tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60560562012-01-18T05:27:45.288-08:00Discussion devoted mainly to the Anglo-Dutch Wars (at sea), including ships, battles, and persons. Our website, kentishknock.com, is the primary outlet for artwork, research results, and more formal analysis and commentary. Copyright (c) 2003-2007 James C. BenderJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comBlogger18481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-77858517654771050292011-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:002011-06-25T12:02:09.009-07:00

In 1652 into 1653, Rombout van der Parre commanded a small ship hired by the Admiralty of Friesland: the Prinses Albertina van Orangien (the document from 1652 says Princesse Albartina van Orangien). In July 1652, he was assigned to Michiel De Ruyter's fleet that was to convoy merchant ships up and down the Channel. The specifications for the ship were as follows: Length: 107-1/2ft Beam:

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-64078297816088763272010-10-30T14:30:00.000-07:002010-10-30T16:48:54.454-07:00

The ship Graaf Hendrik was hired by Groningen and served with the Admiralty of Friesland in the First Angl0-Dutch War. There are some pages from late 1652 that say that the Graaf Hendrik was a Groningen Directors' ship, but in 1653, the ship is always said to have served the Admiralty of Friesland. From the beginning of the war up until sometime in the spring of 1653, the Graaf Hendrik carried 30

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-69039801777041139262010-09-17T09:38:00.001-07:002010-09-17T10:05:20.843-07:00

I have been the beneficiary in the past of receiving documents from Carl Stapel with the fruits of his research. What has interested me lately has been a list of Noorderkwartier ships from 1642 with sizes in lasts and dates when the ships were built. These were ships that served in 1652-1653, some with the same captain. In some cases, the nominal lasts do not match the dimensions (such as the

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-87876225106459969692010-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:002010-09-04T14:26:41.853-07:00

Our faithful reader and fellow researcher found this page that seems to give the names of the five Dutch warships in the foreground in the Van de Velde drawing of the Battle of Dunkirk on 18 February 1639: the Rotterdam, the Nassau, the Prins Hendrik, the ‘Deventer’ and the Aemilia.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-78646000712659011332010-07-22T05:50:00.000-07:002010-07-22T05:53:42.399-07:00

Today, July 22, 2010, is the anniversary of the English attack on the Dutch fishing fleet and fishery protection squadron on 22 July 1652, off the coast of Scotland. Amazingly, we do not have an accurate list of ships with all the details for the fishery protection squadron. The First Dutch War, Vol.I, reprinted, in translated form, the list of ships from the Hollandsche Mercurius from 1652. I

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-5832377385167072862010-07-19T12:08:00.001-07:002010-07-19T16:33:56.283-07:00

I was surprised to find that Teemu Koivumäki's website about sailing warships is gone. That is too bad, as it was a good, online resource. UPDATE: just the URL has changed: Sailing Warships

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-60787260690561748342010-07-13T05:25:00.000-07:002010-07-13T05:29:55.524-07:00

Jan Le Sage commanded the Middelburg Directors' ship Gulden Haan, a 36-gun ship, at the Battle of Portland, but he apparently commanded a different ship in 1652. Hendrick de Raedt's pamphlet gives his ship as a 30-gun ship with a crew of 105 men with Tromp's fleet in July and August 1652. From the letter written by Johan Evertsen in mid-August, after returning from the Shetlands, we see that Jan

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-32166283398166867912010-07-06T07:50:00.000-07:002010-07-06T07:54:04.034-07:00

I now have the drawing of the Zeeslag bij Dunkirk (18 February 1639) as my desktop picture. Is there a key to the ships in the drawing? Willem van de Velde de Oude clearly had specific ships in mind when he created the drawing. Each ship seems to be a portrait.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-88722207633319080922010-06-28T06:10:00.000-07:002010-06-28T06:12:24.100-07:00

Wikipedia has a good, high-resolution image of the drawing by Willem van de Velde, the Elder, of the sea battle at Dunkirk on 18 February 1639. Could someone with knowledge about the upper stern pictures could tell what ships are depicted?

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-57350149656873017252010-06-11T06:48:00.000-07:002010-06-11T06:56:09.683-07:00

My ancestor, Matilda Lehman, was born 18 Oct 1812. Her son, Solomon Lehman Beardsley, told the census workers twice that his mother was born in Holland. I take that to mean the Netherlands. I don't know a birth location. Earlier censuses give her birth place as Ohio (twice). Her son was the one who said that she was born in Holland. Solomon Beardsley was the father of my great-grandmother, Jesse

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-12761370895435131712010-05-29T16:09:00.000-07:002010-05-29T16:25:14.625-07:00

Name Guns Adty. Date Length Beam Depth 11. Edam 28-34 A 1644 124 28 11 The length of this ship was said to be 120ft in the Staat van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, but lists in 1652, 1653, and 1665 give the length as 124ft. 24. Goes or Ter Goes 40-48 A

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-10033296751183021542010-05-22T19:02:00.000-07:002010-05-22T19:42:57.927-07:00

This is a continuation of what I started on the other blog: Name Guns Adty. Date Length Beam Depth 11. Edam 28-34 A 1644 124 28 11 The length of this ship was said to be 120ft in the Staat van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, but lists in 1652, 1653, and 1665 give the

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-60841994953991099072010-05-21T12:30:00.000-07:002010-05-21T12:35:54.217-07:00

