Dutch Captain: Willem Adriaanszoon Warmont

Willem Adriaanszoon Warmont served the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam). Her was the stuurman (quartermaster) on the ship Gorcum in the Battle of the Kentish Knock, when his captain Jan Jacobszoon van Nes de Oude Boer Jaep and his son Andries van Nes with about 30 of the crew, and the ship was captured by the English. Apparently, those still on board caused the English to abandon the ship by setting a fuse to gunpowder under the deck. Warmont "perserved the floor". He apparently was then promoted to command the ship. Dr. Ballhausen writes that he fought in the Battle of Portland, presumably in the Gorcum. There is a mangled reference to Willem Adriaanszoon, so this is probably the case. He may also have fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, but there is no strong evidence that is the case. The only information we have is the list of ships at Vlissingen in July 1653, which has a list (but not ship names) of ships at the Battle of the Gabbard. He definitely commanded the ship Gorcum (or Gorinchem) in the Battle of Scheveningen. He was killed in the battle during the late morning. This seems to have been when several captains and ships were lost. Sources:

1. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.

2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships at the Battle of the Gabbard", 2003.
3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.