Anglo-Dutch Wars

This is my attempt at a translation of a passage in Vol.II of Dr. Elias's book Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen:

With this letter, on 3 June Tromp sent the captains Allert Janszoon and Isaac de Jongh to the Downs to take possession of Tuyneman's ship from Blake and escort it to Patria. Moreover, De Jongh was tasked to travel to London where he told the Dutch envoys about the events of 29 May, to inform them of what had happened. At the same time, Tromp sent the ships of Captain Ham (wounded in the leg in the fighting) and of Van der Zaan to take the Straatsvaarder and Sipke Fockes' mastless ship, and taken them to the Texel. At the same time, he had the captains survey their ships and do what was necessary to supply the needs and men of everyone's ships and to help repair the damage to these ships.

I am sorry to say that I had to guess at the meaning of the last sentence, in particular. I would welcome help to improve the translation.

Vreugdenhil and others had mentioned Lambert Pieterszoon's ship as the Hector. After seeing the mention of captains courtmartialed in October 1652, I noticed the mention of Reinier Sikema in the list that included Lambert Pieterszoon. Reinier Sikema (or Sekema), commanded a ship named the Hector van Troije (24 guns). We definitely know from original documents from 1652 that Lambert Pieterszoon commanded the Amsterdam Directors' ship Nassouw. I can only conclude that at some point, there was a misunderstanding and Lambert Pieterszoon was equated to the Hector. I believe that the book Onstelde-Zee may have made this connection, mistakenly.

This is and edited version based on my translation of a passage and the note in Dr. Elias's Schetsen, Vol.III, page 87:

In the courtmartial at Hellovoetsluis in October, only two of the captains accused by the fleet commander were convicted as deserters from the fleet, and De With again saw his accusations disavowed by their high majesties. The appointed judges did not share his opinion. The following year, in March and April, several of those accused were found guilty, and sentenced to be shot for their dereliction of duty, or because of their lack of motivation in defending their ship against the enemy, or by their leaving the fleet. Of those accused in October 1652, apparently Lucas Albertssen and Reinier Sikema were convicted. Those accused included Lucas Albertssen of the Drie Coningen, Hans Carelssen Becke of the Sara, Ewout Jeroenszoon of the Zutphen, Allert Janszoon of the Dubbele Arend, Cornelis Loncke of the Faam, Lambert Pieterszoon of the “Hector” ( I believe that he commanded the Nassouw, based on documents from 1652), and Harman Wallemans under Captain Swart on the Vliegende Faam. There was also Jan Jacobszoon van Nes of the Gorcum, who left his ship at the Kentish Knock, Cornelis Hola of the Leiden, and Gerrit Femssen of the Wapen van Enkhuizen.

This probably needs some further work, but I hope that I have captured the essence. This might account for why some of these captains were no longer mentioned, after late 1652. Others continued in service into 1653 where they perhaps got into worse trouble.

Lucas Albertssen served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He commanded the ship Drie Coningen (36 guns) in the First Anglo-Dutch War. We know that he was with De Ruyter's fleet in July and August 1652. He fought in the Battle of Plymouth, against Ayscue. He probably was present at the Battle of the Kentish Knock. On October 29, his crew had mutinied, one of several ships that had mutinies. The mutiny was so serious that officials of their high majesties became involved and ordered Captains Gideon de Wildt and Jacob Paulussen Cort to board the ship and restore order. Lucas Albertssen was absent from his ship at the Battle of Dungeness, where the Drie Coningen was commanded by his lieutenant. In March 1653 (estimated date), after the Battle of Portland, his ship was lying off St. Malo. Dr. Ballhausen says that he was in De Ruyter's squadron in the Battle of Portland. We will investigate some other sources later in the day. We may have already discussed Lucas Albertssen, but Google could not find a post about him. Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
2. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
3. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
5. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.

Andries Pieterszoon served the Admiralty of the Maze. In June 1665, he fought in the Battle of Lowestoft, where he commanded the jacht Hazewindhond (3 guns and a crew of 12 men). He was assigned to Cornelis Evertsen de Oude's squadron. In 1696, 31 years later, a man named A. Pieterszoon commanded the ship Hollandia (72 guns). Given the gap, the latter man is unlikely to be the same person as that man who commanded the jacht in 1665. Names were often shortened, but the man who comes to mind first, Andries Pieterszoon Stellingwerf, served the Admiralty of Friesland, not the Maze. He commanded a ship, the Prinsen Wapen in 1656, and that was the last we hear of him. He is certainly not the same man. I looked at the lists for the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars, and he is absent, except for the Battle of Lowestoft. I expect that the man who commanded the Hollandia in 1696 was Anthonij Pietersen (or Pieterszoon). Sources:

1. William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
2. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
3. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1869.