From a search of the obvious sources at the Nationaal Archief in The Hague, it seems that there are no sources that give details about the Dutch ships or fleet in the Battle of Portland (early 1653), or as the Dutch call it, the Driedaagse Zeeslag. My question is if there are some sources either in private hands or in places that we have not though to look? We have Dr. Ballhausen's book, but what

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-32046260562588104522010-05-02T16:00:00.000-07:002010-05-02T16:02:35.743-07:00

I am starting to have more confidence that my ancestor, Matilda Lehman (sometimes phonetically spelled as Matilda Lemon), was born in "Holland". Both in the 1870 and 1900 United States Census, Matilda Lehman's son, Solomon Beardsley, told the census that his mother was born in "Holland". She was apparently born in 1812, although I don't know at what location. So perhaps I really do have a Dutch

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-85205294231832315002010-04-11T14:34:00.001-07:002010-04-11T14:38:24.553-07:00

The Walvisch (the archaic spelling) was number 38 on the list of ships in the Dutch fleet on 23 June 1653. Dr. Elias mentioned the Walvisch in his book, Schetsen uit de geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen. The ship specifications in the 23 June 1653 list are often not correct, but they still are of interest: Length: 125ft Beam: 29ft Hold: 11-1/2ft Deck height: 6ft 30

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-28624776002941776312010-03-19T06:07:00.000-07:002010-03-19T06:09:36.086-07:00

Dr. Ballhausen's book about the First Anglo-Dutch War and the war between the Netherlands and Sweden is now in snippet view in Google Books. That is a slight improvement over not being visible at all. I have a copy of the original book, although it is not very accessible, being in German, which I know less well than Dutch. At least it is now searchable in Google Books, which can be a help.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-40637896074232594262010-03-14T17:10:00.000-07:002010-03-14T17:37:37.580-07:00

I received a photograph of a page from 1631 with information about the Friesland ship Gideon, a pinnace used as a convoyer: the pinnace Gideon commanded by Tiebbe Auckes of 96 lasts manned by 70 men Armed with: 2-bronze 15pdr 2-bronze 9pdr 10-iron 9pdr 4-steenstukken I estimate a 96 last ship to have dimensions: 89ft x 23.5ft x 9.5ft x 5.5ft This seems like some good information that our

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-20728226174386262482010-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:002010-03-04T06:05:54.227-08:00

Yesterday, I received the first few pictures from an Amsterdam ship list dating from 1631. One of the ships was the Haerlem, said to be a vessel of 225 lasts. I did a calculation and the ship could be one of those with dimensions 125ft x 31ft x 12ft x 7ft, which eventually carried 40 guns. In 1631, the Haerlem carried 2-bronze 24pdr, 4-short bronze chambered 18pdr, 2-bronze 12pdr, 14-iron 12pdr,

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-9241379462714897942010-02-27T19:17:00.000-08:002010-02-27T19:27:58.615-08:00

David de Wildt, the secretary of the Admiralty of Amsterdam, compiled a list of ships at Amsterdam that were suitable for hiring for service with the navy. Several ships are of particular interest. The names and dimensions in the list do not always agree in every detail with that in other sources. One name I had originally read as Graeff Monais, I later realized was the Graeff Morais (Maurits).

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-19484077785163330992010-02-20T17:12:00.000-08:002010-02-20T17:22:39.359-08:00

I don't really count the Dutch fleet lists for the Mediterranean battles in the First Anglo-Dutch War, as they are very well-known. I don't have everything that is known, as I don't have the good list for the Battle of the Kentish Knock that I have been told exists. I do have two good lists for the opening battle of the war at Dover. I don't have a definitive list of the Fishery Protection

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-45437172124028352052010-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:002010-02-06T12:58:38.781-08:00

I just received my copy of Rif Winfield's new book. I noticed what he wrote about the Dutch prize, Princess Maria, that served in the First Anglo-Dutch War for the English. The Princess Maria had been built as the Rotterdam ship Princess Roijael Maria in 1643. I did some calculations about the ship: Dimensions in Maas feet: 114ft x 27ft x 12ft 200 Rotterdam lasts Dimensions in Amsterdam feet:

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-31701004958644066642010-01-15T06:01:00.000-08:002010-01-15T07:35:31.160-08:00

I use the Battle of Livorno drawing as my desktop image on one computer. This is the classic drawing by Willem van de Velde de Oude that shows the stern of the Maan, presumably capturing the English Leopard in the battle. The stern of the Witte Oliphant, a 34-gun hired ship, is visible to the left, somewhat closer. I have wondered if there is a key to the ships in the drawing that identifies them.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-33411806430069458662010-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:002010-01-04T17:10:15.831-08:00

Two large ships were built in 1650, right before the Vrijheid was built. Lists from 1652 give the Jaarsveld and Vrede very similar dimensions. The Vrede may have been slightly larger. We really don't know how accurate the dimensions listed for the Jaarsveld were: 130ft x 32ft x 13ft x 7ft. The Vrede is listed in later lists as 131-1/2ft x 32-1/2ft x 13-1/2ft x 7ft. The Jaarsveld is listed as

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-26335567854842052612010-01-03T06:51:00.000-08:002010-01-03T07:00:53.846-08:00

