Dutch Captain: Maarten de Graeff

Maarten de Graeff served the Amsterdam Directors. He was another of the captains who took part in Witte de With's operation to force a convoy of merchant ships into the Sound in 1645. The sailed from Vlieland in about June. Maarten de Graeff commanded the Hollandia (26 guns and a crew of 86 men). From early 1652 (about March), he commanded the ship Prinses Roijaal (28 guns and a crew of 110 men). The Prinses Roijaal was a substantial ship with dimensions of 127ft x 27ft x 12.5ft with an armament consisting of the standard 12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. Accordign to Dr. Ballhausen, he fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. Maarten de Graeff was with the fleet in June and took part in the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. He is another example of a captain and ship that disappear from the published literature after the voyage to the Shetlands. You might wonder if the ship was lost in the storm. Sources:

1. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
3. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
4. G. W. Kernkamp, De Sleutels van de Sont, 1890.
5. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.