The nice thing about the current state of information on the internet is that there are passenger lists available, often on multiple sites. This is one example of a voyage from Amsterdam to America (Nieuw Amsterdam). We know from other sources that the Hoop was a fluit with 10 guns.

Outger Buysman served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. In 1616, he commanded the Vergulden Makreel, a vessel with a crew of 79 men. He also commanded the Vergulden Makreel with Hillebrant Quast's fleet that was sent to the Mediterranean Sea from September 1617 until May 1618. In 1620, he commanded the Samson, a vessel of 300 lasts. He was with Haultain's fleet that went to the Mediterranean Sea from November 1620 until September 1621. He does not appear in any other of my usual sources. Sources:

1. Carl Stapel, personal communication "fleet of Haultain nov 1620- sept 1621 to Mediterranean", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "Moy Lambert 1616 en Hillebrant Quast 1618", 2005.

Joris van Spilbergen lived from 1568 to 1620. He sailed to Africa in 1596. He commanded the fleet of the company of the Moucheron, one of the predecessor companies of the VOC. The fleet consisted of the ships the Ram, then Schaap, and the pinas Lam. The fleet left on 5 May 1601. He returned from India in 1604. The King of Kandy, Vimala Dharma Suriya, met van Spilbergen in 1602. In 1607, he was with Heemskerk at the Battle of Gibraltar, where Joris van Spilbergen was apparently on board the Aeolus, van Heemskerck’s flagship in the battle, with a position as commissioner-general. In 1614, he sailed on a voyage by the Straits of Magellan. He had circumnavigated the Earth from 1614 to 1615. He returned in 1617. He died in relative poverty at Bergen-op-Zoom in 1620. He was the first Dutchman to visit Ceylon and was investigating to see if a trade in cinnamon might be possible. Sources:

1. Web page about Spilbergen meeting the King of Kandy.
2. Web page listing about Joris van Spilbergen from DBNL.org.
3. Verbaarsjes.nl page about Van Spilbergenstraat.

It would be interesting, if not useful, to have the list of ships and captains that sailed to Norway and back, only to be hit by a bad storm in September-November 1653.

This is based on my translation of a webpage (which shows a picture of the battle)

In 1631, the Spanish governor in the Netherlands, Isabella of Austria (1566-1633) devised a plan to separate the rebellious regions of Holland and Zeeland. For this purpose, they had brought together a fleet of 90 inland watercraft to attack and conquer the Ooltgensplaat and the southern bank of the Volkerak. At the head of the Spanish fleet stood the marquis Aytona. On 8 September, the fleet headed for the Scheldt.

Prince Willem had a plan for Vice-Admiral Marinus Hollaer (1575-1637) to defeat the Spanish attack. The Zeeland flag officer led a force of over fifty smallcraft, and he let the Spanish into the Scheldt and then attacked. In the evening of 12 September, when the Spanish attacked the people of Zeeland, in the Slaak, the Dutch fleet attacked. A consequence of the unexpected attack created confusion among Aytona’s men and eventually a general panic ensued. By the tens, the Spanish jumped into the water to escape capture by the Zeelanders.

The Spanish seapower was destroyed. Aytona barely escaped with only two of his ships. 4000 men were taken, while 1,500 sailors and soldiers were killed. The Scheldt remained in Dutch hands.

I always welcome help with correcting my translations.

This is based on my translation of a section in Doeke Roos's book Twee Eeuwen Varen en Vechten 1550-1750:

A battle was fought on the Zeeland inland waters that received far less attention by historians than the Battle of the Downs (1639). This confrontation with the Spaniards was no less than an attempt to break the connection between the Rhine and the Scheldt and to separate Zeeland and Holland. The intention was to attack the two large forts on either side of the Volkerak. In this inland waters fight, on the night of 12 and 13 September 1631, both Johan and Cornelis Evertsen were involved. The Zeeland Vice-Admiral Marinus Hollaer ran into the ships. In the minutes of the Admiralty of Zeeland and the great roll in the Rekencamer, Johan Evertsen and the captains Clocq, Frans Jansen, and Andries Pietersen are named. Vice-Admiral Hollaer is not named, but he possibly had already been mentioned.

From the preceding, it is clear that he Republic was aware of the fleet preparations at Antwerp. The Spanish fleet consisted mainly of boats, defenses, pontoons, and launches, for a total of 90 vessels with 5,000 soldiers and boatsmen. A firefight took place at Saeftingen between the Zeeland ships and the Spaniards who wanted to enter the Mosselkreek. The many Dutch and Zeeland inland watercraft were smaller vessels with spritsail rigging. The deepwater ships, despite their draft, also had a chance to strike a blow, to saild and to divide the enemy in the fight.