The Three Days Battle (more prominently known as the Battle of Portland to the English-speaking peoples) was a hard-fought action between the main English fleet and the main Dutch fleet, which was protecting a large convoy. The battle was fought from 28 February to 2 March 1653 (new style dates). None of the accounts that are known have a fleet list for the Dutch. Presumably, the records were

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-56932893981878998332009-12-12T09:20:00.001-08:002009-12-12T09:26:21.660-08:00

I was looking again at the published Dutch fleet list dated 30 June 1652 that Carl Stapel had passed to me several years ago. The good thing about the list is that it shows the fleet organization and all but two of the ships can be identified by the captains' names. But while the list is dated 30 June, there are some anomolies. By 30 June, Adriaan de Zeeuw had been killed and Sijmon Cornelisz

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-24469323562567008202009-10-16T05:53:00.000-07:002009-10-16T05:56:21.930-07:00

I was surprised to see that Google Book Search now has Dr. Elias' book, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van Ons Zeewezen in Snippet View. I would like to see the book be part of the coming "Google Editions", so I could have portable access to the book.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-20739031652932734102009-10-09T05:20:00.000-07:002009-10-09T05:25:11.123-07:00

When I got home from work yesterday, a package had arrived for me. In the package was a copy of a new version of Frank Fox's book about the Second Anglo-Dutch War and a DVD with the documentary that Bruce Twickler had produced through his company Docema. They had a deal where for about $29.95 and shipping, you got the book and the DVD, a huge bargain. I saw in the DVD box that they have also

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-83647138567521007902009-10-01T05:02:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:19:48.763-07:00

In the first half of the 17th Century, the Dutch used many small warships, mostly on the rivers. One of these in 1629 was the Rotterdam ship Neptunus, built in 1623. Captain Cornelis Arentsz de Jonge commanded the Neptunus. The Neptunus was 30 Rotterdam lasts, or by my theory, 40 lasts when measured in Amsterdam feet. The crew consisted of 31 sailors and the ship was armed with 6-iron 4pdr, 2-

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-19518907563560276952009-09-17T09:46:00.000-07:002009-09-17T09:55:41.096-07:00

One issue that I see writers frequently misunderstand is to count the chambers associated with breechloading guns as some sort of gun. For example, Dutch ships in the 17th Century, specially prior to 1648, carried "steenstukken" (literally, stone guns). The Roode Leeuw, in 1629, carried 8 steenstukken and had 16 chambers for them. That allowed the breech loading guns to have a higher rate of fire

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-15621117933468549832009-09-11T09:32:00.000-07:002009-09-11T09:47:37.953-07:00

I am going back over the Staat van Orlog te Water for the year 1629. The Rotterdam ships (it calls the admiralty the Admiraliteit tot Rotterdam, not the Admiraliteit van de Maze). This list does not give dimensions, only the size in lasts. My theory is that the last measurements of Rotterdam ships is based on the dimensions in Maas feet (about 308mm), not Amsterdam feet (283mm). The basis for my

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-76493604826279662922009-09-05T10:44:00.000-07:002009-09-05T10:49:08.570-07:00

I had decided to look in Google Books to see what was currently available for 17th Century naval history and naval history generally. What had gotten my attention is that several books are available that I had not expected to find, such as the biography of Richard Badiley, among others. After I had downloaded 33 volumes, Google Books freaked out and blocked any further searches, as they were

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-89925765019683410592009-09-03T17:11:00.000-07:002009-09-03T17:14:13.913-07:00

The second ship in the list of guns on Dutch warships in the year 1616, on page 750 of Vol.I of Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen is one that I cannot name. This is a ship armed with 2-24pdr, 16-18pdr, 2-12pdr, 2-6pdr, and 8-5pdr guns. I thought that I had pretty complete information for Dutch warships in service in 1616, but this one is not a ship that I can name. I have no ship for

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-29958131907943123352009-09-03T14:23:00.000-07:002009-09-03T14:28:10.158-07:00

Google Books has finally made Volume One of the classic Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen available. For a long time, it was the only volume that could not be downloaded.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-86854598436704810452009-09-01T04:48:00.000-07:002009-09-01T04:51:38.820-07:00

I believe that I have already mentioned that Witte de With asked the captains in his fleet to compile inventories of their ships and to report damage following the Battle of the Kentish Knock. I am reviewing the inventories compiled after the Battle of the Gabbard in 1653. They are often very interesting and useful, so the same would probably be true of the inventories from October 1652. They

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-83976549602384925222009-08-22T08:19:00.001-07:002009-08-22T08:24:55.118-07:00

The two large flagships provided by the Admiralty of the Maze (or Rotterdam) for use by the fleet commander were both said to be 300 lasts in size. Those were Rotterdam lasts, and not comparable to ships from other admiralties. To compare, you have to multiply by 1.3 and then round to the nearest ten lasts. The problem is that the 300 number is an estimate or nominal number, not a real figure.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-1939200867504704832009-08-15T08:52:00.000-07:002009-08-15T08:55:07.015-07:00

I found the best list of English ships that arrived to capture New Netherlands in 1664. This is from the History of New Netherland: or, New York under the Dutch By Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan (from Google Books). The ships were the Guinea (36 guns), commanded by Capt. Hugh Hyde. The Elias (30 guns) was commanded by Capt. William Hill. The Martin (16 or 18 guns) was commanded by Capt. Edward Groves.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-8551013997506365552009-08-06T18:21:00.000-07:002009-08-06T18:24:58.448-07:00

