Anglo-Dutch Wars

1. R. C. Anderson, "English Fleet-Lists in the First Dutch War," The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.XXIV No.4, October 1938
2. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964
3. J. R. Powell, The Navy in the English Civil War, 1962

1. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964
2. R. C. Anderson, Lists of Men-of-War 1650-1700: Part I English Ships 1649-1702, 1966

1. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910
2. A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996
2. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994
3. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903

All Dutch ships except for the smallest frigates had two complete decks, until the 1660's, when the first three-decked ships appeared. The smaller Amsterdam Directors' ships seem to have had a lower tier of mixed 12pdr and 8pdr guns. The better ships had either a complete lower tier of 12pdrs or 12pdrs with a few larger guns.

One example is the Kroon Imperiael, commanded by Cornelis Janszoon Poort and sunk at the Battle of Portland. On 27 March 1652, the Kroon Imperiael is listed with 20-12pdr guns, 14-6pdr, and 4-4pdr guns. The probable armament scheme was probably a complete lower tier of 12pdrs, the 14-6pdrs on the upper tier, with an unarmed waist, and the 4-4pdrs on the quarterdeck. From 8 November 1652 until her loss, she apparently had 2-brass 24pdr and 16-12pdr on the lower tier and 12-6pdr on the upper deck with an unarmed waist. The guns on the quarterdeck were now 4-3pdrs.

Another ship, the Groote Liefde, had the same armament from the beginning. On both 27 March 1652 and on 8 November 1652, the Groote Liefde had 2-brass 24pdr and 18-12pdr, all probably on the lower tier. The upper tier had 14-6pdr, probably with an unarmed waist. She also had 4-3pdr on the quarterdeck.

The Moor lacked the 24pdrs. We know that on 28 January 1653, she carried 20-12pdr, probably all on the lower tier and 12-6pdr, probably all on the upper tier with an unarmed waist. She only had 2-3pdrs, probably on the quarterdeck, although possibly on a forecastle.

Other ships had a more mixed armament. For example, the Prins Maurits, commanded by Nicolaes de With and wrecked by bad piloting on 19 November 1652, had a more heterogenous armament. On 12 March 1652, when hired, she had 18-12pdr, probably all on the lower tier. She probably had a mixed upper tier, fairly sparsely armed and with an unarmed waist, having 6-6pdr and 6-4pdr. She also had 4-3pdr, probably on the quarterdeck. By 8 November 1652, she had 18-12pdr, still all probably on the lower tier, and now had 10-8pdr with 4-6pdr, probably on the upper tier with an unarmed waist. I would speculate that the 8pdrs were aft of the waist and the 6pdrs forward. She now had 2-3pdr, probably on the quarterdeck.

The Dutch were amazed at the Battle of the Kentish Knock, when they encountered what they considered to be small frigates armed with some 18pdrs. They really felt that they were out-gunned, especially given that the 2nd Rates had 32pdr demi-cannon and the two 1st Rates had 42pdr cannon. Their best ship, the Brederode, only had four 36pdrs, some 24pdr and 18pdr guns, probably all on the lower tier. The upper tier was armed with 12pdrs, with 6pdrs on the quarterdeck. The Dutch responded by adding guns to their ships. The 120ft-long Prinses Louise was upgunned to 46 guns by December 1652. This clearly was over-arming her, and they seemed to have backed off to a more reasonable number. Still, Pieter Florissen's ship, Monnikendam, went from 32 guns to 38 guns, and Jan Thyssen's Witte Lam went from 32 guns to 40 guns, when she was De Ruyter's flagship in 1653.

VOC ship 1

70 guns:
1-36pdr
4-24pdr
21-18pdr
20-12pdr
24-8 and 6pdr

VOC ship 2

70 guns:
4-24pdr
22-18pdr
6-12pdr
20-8pdr
14-4pdr
4-smaller

10-24pdr
16-18pdr
24-12pdr
10-6pdr

Dr. Ballhausen read Jodocus Hondius's book Onstelde-Zee, Oft Zee-Daden (1654) Dr. Ballhausen cites page 82 from that book as the reference for Jacob Claeszoon Boet's ship being the Leeuwin (32 guns and a crew of 115 men). The Leeuwin was a Monnikendam Directors's ship carrying 4-brass and 28-iron guns. If this is correct, then the ship at the Battle of Portland was not the Zeeland Director's ship, but this one. My list lists Jacob Claeszoon Boet's ship, with reservations, as being the Leeuwin.

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. Jodocus Hondius, Onstelde-Zee, Oft Zee-Daden, 1654.

1. Luc Eekhout, Het Admiralenboek: De Vlagofficieren van de Nederlandse marine 1382-1991, 1992.
2. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.III, 1860.

Lower deck:

2-brass 24pdr
2-long 18pdr
2-short brass 18pdr
2-brass 12pdr
12-culverins, 18pdr

Upper deck:

2-brass 6pdr
8-sakers, 5pdr

1. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.

Captain       Built Ship              Length Guns Lost
Manart        1692  Gouda             160    74   1697
Philips?      1692  Reigersberg       156    72   1692
Hogenhoeck    1683  Hollandia         156    72   1698
Becker        1663  Wapen van Utrecht 147    66   1690
Zolem?        1683  Zelandia          145    64   1690
Schrijver     1696  Zeelant           145    64   1692
van der Goes  1683  Frieslant         145    64   1690
Konvent       1684  den Akerboom      140    60   1689
van der Zaen  1686  Castricum         138    50   1692
Lijnslager    1686  Beemster          138    50   1690
Nieulandt     1694  Maen?             138    50   1698

King's ships

numbers  guns  crew

1       48    300
1       34    200
1       30    150
14       24-26 130-140
2       18-22 130
1       14   
1        6

Ships belonging to persons

3       8-12
8       4-6

The note says that most of these
ships had brass guns. The latter of these
ships operated from  Nieuwpoort and Oostende.