Just as in the year 70 of the Sixteenth Century, success in Zeeland waters went to those with a good knowledge of the banks and channels and an acquaintance with the flow and tide. Among the list of booty lost by the Spaniards were many inland watercraft and cannons belonging to them. There were also four thousand prisoners taken. The Admiralty of Amsterdam wanted to dump these into the sea, but were prohibited by the Prince.

The result of the Battle of Slaak meant that the enemy would not be able to separate Holland and Zeeland. This was very important for the further course of the struggle against Spain and for the continued existence of the Republic.

Anthoni Verhaer was the son of Dirk Willemszoon Duijmaes alias Verhaer. He served the Admiralty of the Maze. Anthoni Verhaer apparently served on the rivers, commanding small craft. In 1628, he commanded the Papegeij, a vessel of only 26 lasts. In 1629, he commanded the Rijnvogel, also a vessel of 26 lasts. The Rijnvogel was built in 1612, and was armed with 3-5pdr, 1-3pdr, 6-steenstukken with 12 chambers. The steenstukken were breechloaders, and having multiple chambers per gun allowed for more rapid firing. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "some alterations in name of captains of the Maze", 2005.
3. Carl Stapel, personal communication "staat van oorlog van 1628 en 1629", 2005.

Steven pointed out this site to me: (he actually pointed out the Roads of Texel page), but there is more. Artitec built the Roads of Texel as part of their ongoing effort to model 17th Century Dutch ships, as well as the captured Swiftsure. The Scheepvaart Museum has a page devoted to this subject. This is the site devoted to the diorama. This is Artitec's VOC site.

Geen Huygenszoon Schapenham served the VOC and the Admiralty of the Maze. In 1615-1616 he commanded the VOC ship Gouden Leeuw at the sail to Bantam. From 1620 to 1621 he commanded the ship Gelderland (180 lasts) in Haultain's fleet, sent to the Mediterranean Sea to fight pirates. In 1623-1625 he was a Vice-Admiral of the Jacques Le Hermite's squadron, sent to Pacific Ocean. Geen Schapenham flew his flag on the Delft, which was commanded by Witte de With. Pasteur has the list of ships and captains. They attacked some Spanish colonial ports in the Chile and Peru (1625). Geen Schapenham died about 1625 on the back way to Batavia. This is an edited and expanded version of what Andrew sent me about Geen Schapenham. Sources:

1. J. Pasteur, website including "The Voyage Around the World of the Nassau Fleet 1623-1626, 2002.
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "fleet of Haultain nov 1620- sept 1621 to Mediterranean", 2005.

Jan Janszoon Bleecker served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. In 1636, he commanded the ship Eendracht (31 guns, 6 of brass and 25 of iron, and a crew consisting of 90 sailors and 20 soldiers). The Eendracht was a vessel of 300 lasts. In late 1637, he was near Hellevoetsluis under the command of Vice-Admiral Berchem, along with captains Keert de Koe, Ham, and van der Parre. If the captain that Charles Boxer calls "Bleijcker" is the same man, and it is possible, as he served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier, along with Captain Keert de Koe, then he was with Witte de With and probably fought in the Battle of the Downs in 1639. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, De Proefjaar van Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp 1637-1639, 1946.
2. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
3. Dr. F. Graefe, De Kapiteinsjaren van Maerten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1938.

Jan de Cock served the Admiralty of Zeeland. From May 1619 until October 1620, he was with Mooy Lambert's fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1628, he commanded the Zeeland ship Eenhoorn (21 guns). We probably know nothing else about Jan de Cock. Sources:

1. Carl Stapel, personal communication "moy lambert's fleet mei 1619-oktober 1620", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Schepen en kapiteins in 1628", 2005.

Cornelis Danielszoon served the Admiralty of Zeeland. In June 1616, he commanded the ship Neptunis. He was with Mooy Lambert's fleet that was in the Mediterranean Sea from June 1616 until April 1617. They took the Dutch consul De Keyser to Algeria. From May 1618 until February 1619, he commanded some ship in Mooy Lambert's fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1620, he commanded the Meerminne, a vessel of 260 lasts. He served in Haultain's fleet that was in the Mediterranean Sea from November 1620 until September 1621. Sources:

1. Carl Stapel, personal communication "fleet of Haultain nov 1620- sept 1621 to Mediterranean", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "Moy Lambert 1616 en Hillebrant Quast 1618", 2005.
3. Carl Stapel, personal communication "moy lambert mei 1618 - till february 1619", 2005.