Would someone know anything about a ship Maria (IHS Maria Anno De 1639) wrecked on the north coast of Hispaniola, probably in the 1640's? There are Dutch, Spanish, and English wrecks at the same general location. If this were a Dutch ship, it would seem likely to be a West Indiaman. I would guess that it is more likely a Spanish ship.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-32567605449684177452009-07-24T04:25:00.000-07:002009-07-24T04:49:40.911-07:00

I realized this morning that I have been estimating dimensions, all week, for Rotterdam ships without taking into account my theory about the size. I theorize that all Rotterdam sizes in lasts are based on calculations using Maas feet of 12 inches of 308mm. This is certainly true for ships from pages dating from 1642. My theory is that this applies to all Rotterdam ships from 1600 to 1652, not

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-29547486364175059612009-07-12T15:42:00.000-07:002009-07-12T15:56:07.087-07:00

Another question about 1665: there were ships named Hoorn and Eenhoorn in service in 1665 and which fought in the Battle of Lowestoft. There is every reason to think that the Eenhoorn built in 1625 had been discarded sometime after 1655. Still, a ships named Hoorn or Eenhoorn in 1665 had dimensions approximating the dimensions of the ship from 1625. The ship Hoorn, which served in the First

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-59511489642896698752009-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:002009-07-12T15:27:54.187-07:00

Vreugdenhil says that the smaller Monnik or Wapen van Monnikendam was the ship lost in the Baltic in 1659. The larger Monnikendam carried 32 guns in the Baltic, while the Wapen van Monnikendam carried 26 guns. However, there is a page in the Collectie Johan de Witt from 1665 that shows that the Monnik in 1665 was 116ft x 27ft. Another point is that the ship Monnik in service in 1665 had an

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-72906173743249044532009-06-30T10:57:00.000-07:002009-06-30T11:02:01.681-07:00

The question is whether the Amsterdam ship Westfriesland, listing in the Staat van Oorlog te Water for the year 1633 is the same ship that served in the First Anglo-Dutch War. The size of 180 lasts is plausible. The armament is even not that dissimilar. The main issue that the Westfriesland would be 20 years old or more in 1653. The Noorderkwartier ship Eenhoorn, built in 1625, was still in

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-85202588725931830362009-06-10T05:18:00.000-07:002009-06-10T05:22:52.911-07:00

I noticed a little piece of trivia. The ship Profeet Samuel, hired by the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier, was a vessel of 200 lasts, according to my calculations. The broadside weight of the Profeet Samuel was only 104 pounds. The Profeet Samuel fought in the Battle of the Gabbard (the Zeeslag bij Nieuwpoort) and was heavily damaged. The Profeet Samuel was finally discarded and the crew moved

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-39564126320597613602009-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:002009-06-03T09:46:41.176-07:00

In the past, we had been confused about the ship Engel Gabriel (from 1636), which was number 16 in Vreugdenhil's list of Dutch ships. We now understand that the Engel Gabriel of 1636 was the jacht commanded by Gerrit Veen. It was NOT inservice until 1653. There were at least three ships named Engel Gabriel in service in 1652-1653. One was the ship commanded by Isaac Sweers, with 36 guns, that was

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-9725847760266317122009-05-31T12:39:00.000-07:002009-05-31T13:18:23.410-07:00

On page 750 of Volume I of Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen has two pieces of information about steenstukken ("stone guns"), which Jan Glete says are swivel guns. Page 750 lists the guns of a 36-gun ship. They include eight 3pdr steenstukken. In the table of guns, De Jonge lists a 4pdr steenstukken. I am currently using the 3pdr figure for my broadside weight calculations. I believe

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-58139936843647296892009-05-27T05:27:00.000-07:002009-05-27T05:30:16.165-07:00

The Amsterdam ship Deventer too part in the campaign leading up to the Battle of the Downs in 1639. The Deventer and the larger of the two ships named Zutphen were both nominally 250 lasts. The Deventer was said to have carried 32 guns in 1636 and had a crew of 100 sailors and 20 soldiers. My guess is that the Deventer had similar dimensions to the Zutphen, which by my calculations was 240 lasts,

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-89412066784047170232009-05-24T15:21:00.000-07:002009-05-24T15:35:11.429-07:00

The handwriting seems ambiguous. The "ij" could be an ""n", so that instead of Bonte Craij, it could be Bonte Cran. I am going with Ron van Maanen's reading, though, of Bonte Craij. This is from the Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1629. I have the Staets for 1628, 1629, 1631, 1633, and 1654. I have been making a spreadsheet where I estimate missing information. The Rotterdam boeier Bonte

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-342527238551463152009-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:002009-05-11T17:31:07.935-07:00

A reader reminded me that the Zeeland ship Agatha, hired from the Hoorn Chamber of the VOC about 1665, later was sold to Denmark in 1666. The Agatha was renamed Faero in the Danish service. We know the dimensions, in Danish feet, for the Faero, so we can calculate the Dutch dimensions. We write the name in English as Faero, but the Danish name could be written as Farø. The dimenensions in

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-85161256327142570422009-05-09T08:17:00.000-07:002009-05-09T08:37:36.296-07:00

The Admiralty of Zeeland hired the ship Agatha from the Hoorn Chamber of the VOC for service in the war, probably in 1665. The Agatha was classed as a jacht by the VOC. We know the guns carried by the Agatha but not the dimensions. My guess would be that the Agatha was probably about 120ft x 29ft x 11ft. The Agatha only had 4-12pdr, with the other 28 guns being smaller.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-88958462695655470622009-05-06T16:59:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:04:16.928-07:00

