Three Amsterdam ships named Hollandia, from 1683 to 1734

Ron van Maanen lists information about three Amsterdam ships named Hollandia that were in service during the period of 1683 until 1734. There was a Hollandia built in 1683 that was wrecked in 1698. This ship was apparently built to replace the Hollandia, built in 1665, that was lost in 1683. The 1683 Hollandia had dimensions of 156ft x 40ft x 15ft and carried 72-74 guns. Another Hollandia was built in 1702 and served until 1726, when sold and was broken up. This Hollandia had dimensions of 161ft x 42-1/4ft x 16ft. The ship also carried from 72 to 74 guns. This was followed by another Hollandia built in 1725 by Gerbrand Slegt. This Hollandia served until 1734 when it was sold into the merchant service. The 1725 Hollandia had dimensions of 165ft x 46ft x 17-1/2ft. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated but circa 1992

From the papers of Dr. Simon Hart

I have the papers of Dr. Simon Hart, from the Gemeentearchief Amsterdam in PDF form. Some of the most interesting pages are those from an Amsterdam notary, Jan Volckertszoon Oli. For the hired ship Jupiter, there is a contract and an inventory. The contracts often give the dimensions of ships, usually with the dimensions spelled out in words, rather than as numeric digits. The inventories, where they exist, are easier for me to read. The inventory for the Jupiter dates from October 1652 and gives the dimensions: 130ft x 30ft x 14ft, with a height between decks of 7ft. There is a list of guns carried, as well: 4-12pdr, 10-8pdr, 12-6pdr, and 2-4pdr guns. The Jupiter served in the Mediterranean Sea.

The fluit Judith from 1658

The fluit Judith was one of the transports that carried troops and supplies to Copenhagen after the Battle of the Sound. Six fluits accompanied the Dutch fleet, and the troops and supplies helped save Copenhagen, which was besieged by the Swedes in 1658. In Dr. Simon Hart's papers, in a document from 15 September 1658, there is information about the Judith:

The fluit Judith

Dimensions: 128ft x 26-1/2ft x 12-1/2ft x 6ft

20 guns: 8-6pdr, 8-4pdr, and 4-2pdr

The document number is very light, but appears to be number 1187 from the PDF file 883-472, from Dr. Simon Hart's papers from the Gemeentearchief Amsterdam (the Municipal Archives of Amsterdam). Sadly, the PDF files are very large--too large for email.

If there was just one Sint Matheeus, that simplifies things while raising new questions

If there was only one Amsterdam Directors' ship named Sint Matheeus in service from March 1652 until June 1653, that simplies things, in some respects. That explains why we have not seen another ship mentioned with dimensions. It also explains why there were not simultaneous entries in lists for "Cornelis Naeuoogh" and "Cornelis Laurensz" in May 1653. It also explains why we did not see the ship of Cornelis Naeuoogh continuing in service after June 1653. There was just one ship, perhaps commanded by Cornelis Laurensz Naeuoogh (or whatever spelling is correct) and that ship was captured by the English as the Battle of the Gabbard. Somehow, yet to be explained to me is why Cornelis Naeuoogh did not end up as an English prisoner. Another question is which dimensions, the smaller of 140ft x 34ft x 15ft x 7-1/3ft or the larger of 144ft x 36ft x 15ft x 7ft is correct? I will see if my method of estimating Dutch dimensions from English dimensions gives us any guidance:

English Dimensions:

Length on the keel:         108ft
Beam outside the planking:   32ft
Depth of hold:               15ft

Estimated Dutch Dimensions:    

Length from stem to sternpost: 143.64ft
Beam inside of the planking:    36.16ft
Hold:                           16.96ft

I am not sure why the hold dimensions is far off, but my system indicates that the larger dimensions seem more plausible for the ship that was captured by the English.

Carl Stapel's list for May to June 1653 has Joost Bulter's ship

I am processing lists for my comprehensive Dutch ship document, and I started on Carl Stapel's list from 20 June 1653, which lists ships from 8 May until 20 June 1653, including ships lost at the Battle of the Gabbard. Carl lists Joost Bulter's ship as the Stadt en Ommelanden, which is what I would have expected. Ron van Maanen says that the armament varied between 28 and 38 guns, as a list from Carl from April 1653 gives the armament as 38 guns.

Joost Bulter's ship at the Battle of the Gabbard in June 1653

One ongoing mystery is Joost Bulter's ship that was sunk at the Battle of the Gabbard. Haagsma's article, Friesland's Zeewezen, in the 1895 edition of De Vrije Fries (available through Google Book Search), says that Joost Bulter's ship was the 42 gun ship Kameel. We know from a variety of sources that Joost Bulter's ship from the summer of 1652 up to the Three Days' Battle (the Battle of Portland) from 28 February to 2 March 1653 was the Stad Groningen en Ommelanden (also called the Stad en Landen). The First Dutch War, Vol.V calls the ship the "Town and Country" (presumably, Stad en Lande). Aitzema just calls the ship "of the Stad en Lande". The biography of Richard Deane calls the ship the Kameel (42 guns). No document from 1653, however, surfaced with the name Kameel, a ship with 42 guns. There are even conflicting reports about whether the ship was a Groningen Directors' ship or a ship of the Admiralty of Friesland. Hopefully, something will eventually appear.