• Abraham de Moor-He lived until 1630. He served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He wa promoted to captain in 1621. He was killed in a fight on the Spanish coast in 1630.
• Cornelis de Moor-He lived until 18 February 1639. He served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He was killed in 1639 while serving as lieutenant to Banckert while fighting the Dunkirkers.
• Jan de Moor-He lived until 27 May 1573. He was a Zeelander, and served under Philip II. He was promoted to captain in 1569 as a Beggar. In 1573, he was a Vice-Admiral of Vlissingen. He was killed in 1573 while fighting the Spanish in the Scheldt.
• Joos de Moor-He lived from about 1548 until 18 February 1618. He served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He was promoted to captain in 1572 and Vice-Admiral in 1588. He distinguished himself in 1572 at Vlissingen. In 1573-1574, he distinguished himself in the attack on the Spanish fleet at Antwerp and Reimerswaal during the siege of Rammekens. In 1574, he helped with the relief of Leiden. In 1588, he was blockade commander at Dunkirk during the Armada campaign. In 1600, he was squadron commander at Nieuwpoort. In 1603, he captured a Spanish galleon and was wounded (Spinola was killed).
• Josias de Moor-He lived from about 1595 until June 1624. He served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He was promoted to captain in 1519. In 1623, he served in the blockade service at Dunkirk. In 1624, he was killed fighting Dunkirkers.
• Simon Corneliszoon de Moor-He served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He served in the first English-Dutch fleet sent against Spain from September 1625 until January 1626.

Sources:

1. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Eerste Engels-Nederlandse vloot expeditie tegen Spanje sept 1625 – jan 1626", 2005.

In 1631, Willem Joosten Colster commanded the Rotterdam ship Leeuwinne. The Leeuwinne had been built in 1628. She was a vessel of 150 lasts. A vessel of 150 lasts might have had dimensions of 116ft x 26.5ft x 11ft. Her crew consisted of 85 sailors. Her armament consisted of 4-chambered brass 24pdr, 2-French brass half cartouwen 18pdr, 4-brass 6pdr, 2-brass 5pdr, 4-iron 10pdr, 6-iron 8pdr, 4-iron 6pdr, 2-iron 4pdr, and 4-steenstukken. This information is taken from the Staet van Oorlog te water for the year 1631.

The Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1631 does not seem to list Claes Joriszoon Bontenburch. We know that he is listed in the year 1628. The other list we have is for the year 1629, and we would like to know if he is in that list.

Claes (or Nicolaes) Joriszoon (or Jorissen) Bontenburch served the Admiralty of the Maze (Rotterdam). There is little information about him. We do know that in 1628, he commanded the ship Abrahams Offerande, which had a crew of 85 men. The Abrahams Offerande was a vessel of 180 lasts. I estimate that a vessel of 180 lasts might have dimensions of about 122ft x 28ft x 12.5ft. Of course, the proportions were probably different than these. He was with the second expedition to Spain from 12 November 1626 to 10 July 1627 under command of Admiral Laurens Reael. He also was likely involved in fighting the Dunkirkers, but definite information is currently lacking. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, personal communication "Ships info from 1628", 2005.

Andrew found the listing for Pieter Adriaenszoon Ita's fleet that sailed to the Caribbean in 1626:

The fleet of Pieter Adriaanszoon Ita (1628).

Zeeland's ships.

1) Walcheren (30 guns, 160 men) - flag-ship, admiral Pieter Ita,
                                 flag-captain Jan Mast.
2) Leeuwinne (16 guns, 79 men) -  Jan Pieterszoon (killed in fight 1628).
3) Noordsterre (8 guns, 40 men) - Cornelis Huygens.
4) Fortuijn (20 guns, 103 men) -  Geleyn van Stapels.
5) Zuidsterre (8 guns, 46 men) -  Adriaen Adriaenszoon.

Amsterdam's ships.

6) Dolfijn (30 guns, 107 men) -   captain unknown.
7) Roode Leeuw (24 guns, 202 men (with colonists) - Albert Hendrikszoon.
8) Kater (16 guns, 65 men) -      Joachim Gijszoon.
9) Pinas (18 guns, 86 men) -      Claes Franszoon de Vries.

The Maze's ships.

10) Eendracht (20 guns, 80 men) - Anthonis Cornelisz. Condé.

Stad en Lande's ships.

11) Vriessche Jager (18 guns, 74 men) - Jan Braems.
12) Cuba (near 100 lasts) -             captain unknown.