Kameel was the name that was noted on at least one picture drawn by Willem van de Velde de Oude for Joost Bulter's ship in 1653. From actual documents, we know that his ship was actually named Stad Groningen en Ommelanden. This was a purchased ship, bought by Groningen for service with the Admiralty of Friesland. I have wondered if Kameel was the original name of the ship, prior to being

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-52571303230509320022009-05-02T16:04:00.000-07:002009-05-02T16:08:38.885-07:00

The ship Vogelstruis, which played an important part in battles in the First Anglo-Dutch War from August 1652 up to the Three Days Battle in early 1653, had an English-measured keel length of 116ft. If you use my rule of thumb of multiplying that by 1.33, you get 154.2 ft in Amsterdam feet for the length from stem to sternpost. The VOC ship Vrede had a length of 155ft. I have wondered if the two

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-30722118852824981732009-04-30T17:20:00.001-07:002009-04-30T17:24:01.341-07:00

As it was on the way to being deleted, I noticed that the subject of an email included "Karel V". It was too late, but I concluded that I had just deleted an email that I would rather have not deleted. If you sent me such an email, please send it again. I get thousands of emails a day in Yahoo Mail (where I also forward my KentishKnock mail). Most of that is caught in the Yahoo Mail spam bucket.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-10207680454470042492009-04-28T05:32:00.000-07:002009-04-28T05:36:24.612-07:00

I had spent a great deal of time in the past studying English ships during the First Anglo-Dutch War. The main problem with that period for me is ship armaments. I don't have that much trouble with having many ships with estimated dimensions based on the burden, but all my armaments in the past have been concocted. I had seen the gun lists from 1664 and later and those from Oppenheim. There are

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-83390801335258637652009-04-24T09:13:00.001-07:002009-04-24T09:19:33.823-07:00

There is scant evidence for the existence of a Fries ship named Gelderland and commanded by Laurens Degelcamp (or Degelencamp). The only page with that information is from the papers of De Ruyter from 1652. I admit that the most likely explanation is that it was a mistake and that Laurens Degelcamp's ship in August 1652 was the Groninger Nicolaes. I find the X mark by the Gelderland and the Sint

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-77229942571500265852009-04-21T05:13:00.000-07:002009-04-21T05:26:01.261-07:00

The First Dutch War, Vol.VI has a list of ships from Michiel De Ruyter's fleet in late July 1652. The editor of the volume, C. T. Atkinson, didn't recognize the list because of his lack of familiarity with the material. The volume was also published much later than the preceding volume. I actually have the document that the list is drawn from. The list gives the name of Laurens Degelcamp's ship

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-90867537843268529672009-04-12T14:31:00.000-07:002009-04-12T14:39:12.944-07:00

We know somewhat more about the ships of the Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier in 1654, but for completeness, I think that we need to consider the entire period from the peace treaty with Spain in 1648 up through the end of the First Anglo-Dutch War. I am fairly familiar with what is in the Nationaal Archief from this period and I would agree that we do not know a very complete story about this

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-62379573068482847952009-04-03T05:05:00.000-07:002009-04-03T05:07:21.811-07:00

I enjoyed reading Jan Glete's paper from 2001 about the Dutch navy and state: "The Dutch navy, Dutch state formation and the rise of Dutch maritime supremacy". Paper for the Anglo-American Conference for Historians: The Sea, 4-6 July 2001 University of London, Institute of Historical Research

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-62066819712867167932009-03-15T11:26:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:32:12.747-07:00

I found that the specified number of 18 convoyers for the Admiralty of Amsterdam in 1652 is hard to prove. I can find 15 or 16 at most. To reach 18, I would have to count ships that were later funded under the 100 ships of 1652. The Edam and Star are prominent candidates, as they were both built as warships for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. On 9 June, there were only 11 ships funded by the 100

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-30821565793785467692009-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:002009-03-05T17:31:52.130-08:00

This is my latest attempt at a photograph of a ship at the Battle of Livorno on 14 March 1653. The ship is probably one of the large ships hired in the Mediterranean Sea by the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Most of the ships were approximately 130ft long and carried 28 guns, the largest being 12pdr guns. The crews were nominally 100 men.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-59837198215636541942009-02-28T18:11:00.000-08:002009-02-28T18:29:48.888-08:00

Captain Jan Coenders commanded the hired fluit Graaf Willem in the Battle of the Gabbard. He was judged to be too inexperienced in war for further service. His luitenant, lt-cdr Hessel Gerritsz Bertson, is mentioned in a retrospective list from 22 November 1653 as commander. The Graaf Willem was a large 26-gun ship hired by the Admiralty of Friesland.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-4630513294394113592009-02-23T17:16:00.000-08:002009-02-23T17:25:27.825-08:00

I have not seen that many cases where there are the weights of guns listed, but I recently received pages that had gun weights for Rotterdam guns from 1615: 24pdr 4473 pounds 24pdr 4616 pounds 12pdr 3180 pounds 12pdr 3131 pounds 8pdr 2070 pounds bronze 8pdr 2060 pounds bronze 6pdr 2186 pounds 6pdr 1584 pounds 5pdr 1600 pounds 24pdr 2480 pounds Spanish chambered piece 18pdr 1400 pounds

