ship's identity. In June 1674, he commanded the Geloof (58 guns) in De Ruyter's expedition to Martinique. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1620-1700", 2004.

2. Gerard Brandt, Het Leven en Bedrijif van den Heere Michiel de Ruiter, 1687.

3. J. R. Bruijn, De Oorlogvoering ter zee in 1673 in Journalen en Andere Stukken, 1966.

4. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.