Pieter Adriaenszoon Ita served as a Zeeland commandeur in the West Indian Company and was promoted to Admiral in 1635. In 1616, he was a captain on the Amazon during the Zeeland colonization. In 1623, while serving on the Amazon, the Portuguese burnt his ship. Andrew had found a translation for a long passage about the expedition in 1628 to capture Tobago. He had been in command of a fleet of 12 ships that were operating as privateers against Portuguese and Spanish shipping in the Caribbean and along the coast of Brazil. The ships had left the Netherlands in January 1628 and headed directly for the Caribbean, where they would rendezvous near Cuba. The last ship, the Fortuijn, left on 3 March with 63 colonists. The Zuidsterre sailed with the Fortuijn across the Atlantic. They arrived at St. Vincent on 15 March. On 8 May, the Eendracht joined Ita's fleet. The ships in the fleet had been operating independently against hostile shipping. The ship Cuba joined after the Eendracht, and arrived on 17 May. The Fortuijn didn't arrive until 4 June. The Honduras fleet consisted of two galleons and about 1o armed merchant ships. The Spanish admiral felt that the extra armament that his ships carried would allow him to repel Ita's fleet. In a fierce fight, two Spanish ships were taken, including the Spanish admiral's flagship which lost about half its crew. This action helped to weaken the Spanish so that Piet Hein was able to captured the Silverfleet. In 1634, he crossed the wild coast of Guyana. In 1628, he captured two ships from the Honduras fleet. In 1630, he served under Loncq in the captured of Olinda. In 1636, he served under Jan Evertsen in a battle against the Dunkirker Collaert. Sources:

1. a translation found by Andrew of a passage from Doeke Roos's book, 2005.
2. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.
3. Doeke Roos, Zeeuwen en de Westindische Compagnie, 1992.

Cornelis Janszoon Haen (the Haentjen) served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He lived from 1580 until 19 April 1633. He was promoted to captain in 1622. He boasted of being a fearless privateer and pirate hunter. He was killed in a fight with the Dunkirkers, after 7 of their ships had been taken. He died while fighting to take an eighth. This is based on my translation of the short piece in Mollema's Honor Roll and the account written by De Jonge. Sources:

1. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.
2. J. C. Mollema, De Eere Rol, from Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee, Vol.II, 1940.

Jan Melcknap served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. We know very little about him. We know that he was with the second expedition to Spain from 12 november 1626 to 10 July 1627. He commanded a ship with 24 guns and a crew of 100 men. We do know that in 1628, he commanded a ship with a crew of 100 men, which was probably the same ship as 1626 and 1627. The ship Meibeeck with a crew of 31 men, whose captain was Commandeur Melcknap, in 1628 was probably Jan Melcknap's son. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Ships info from 1628", 2005.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "Tweede Nederlandse Engelse vloot in12 november 1626 tot 10 juli 1627 naar Spanje ", 2005.

Charles Boxer transcribed a name as "Elias Balck", but this ssems to have been an error where the correct name was Elias van den Base (or Baese). Elias van den Base fought in the Battle of the Downs in 1639, where he was assigned to Scout-bij-Nacht Joris van Cats' squadron which was assigned to attack the Flemish admiral. Elias van den Base may have served the Amsterdam Directors, although another list assigns him to the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was said to have commanded a convoyer. On 5 October, he was sent to a letter for their majesties and the Admiralty of Zeeland. The context confirms that the captain in Joris van Cats's squadron was Elias van den Base. On 14 October 1639, while salutes were being fired, a Spanish marksman shot dead a man on Auke Balck's ship, in all likelihood, not on Elias van den Bases's ship. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
2. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.

Gerrit Schuyt served the Amsterdam Directors. His ship, the Roseboom, was probably hired sometime in March 1652. The Roseboom was a modest sized-ship with dimensions of 118ft x 27ft x 12.5ft. She had a crew that varied between 98 and 105 men. Her armament was 28 guns, consisting of 12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. Dr. Ballhausen says that Gerrit Schuyt fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. He was operating with the fleet in June and took part in the voyage to the Shetlands in July and August 1652. We also know that in December 1652, he was with a small squadron in the Baltic operating against what the Dutch were calling smugglers. Perhaps, they were ships trying to take Baltic goods to England. He was superceded in command by Bartholomeus Rietbeeck, who had been a lieutenant on the Valck, Cornelis Janszoon Brouwer's ship. We know that Gerrit Schuyt attended a council of war with Witte de With on 17 April 1653, on board the jacht Luipaard. We also know that Bartholomeus Rietbeeck was in command during the Battle of the Gabbard, when the Roseboom was captured by the English. Sources:

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
2. Dr. Carl Ballhausen, Der Erste Englisch-Höllandische Seekrieg 1652-1654, 1923.
3. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Directors Ship Information", 2003.
4. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
5. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.