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-67258458534573487182009-02-16T17:21:00.000-08:002009-02-16T17:24:47.683-08:00

I have some trouble believing that Pieter Aldertsz commanded the Hoorn (32 guns) prior to August 1652. I have the list from 30 June 1652 and the list of ships from Hendrick de Raedt's pamphlet from the voyage to the Shetlands that clearly show that he commanded a ship armed with 24 guns, as if this was one of the smaller, 116ft ships, such as the smaller Enkhuizen. He definitely commanded the

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-61600399992975149982009-02-05T05:12:00.000-08:002009-02-05T05:15:01.340-08:00

I have an interesting list dated 21 September 1652. This is a list of ships of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The list has ship names, commmanders, guns, crew, and victuals (months or weeks). A nice feature is that the list has the names of Watt convoyers and fireships, with their commanders.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-44646599675967533092009-02-01T17:18:00.001-08:002009-02-01T17:32:00.121-08:00

The plan for equipping the Dutch navy in 1652 called for 226 ships: 40 convoyers funded at the peace treaty in 1648, 36 cruisers funded in 1651, 50 Directors' ships funded in 1652, and 100 ships to be hired by the admiralties in 1652. I have not seen these figures mentioned after December 1652. In fact, there were never this many ships hired at one time. There seem to have been fewer than 40

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-82441812609057260162009-01-21T05:26:00.000-08:002009-01-21T05:31:25.582-08:00

In the list from 1671, there is this entry: Officers Ships Date Sailors Soldiers Guns Jan Paulussen van Gelder Noordholland 1670 180 40 44

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-54689543392358795272009-01-19T17:25:00.000-08:002009-01-19T17:26:52.218-08:00

On 23 July 1653, luitenant-commandeur Hessel Gerritsz commanded the Friesland fluit Graef Willem (26 guns). The appointed captain for the Graef Willem was Jan Coenders.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-82989826130742122552009-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:002009-01-10T16:36:49.761-08:00

We don't know which ship this was, but it was almost certainly one of the ships hired by the Admiralty of Amsterdam in Italian ports. All of these ships carried 28 guns and had a crew (at least nominally) of 100 men. The ships were rather large, being 128 to 140 feet long (Amsterdam feet).

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-4189445913651683132008-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:002008-12-26T10:33:37.205-08:00

Yesterday, I played the "The Making of De Reede van Texel" DVD for my sister-in-law. Her reaction was that she would like to have a copy for her fellow teacher who builds boats with students. They are also both art teachers. Despite the fact that the audio is all in Dutch, the video is still very interesting. I just wish that when it was available online, that I had downloaded some of the

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-9492616600261407932008-12-07T17:26:00.000-08:002008-12-07T17:34:12.423-08:00

Earlier today, I received a list for the Admiralty of Amsterdam, dated 24 July 1661, that gave the length, beam, and hold, along with captain and guns for some of the ships of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. Included in that list was the Koevorden (50 guns), which this document spells "Coeverden".

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-74736121712403105412008-11-30T12:25:00.000-08:002008-12-07T17:37:15.176-08:00

When described in books, the Dutch plans for equipping the navy with ships in 1652 seem to be very well-defined. There were the 40 convoyers authorized in 1648, the 36 cruisers authorized in 1651, the 50 Directors' ships and the 100 ships, both authorized in 1652. The reality was that the plan was less certain then what was published. There may only have been 36 of the 40 still in service by May

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-59962190198720587362008-11-28T15:28:00.001-08:002008-11-28T15:35:19.258-08:00

I had not heard this story before about the inspiration for the hymn "We gather together". I know the song well, but didn't realize that it derived from the Dutch. The battle it commemorated was at Turnhout in 1597. The Dutch name for the hymn was "Wilt Heden Nu Treden". Yesterday was the Thanksgiving holiday in America. "We Gather Together" is a typical Thanksgiving hymn.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-9563165095241661512008-11-28T11:21:00.000-08:002008-11-28T11:27:21.004-08:00

A typical practice at the time of the First Anglo-Dutch War was for Dutch many ships to have a few larger guns. I consider this practice to be a continuation of the Elizabethan arming scheme for ships. The Zeelanders certainly followed this pattern: Zeeuwsche Leeuw 2-bronze 24pdr Westcappel 2-bronze 16pdr Amsterdam 2-bronze 24pdr, 2-bronze 20pdr Wapen van Zeeland 2-

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-13784989324695884822008-11-17T02:31:00.000-08:002008-11-17T02:43:49.676-08:00

I received a page this morning that shows that Dirck Cleuter was the luitenant of Evert Anthoniszoon when the Hollandia was lost at the Battle of Scheveningen in 1653. The sum of the small pieces of information is how I build the larger picture. My approach to historical research is a bottom-up process.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-37836067979357545642008-11-09T10:45:00.000-08:002008-11-09T10:55:32.390-08:00

This morning, I was talking to my fellow "greeter" and she asked me about my ancestry, given my last name. That question got me thinking again about Matilda Lehman (not Lemon), who married a Beardsley in the 19th Century. Her son told the 1870 census taker that his mother was born in Holland. Other indications were that she was born in Ohio, but I can accept that she might have in fact been born

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-21541927905116901632008-11-08T16:30:00.000-08:002008-11-08T16:35:46.773-08:00

I just had one of those flashes of inspiration. In the French intelligence documents that Jan Glete gave me in 2003, there is a ship called "Tsuy derthuis". I just realized that this was the Amsterdam ship Zuiderhuis!