1. J. C. De Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, Vol.I, 1858.

Ship the Croon Imperiael of Mr. Coimans
Arrived in the Texel on 24 March 1652

130ft   length
 30ft   beam
 12-1/2 hold
  7ft   height between decks

Guns in a side note:
 2 24pdr brass of the state
16 12pdr of which 10 are brass
12  6pdr of which 2 are brass
 2  3pdr

The guns:
6 of 12lb iron
2    12lb brass
2    12lb brass
4 pieces 1/2 cartouwen
4 iron 12lb 
2 brass 12lb
2 brass 6lb
12 of 6lb iron
4 of 4lb found with the ship

38 pieces total

Leeuwinne  200 lasts  kapitein Schrevel 
                        Jacobsz van Ruijmvelt
Gelderlant 180 lasts  kapitein Geen Schapenham
Tonijn      80 lasts  kapitein Jacob Jansz 
                                  van Nieuvelt
Bruijnvisch 80 lasts  kapitein Claes 
                             Marinusz Juijnbol
Hasewint    60 lasts  kapitein Adriaen Hemheus ?
Utrecht    300 lasts  Lambrecht Hendricksz
Hollandt   180 lasts  Leendert Fransz Valch
Leeuw      200 lasts  Pieter Claesz Rochusz
Tijger     160 lasts  Lucas Jaspersz Goutvelt
a ship     300 lasts  a ship apparently being built
Mars        40 lasts  Pieter Dircksz Liesskint
a ship      ?         Adriaen de Jong
a jacht     ?         ? (a jacht of their prince)
a ship      ?         ?
a jacht     ?         Marinus Pietersz 
                              Hoelentrouer ?

 1. the Neptunis
 2. the Dolphijn
 3. the Orangieboom
 4. the Ewer
 5. the Groene Draeck
 6. Eendracht
 7. the Leeuwinne, attacked
 8. the jacht the Swarten Arent
 9. the ship Gelderlant, of about 180 lasts, is 
     on the last of October 1629, under 
     Captain Cornelis Engelen Silvergieter, 
     is sunk, on the land inspected ?
10. the Swarten Leeuw
11. the old Abraham
12. the Vliegende Arent
13. the Wassende Maen
14. Salamander attacked
15. the Bruijnvisch attacked
16. Cleyne Neptunis
17. St. Anthonis is on 5 September 1629 of 
                    60 lasts inspected
18. Zeecalf
19. the Cleyne Orangieboom
20. Zeeridder, under Captain Cornelis Roemer, 
           of 180 lasts on 3 November 1629 
           (the rest is not readable for me)
21. the Leeuw, attacked
22. the Jonas
23. the Tonijn
24. the Prins Hendrick, attacked (aangevocht?)
25. the Sonne (Zon) attacked
26. the Grasmaijer, attacked

                              1599   1603
demi-cannon    (32pdr)         4      4
cannon perrier (24pdr)         4      -
culverin       (18pdr)        12     14
demi-culverin  (9pdr)         12     16
saker          (5-1/4pdr)      6      6
port piece     (9pdr, stone)   4      2
fowler         ?               4      2

1. E. H. H. Archibald, The Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy AD897-1984, 1987
2. J. J. Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, 2nd Ed., 1987.
3. Peter Kirsch, The Galleon: Great Ships of the Armada Era, 1990
4. John Knox Laughton, State Papers Relating to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada Anno 1588, Vol.I, 1894
5. Michael Oppenheim, History of the Administration of the Royal Navy, 1896

Tromp, after his victory, accompanied the merchant vessels to the Isle of Rhé. On the way, he tooks several English ships as prizes. He stayed at the latitude of Bordeaux to wait for the return fleet. In the middle of February 1653, Tromp left Bordeaux, heading homeward with 70 warships and 150 merchant vessels. At the beginning of the same month, the English fleet, 50 ships strong, left form the Thames, and continuing, now also 70 ships strong, to the Channel. After the example of the Dutch fleet, they now divided into three squadrons, each with its own commander, and known by the color of the flags. Had Willem van de Velde the Elder joined one of these expeditions against the English in 1652? I have not been able to find any proof of that. He specified that he was at sea, in July, with Tromp, and on the unfortunate voyage [to the Shetlands] he would not have been present. In is highly improbable that he accompanied De Ruyter's squadron, as this served solely to escort merchant fleets. And he cannot be associated with the fleet of De With, which won 8 October was beaten. As we have seen, he made a notarized statement on 9 October in Amsterdam. Also, with Tromp's fleet on 1 December 1652 and in February 1653, he was probably not present.

1. Frank Fox, "Hired Men-of-War, 1664-7", Part II, The Mariner's Mirror Vol.84 No.2 (May 1998).
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

1. Adm. 10/15, Ticket Office compilation, 1660-1685 (which gives dates officers were paid).
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
2. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994.
3. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.

1. Frank Fox, "Hired Men-of-War, 1664-7", Part II, The Mariner's Mirror Vol.84 No.2 (May 1998).
2. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994.
3. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.