Laurens Pieterszoon Bachuysen served the Dutch West Indian Company. He participated in the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs. He commanded the ship Salamander (40 guns and a crew of 110 men).

He joined Tromp on 17 May 1639, along with the ships of captains 't Jonge Hoen, Cornelis Meij, from the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier, of captain Frederick Pieterszoon of Enkhuizen and his ship of 28 guns, along with a ship with 20 guns, skipper Lambert Hendrickszoon, and another fluit with 28 guns, skipper Jan Jacobszoon Lops of Medemblik. On 22 June, he was with Tromp and his squadron two miles from Portland. On 10 July, he was still with the main body of Tromp's fleet, a few miles from Gravesend. On 12 August, he was with the fleet when two Zeeland West Indiamen joined, the ship Tholen and the Vlieboot Hoop. On 6 September, he was with Tromp's squadron as they cruised to the westward. Previous to that, Tromp had noted that they would be cruising to the westward between Beachy Head and "the narrows".

Tromp's squadron, on 15 September, consisted of the following captains and ships:

Commander:                     Ship:               Guns  Crew
Lt-Admiral Tromp               Aemilia             57    240   R
Willem van Colster             Gelderland          34    120   R
Pieter Pietersz. de Wint       Frederik Hendrik    36    120   A
Claes Cornelisz. Ham           Sampson             32    120   NQ
Lambert Ijsbrandsz. Halfhoorn  Hollandsche Tuin    32    120   NQ
Robbert Post                   Deventer            28    110   A
Jan Gerbrandszoon              Omlandia            28     80   F
Cornelis Ringelszoon           ?                   32    110   Z
Laurens Pietersz. Bachuysen    Salamander          40    110   WIC
Frederik Pieterszoon           Groote Christoffel  28     90   NQ
Hendrik Janszoon Camp          Gideon              24    100   F
Jan Pauluszoon                 Meerminne           28    105   Z        

On 16 September, he was with Tromp as they were chased by the "Spanish Armada", now of 67 ships. They then turned and fought. This was when Frederick Pieterszoon's hired ship from Enkhuizen, the Groote Christoffel, blew up. About mid-afternoon, the Spanish had been "out-fought", and withdrew. Tromp had just 16 ships, after losing the Groote Christoffel. On 3 October 1639, Laurens Pieterszoon Bachuysen was in Tromp's squadron of 26 ships. On 13 October, Tromp had reorganized the fleet, so that Captain Bachuysen was now assigned to Jan Evertsen's squadron, which was to attack the Portuguese Admiral's squadron. The Battle of the Downs was fought on 21 October 1639.

Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
3. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.

Hector Bardesius served the Amsterdam Directors. At the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War, he commanded the ship Nieuw Gideon or Gideon van Sardam (34 guns). The Gideon was a substantial ship of dimensions 132ft x 29.5ft x 13.5ft. Her crew was variously 115 or 120 men. Her complement of guns consisted of 4-24pdr, 14-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 4-6pdr, and 2-3pdr. Dr. Ballhausen says that Hector Bardesius fought in the Battle off Dover on 29 May 1652. He also was with the fleet on the voyage to the Shetlands. He apparently fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock, as he and his ship joined Witte de With's fleet in the Bruges roads on 29 September. His ship fought in the Battle of Dungeness on 10 December 1652. He apparently had been superseded in command by his lieutenant Ulrich de Jaeger. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Directors Ship Information", 2004.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
3. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.II, 1900.
4. Dr. S. R. Gardiner, and C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.III, 1906.
5. Hendrik de Raedt, Lyste van de schepen van Oorloge onder het beleyt Admirael Marten Harpersz. Tromp, 1652.

Hendrik Adriaanszoon Glas served the Rotterdam Directors. He commanded the ship the Burgh. He fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. His ship and the ships Sint Pieter (Simon Corneliszoon) and the Liefde (Jan Tijssen) were mastless and damaged, lying in the Goeree Gat after the battle. He and his ship are not mentioned, except by Dr. Elias. There is no information about whether he might have fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, in June. From the July 1653 list of ships after the Battle of the Gabbard, there were four Rotterdam Directors' ship listed with no names or captains. Two were said to have been small and unready for service after the Gabbard. Another was called a fluit of war, and was said to be unready for service. Only one of the four was listed as ready for service. Sources:

1. Anonymous, unpublished manuscript "List of ships lying at Vlissingen on 2 July 1653", 1653.
2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.