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-73139705577531688522008-10-17T05:26:00.000-07:002008-10-17T05:34:46.313-07:00

A report from early March 1653 about the Three Days Battle says the commander of the Zeeland ship Faam was "Commandeur Swarten Pieter". He had commanded Cornelis Loncke's ship Faam in the battle. The report also names the dead captains, although Dirck Scheij would seem to have been in error. Also, Sipke Fockes was killed, but his ship was not captured (the Sint Maria).

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-18547673274898009392008-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:002008-10-12T10:05:29.531-07:00

Google Books now has Gijs Rommelse's book about the Second Anglo-Dutch War as full view in the United States. You can't download it, but you can read it online. Also in the United States, they have Vol.II of William Laird Clowes' book The Royal Navy: A History.... Last night, I finally downloaded Vol.II of Granville Penn's biography of William Penn. I also downloaded quite a few volumes of a

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-58253172519162391612008-10-03T10:01:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:02:33.709-07:00

I had missed the fact that I have two lists dated 12 September 1653 that I need to use in my analysis. They both include the ship Mars (38 guns), commanded by Reijnst Cornelisz Sevenhuijsen.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-47903651701526574092008-10-02T09:54:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:57:24.704-07:00

The First Dutch War often has quotations from Thurloe's State Papers. The volumes are available online at British History Online.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-40740038940445098132008-09-25T09:20:00.000-07:002008-09-25T09:22:08.841-07:00

This is my translation of what Mollema has about Legier Pietersz: Legier Pietersz (van Cruyningen) about 1540-1 May 1620 Zeeuwsche kapitein in 1583 1588 probably served under Loncq against the Armada. 1592 captured a Dunkirker. 1595 distinguished himself at Dunkirk in the blockade fleet, attacked two privateers at Calais. 1597 off Spain under Duivenvoorde. 1599 was wounded in a fight against a

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-36821053669178557502008-09-23T04:38:00.000-07:002008-09-23T04:41:45.193-07:00

In analyzing the lists of the Dutch fleet from May to June 1653, we immediately notice that the Prinses Louise, commanded by Abel Roelantsz, and the Groningen, commanded by Gilles Thijssen Campen are not mentioned. The problem with that is that in Brandt's biography of De Ruyter and Vol.V of The First Dutch War, in De Ruyter's journal entry, the two officers are named as division commanders in

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-55777858316515969602008-09-13T17:07:00.000-07:002008-09-13T17:14:30.643-07:00

The Amsterdam ship Omlandia, built in 1625, was apparently a vessel of 110 lasts. So how large would a 110 last ship be? I estimate that a 110 last vessel would be about 108ft x 25ft x 8-1/2ft in Amsterdam feet. The Omlandia carried 24 guns.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-33909060611636326942008-09-13T16:55:00.000-07:002008-09-13T16:56:38.945-07:00

The Friesland ship Omlandia mentioned in Vreugdenhil's list as being built in 1628, it turns out, is a vessel of 200 lasts. That is despite the 122ft length and narrow beam. The hold is 13ft and that gives the volume needed to be 200 lasts.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-18792519129721185012008-09-12T09:39:00.000-07:002008-09-12T09:41:29.822-07:00

The commanded by Frederick de Coninck during the First Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Groote Vergulde Fortuijn was apparently a 300 last ship. I base that on a baseline factor for calculating lasts from J. C. De Jonge's book, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, in Vol.I.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-63794304599886812592008-09-09T05:14:00.000-07:002008-09-09T05:22:10.627-07:00

One list of Rotterdam ships that I received early last year was apparently compiled prior to June 1652, but is annotated to include what happened in June and July. The list is dated 28 July 1652. The Dolphijn had been in Brazil, with Philips Jacobsz Schooneman as captain. The Dolphijn is listed as 110ft x 25-1/2ft x 12-1/2ft, all in Maas feet of 12 inches. The Dolphijn was armed with 28 guns at

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-28483778285609013112008-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:002008-09-08T16:51:24.445-07:00

Dr. Elias, in Vol.II of Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van Ons Zeewezen mentions that at first, only 38 ships of the 100 were hired. We know that by 9 June 1652, that the 38 were hired: 8 from Rotterdam 11 from Amsterdam 7 from Zeeland 7 from the Noorderkwartier 5 from Friesland We know that some of these ships were actually built as warships. Some were sold or laid up after 1648, at the

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-50471956370032703832008-09-01T08:35:00.001-07:002008-09-01T08:37:50.579-07:00

Witte de With's fleet sest sail from the Vlie in 1645, destined for the Sound. The mission was to push the fleet of merchant ships into the Sound without paying the toll to Denmark.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-15248976491139198672008-08-24T16:01:00.001-07:002008-08-24T16:52:17.145-07:00

This is my attempt at a translation of what Dr. Elias wrote in Vol.VI, pages 121-122, of the storm off the Texel in November 1653. I did a bit of editing of the translation, which a native Dutch speaker could do better (primarily to make the word order match English better): The Zeeland Directors’ ship Gekroonde Liefde was the first, having been stranded on the shore at the Huisduinen on Sunday

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-62017903965423816592008-08-22T04:41:00.000-07:002008-08-22T04:57:31.468-07:00

I have written about Anthonis van Salingen at KentishKnock.com. I have usually spelled his last name as "van Zalingen", but the old, handwritten documents generally say "van Salingen". He was born about 1600 and died on 10 December 1652 (the new style date). He served the Admiralty of Amsterdam. He was appointed an Extra-Ordinary Kapitein as far back as 1624. He was a full Kapitein-ter-Zee in

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-8575224354085623432008-08-17T06:30:00.000-07:002008-08-24T16:51:23.615-07:00

Now, there is more than just the website, for De Sneuper, there is also a blog: http://sneuperdokkum.blogspot.com/. The blog is actually titled: "Historische Vereniging Noordoost Friesland".

