Dutch Captain: Fredrick de Coninck

Fredrick de Coninck (or Koninck) served the Amsterdam Directors. He was appointed to command the newly hired ship Groote Vergulde Fortuijn in March 1652. This was a very large ship of dimensions 141ft x 31ft x 14.5ft. The ship's crew was about 135 men. The armament was 35 guns, consisting of 4-24pdr, 16-12pdr, 11-6pdr, and 4-3pdr. Presumably, one of the 6pdr guns fired through the upper stern. Frank Fox says that the odd guns like this usually fired through a round port in the upper stern. Dr. Ballhausen says the Fredrick de Coninck fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. In July and August, he was with the fleet on the voyage to the Shetlands. In December 1652, 4 ships and captains were sent to the Sound to visit harbors in Denmark. They officers sent included commandeur Barent Cramer, captains Joris Caulerij, Frederick de Coninck, and Hendrik de Raedt. On 29 May 1653, his ship was one of five convoyers lying in the Vlie under the command of Evert Anthonissen. The ships included the Hollandia (Evert Anthonissen), the Groote Vergulde Fortuijn (Frederick de Coninck), the Edam (Barent Cramer), the Swarte Leeuw (Hendrik de Raedt), and the Samson (Hendrik Adriaanszoon). Fredrick de Coninck arrived in The Hague on 11 July 1653 with a list of the 25 largest Danish ships, of 40 to 106 guns. On 14 July 1653, he reported to Tromp his findings about the Danish fleet from his recent voyage to Denmark. Tromp's main concern was the suitability of Danish ships for use in the shallow waters off the Netherlands. We suspect that Fredrick de Coninck fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. Sources:

1. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Directors' Ship Information 1652-1653", 2004.
3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1925.
4. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.
5. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
6. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.