Cornelis Janszoon Schellinghout served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. In early 1628, he commanded the ship Swarte Beer (150 lasts). By May of 1628 and into 1629, he commanded the ship Eenhoorn (200 lasts), probably the ship that took part in the First Anglo-Dutch War. During the campaign that led to the Battle of the Downs, he commanded a convoyer and fought in the Battle of the Downs, where he was assigned to Schout-bij-Nacht Joris van Cats' squadron. In 1645, he commanded the ship Sampson (28 guns) in Witte de With's fleet that forced a convoy of merchant ships into the Sound without paying the toll to the Danes. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
2. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.
3. G. W. Kernkamp, De Sleutels van de Sont, 1890.

I was fortunate to be able to purchase 38 years of the Jaarverslag from the Vereeniging Nederlandsche Historisch Scheepvaart Museum in Amsterdam. The shipment arrived today from Charbo's Antiquaariaat. I received the years 1933-1934 in one volume, 1938, 1939-1940 in one volume, 1941-1942 in one volume, 1943-1945 in one volume, 1946-1947 in one volume, 1948-1949 in one volume, 1952-1953 in one volume, 1954-1955 (in one volume, damaged by water), 1956-1957-1958 in one volume, 1959-1960-1961 in one volume, 1962-1963-1964 in one volume, 1965-1966-1967 in one volume, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971-1972 in one volume, 1973, 1974 (has a great portrait of Isaac Sweers from 1654), 1975, 1976-1977 in one volume, 1978-1979 in one volume, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, and 1993. As you can see, the collection is relatively complete over the period 1933-1993, with some substantial gaps.

Pieter Gorcum served the Admiralty of Zeeland. He served in Admiral Gijsel's squadron in August 1641, where he commanded the frigate Vlissingen (20 guns). He presumably fought in the Battle of Sint Vincent on 4 November 1641 against the Spanish silverfleet. At the beginning of the First Anglo-Dutch War, he commanded a Zeeland jacht. This is believed to be the Dordrecht (17 guns). We know that the 17-gun jacht was in service in March 1653, and the Staet van Oorlog te Water for July 1654 says that the 17-gun jacht was the Dordrecht. We know from Witte de With's journal that Pieter Gorcum commanded a Zeeland jacht, of which we believe there only to have been two in service at this date. The other was the Jager, which was serving as a fireship at the Battle of the Gabbard when she was captured by the English. The Jager was often called the Gloeyenden Oven, after her commander in 1652, Adriaan Janszoon den Gloeyenden Oven, to give his full name. In September 1652, he was with Witte de With's fleet and fought in the Battle of the Kentish Knock. We know that he fought in the Battle of Dungeness in December 1652. He may well have fought in the rest of the major battles, as well. Sources:

1. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Captains", 2005.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Ships 1600-1700", 2005.
3. Carl Stapel, unpublished manuscript "1641 augustus Nederlands hulspeskader voor Portugal", 2005.

Bartholomeus Rietbeeck served the Amsterdam Directors. In early 1652, he was lieutenant on the Valck, the ship of Cornelis Janszoon Brouwer. By early 1653, he had been appointed as captain of the ship Roseboom (28 guns). The Roseboom had been commanded by Gerrit Schuyt during 1652 and into 1653. By June, Bartholomeus Rietbeeck commanded the Roseboom. The Roseboom was a ship with dimensions 118ft x 27ft x 12.5ft, with 6 feet between decks. The Roseboom carried 12-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 2-3pdr guns. Her crew was about 105 men. Bartholomeus Rietbeeck fought in the Battle of the Gabbard, where his ship was taken by the English. Sources:

1. C.T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912.
2. James C. Bender, unpublished manuscript "Directors Ship Information", 2003.
3. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.V, 1928.

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.