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-7149872759036574262008-08-16T09:15:00.000-07:002008-08-16T09:18:25.371-07:00

Carl Stapel pointed out Alexandervan Maanen's blog, Warships, where he and Ron van Maanen's both have material posted. One thing that might be of wide interest is Ron's list of Dutch ships at the Battle of Lowestoft, with dimensions and gun lists.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-82873990042048253482008-08-10T17:13:00.000-07:002008-08-10T17:15:19.606-07:00

In 1652, Nicholas de With commanded the Amsterdam Directors' ship Prins Maurits (or Mauritius), up until it was wrecked due to bad piloting in November 1652. I presume that he was the same Nicholas de With who served with the English Royalists in 1645. R. C. Anderson lists him as a Royalist captain in 1645.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-905823538192679412008-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:002008-08-02T08:21:31.310-07:00

The book Sleutels van de Sont is available in the United States in Google Book Search. This book has the list of ships and captains in Witte de With's fleet in the operation to push a large convoy of merchantmen into the Baltic in 1645 without paying the toll to Denmark.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-11903311954130392452008-07-27T16:06:00.000-07:002008-07-27T16:16:52.534-07:00

By the Battle of Lowestoft, Dutch ships seemed to have carried a large number of guns for their size. The little Rotterdam ship Vrede carried 40 guns. In the case of the Vrede, the ship carried many 12pdr and 6pdr guns. My opinion was that the ship was greatly over-armed for a small frigate. This was the ship that Jan van Brakel commanded at the raid on the Medway when he is often said to have

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-31470145148643704362008-07-25T10:02:00.000-07:002008-07-25T10:05:31.102-07:00

I have been searching on the Gemeentearchief Rotterdam website. I saw what I had known about: "capiteyn Abel Roelantsz Verboom". I believe that he had been flag captain for Tromp on the Brederode in 1652. In 1653, he commanded Witte de With's old flagship, the Prinses Louise (36 guns). He also may have functioned as a division commander.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-42090187585645886472008-07-18T09:19:00.000-07:002008-07-18T09:58:31.292-07:00

I had never seen the ship Gewapende Ruyter mentioned in any document from the Nationaal Archief in The Hague before yesterday. That is no longer the case. Yesterday, I received photographs of a letter from Admiralty of Amsterdam secretary David de Wildt, from 18 November 1653, with what Jane's Fighting Ships used to call "War Losses". These were the ships lost by the Admiralty of Amsterdam in

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-34410155768444695202008-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:002008-07-13T09:47:28.661-07:00

I found out today that my ancestor's name was not Matilda Lemon, but Matilda Lehman. Lehman is apparently a Mennonite name, and this page makes it seem plausible that Matilda Lehman could have a Netherlands connection. Lehmans moved to Ohio, at one point, and the Beardsleys lived in Ohio at the right period. It was in an 1870 census where Solomon Beardsley said that his mother was born in "

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-11555675303264530162008-07-09T05:10:00.000-07:002008-07-09T05:12:42.758-07:00

I had thought that I did not know the weight of any 15pdr guns, but from a page dated 27 March 1653, I have the weights of two bronze 15pdr guns carried by the Zeeland ship Hollandia, commanded by kapitein Adriaen Banckert. The two guns were 2750 and 2733 pounds.

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-41096360126599355212008-07-04T08:11:00.000-07:002008-07-04T08:14:45.204-07:00

I was surprised to see that the Rotterdam ship Gorcum (or Gorinchem) carried two copper 6pdr guns in 1652. The Friesland ship Breda had copper 4pdr guns at the same time. The Admiralty of Friesland had acquired the Breda from Amsterdam, as I recall. Nico Brinck had told me that the "copper" guns were actually made from a composite of iron, lead, and beaten copper. The copper was not cast, but

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-79009897453258185172008-06-17T09:30:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:34:20.285-07:00

I was working on my annotated list of ships that fought in the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, when I noticed that the Oosterwijk was 140ft long. The Amsterdam and the Oosterwijk were built under the First Anglo-Dutch War building program and came into service late in the summer, after the Battle of Scheveningen. They were both 140ft long ships. They were a non-standard size, as supposedly, they

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056056.post-67620465734657327632008-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:002008-06-15T10:35:03.922-07:00

My first attempt at an estimate where I have an idea of dimensions for a gun is a 24pdr bronze drake from 1628. I have a lower resolution scan of Nico Brinck's drawing, so I had some trouble reading the numbers. The gun is about 2273mm long (8ft long in Amsterdam feet). My weight estimate, based on metal volume is 2739 pounds (Amsterdam pounds of 494.09 grams). I do all the important

Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07843351294592716332noreply@blogger.com