Cornelis Ringelszoon served the Admiralty of Zeeland. In 1639, he commanded a ship with 32 guns and a crew of 110 men. On 29 April 1639, he was with Witte de With's squadron, lying off the Meuse, with the ships of Witte de With, captains Colster, Vijch, Brederode, Vooren, Keert de Koe, Halfhoorn, and Ringelszoon. On 3 October 1639, he was assigned to Jan Evertsen's squadron, along with many other Zeelanders. He fought in the Battle of the Downs on 31 October 1639. In July 1640, some boys escaped from a fishing ship taken by the enemy and reported that the ships of Jan van Galen, Ringelszoon, Veen, and Magnus (or Magnuszoon) had been taken by the enemy. This seems to have not been true, however. In October 1643, he was assigned to the second squadron in Tromp's fleet of two squadrons that were engaged in blockading Dunkirk. In April 1644, he joined Tromp's squadron and they sailed for Calais. They found 6 King's ships and 10 private frigates in the harbor of Dunkirk. On 1 and 2 March 1645, he and Tromp had attacked an enemy ship, and in the process Ringelszoon's ship knocked off Tromp's ship's head and bowsprit. He also put a shot through the stern of the ship they had taken so that it threatened to sink. The ship proved to be the old Noorderkwartier ship Kasteel van Medemblik, which had been taken by the Dunkirkers six years before. The ship was armed with 27 guns and had a crew of 105 men. Tromp had warned him against getting so close, as he had feared a collision. Captain Ringelszoon had to ask for forgiveness. In April 1646, Joost Bankert, Frans Janszoon, and Cornelis Ringelszoon were seht to the West Indies, in the service of the West Indies Company. Their normal employment was with Tromp's fleet engaged in blockading Dunkirk. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, De Proefjaar van Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp 1637-1639, 1946.
2. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Armada van 1639, 1941.
3. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
4. Charles R. Boxer, The Journal of Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp Anno 1639, 1930.

Ernest Adriaanszoon de Bertrij served the Admiralty of Rotterdam. In 1652, he commanded the hired ship Hollandia, believed to be a ship of 26 guns. He started the war in Witte de With's squadron. After the Battle of the Kentish Knock, Witte de With inspected the fleet and recommended that Ernest de Bertrij's ship be paid off, due to its small size and light guns. Ernest de Bertrij's journal apparently still exists, and would be interesting to see. He apparently was with Tromp's fleet on the voyage to the Shetlands, along with de With and Florissen. They had taken part in a raid on the Downs, hoping to replicate 1639, but it was not to be. They left there for the ill-fated voyage to the Shetlands. Sources:

1. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons zeewezen, Vol.II, 1923.
2. Johan E. Elias, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen, Vol.IV, 1927.

This is based on my translation of a paragraph from pages 91 and 92 from Dr. Elias's book, De Vlootbouw in Nederland:

It was not a surprise, then, that shortly after the proclamation of the resolution to hire and equip 150 ships, they became aware that there were not that many ships of the required charter were on hand. After the Directors took the first and best 50 ships, there remained for the Admirlaties but a fourth of the prescribed 100. Gradually, after ships from the merchant fleet returned could more of the ships for the Extraordinary Equipage be hired and equipped. The unsuitability of the hired ships led us to limit their use. In the spring of 1652, the convoy service sought to limit them, until there were numbers sufficient for their use in offensive and defensive operations. Despite this, all the admiralties hired most of those ships that were available to them. Someone else had the problem of paying the heavy and ruinous rent, which the Dutch people ultimately had to pay. To the extent that the economic climate was favorable, the rent soon ran to the full price of the ship, often in just a year. It was because of this that the Admiralty of Amsterdam pressed for the commencement of warship building starting in the second half of October 1652.

Paulus Coole (or Coolen) served the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier. He was active in the blockade of Dunkirk in the early 1640's. Witte de With had accused captain Jan Gijsen, his lieutenant Jan Lucaszoon, and Paulus Coole of not doing their duty in a fight on 8 and 9 June 1640. Jan Gijsen and his lieutenant were cleared, but Paulus Coole was fined 6 months pay and all booty that he would have received. In January 1643, he was involved in an operation to transport Mary Stuart. On 31 January, they were 14 miles from Flamborough Head. Mary had been married to the 14 year old Willem II when she was just nine years old. The captains involved in the operation included Tromp, Paulus Coole, Govert Voorens, and Matthijs Gilliszoon. Govert Vooren's ship lost its mainmast in a storm. In 1648, Paulus Coole (or Coolen) commanded the Eendracht (41 guns) in Witte de With's fleet sent to Brazil. He was one of those who were late in leaving the Netherlands, having met the squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral Gillissen on 12 December in the Texel roads. On 11 January, a violent storm hit and ships lost their masts (or cut them down as a safety measure). His ship stranded on the Wadden, as did a fluit loaded with 150 soldiers, the Witte Lelie. Due to the damage, he did not arrive in Brazil until about June 1648. It was only in September that De With could say that he had all the ship in Brazil under his flag. He got into trouble for his acts with his cabin boy. He was tortured, along with the cabin boy. He was courtmartialed by Witte de With and was replaced as captain of the Eendracht by Gijsbert Malcontent. His sentence was to be keelhauled three times and exiled on the island of Fernando Noronha for life. Sources:

1. Dr. M.G. De Boer, Tromp en de Duinkerkers, 1949.
2. W. J. van Hoboken, Witte de With in Brazilië, 1955.