Two ships name Zeeridder

Ron van Maanen has information about two Zeeland ships named Zeeridder. The first was the frigate built in 1640 at Veere by Jan Keijser. This Zeeridder, also called Meerminne, was last mentioned in 1655. This ship had dimensions of 116ft x 27ft x 11ft, carried 26 guns, and had a crew of about 70 men. Her first captain in 1640 was named Bastiaen Thijssen. The second ship was built in 1653 and had dimensions of 116ft x 28ft x 11-1/2ft, with a height between decks of 6-1/2ft. The second ship carrried between 28 and 36 guns, at diferent dates and had a crew that varied between 75 and 186 men. The small ship must have been very crowded with 186 men! The second Zeeridder was last mentioned in 1667. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "ZEELAND", undated

The Rotterdam ship Eendracht, built in 1666

The ship Eendracht was built in Rotterdam by Jan Salmonsz van den Tempel in 1666. The Eendracht was a large ship with dimensions 160ft x 42-1/2ft x 16ft. The height between decks was 7-1/2ft. The Eendracht served as Aert Jansz van Nes's flagship up through the end of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. From 1675 to 1676, the Eendracht was Michiel De Ruyter's flagship in the Mediterranean Sea. He was mortally wounded in the Battle of Etna (or Agosta) on 22 April 1676. His opponent, Abraham Duquesne stopped fighting upon hearing of De Ruyter's wound and withdrew. The Eendracht was in service until 1690. The Eendracht's armament varied over time:

19 May 1666:  14-24pdr, 26-18pdr, 12-12pdr, 16-6pdr, and 8-4pdr guns
24 Feb 1672:  14-24pdr, 12-18pdr, 24-12pdr, 6-6pdr, and 14-4pdr guns

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Wikipedia page on the Battle of Agosta (English)

I am still curious about a listing from Ron van Maanen for a jacht Brak

Ron van Maanen has a separate listing for a jacht named Brak, the same as the jacht built in 1649. This vessel is only listed in 1653, and has somewhat different dimensions and a captain who is unfamiliar to me. I have assumed that it was a variant listing for the jacht Brak, built in 1649, but I could be wrong:

The jacht Brak, (1 April 1653) kapitein Dirck Pieterssen Berthiens

Dimensions: 115ft x 25ft x 9ft, with a height between decks of 6ft

18 guns:
5 April 1653: 4-8pdr, 12-4pdr, and 2-3pdr guns

Crew: 70-90 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated but circa 1992

What ships went over to the Royalists in 1648?

The question was raised as to which English ships went over to the Royalists in 1648. William Laird Clowes, in Vol.II of The Royal Navy, a History, on a note on page 80. In June 1648, William Batten took a squadron of ships and declared for the Royalist side. In October 1647, Colonel Thomas Rainborough had been appointed command the Parliamentarian winter guard. When Col. Rainborough tried to board the Constant Reformation in March 1648, he was refused entry. Col. Rainborough had complained of his treatment, but the parliament reappointed William Batten to command the fleet. The sailors in the fleet were generally hoping to make an arrangement with King Charles. In June, William Batten took 11 ships from the Thames and sailed across to Holland. The list of ships included:

1. Swallow, 36 guns 3rd Rate
2. Constant Reformation, 46 guns 2nd Rate
3. Convertine, 42 guns 2nd Rate
4. Antelope, 36 guns 3rd Rate
5. Satisfaction, 26 guns 5th Rate
6. Constant Warwick, 26 guns 4th Rate
7. Blackmoor Lady, 18 guns 5th rate
8. Hind, 13 guns 6th Rate
9. Crescent, 14 guns 6th Rate
10. Roebuck, 10 guns 6th Rate and
11. Pelican, 10 guns 6th Rate

The Truelove, 12 guns (6th Rate) must have been among them, for in November, the ships, Satisfaction, Hind, and Truelove deserted the Royalists and returned to the Parliamentarian side. The Constant Warwick had left the Royalists after arriving and returned to England. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, Lists of Men-of-War 1650-1700: Part I English Ships 1649-1702, 1966
2. William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898
3. J. R. Powell, The Navy in the English Civil War, 1962

An early 1700's Dutch ship Huis te Neck

Ron van Maanen has information about the Noorderkwartieir ship Huis te Neck was built in 1709. The Huis te Neck was built at Hoorn, although the exact date could hav been either 1709 or 1710, as there are apparently conflicting references. The Huis te Neck was finally discarded in 1740. Ron has the details, the exact figures vary according to the date of the source:

The ship Huis te Neck

Length:    140ft
Beam:       38ft or perhaps 40ft in many sources
Hold:       15-1/2ft or perhaps 16ft in many sources

50 to 54 guns
Crew: 280 men

Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated but circa 1992

So where did the 1644 date come from for the supposed 120ft long Achilles?

Vreugdenhil had listed a ship named Achilles with a 120ft length, built in 1644. From everything I have seen, this was actually the same ship named Achilles, commanded by Dirk Schey in the First Anglo-Dutch War, with dimensions of 131ft x 29ft x 13ft, with a height between decks of 7ft. What has convinced me of that is that Ron van Maanen has a listing for the 120ft ship with dimensions of 120ft x 29ft x 13ft, from a list dated 15 July 1655. The 131ft ship and the 120ft ship listing have more than that in common. The 131ft ship is said to have carried between 28 and 40 guns. The 40 is mentioned by Vreugdenhil, but I cannot account for the number. The 120ft ship is said to carry 28 guns. The crew of the 131ft ship is between 90 and 120 men, as is the crew for the 120ft ship. Neither ship was mentioned after 1655. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. A. Vreugdenhil, Ships of the United Netherlands 1648-1702, 1938

Dutch ships built in 1693 seem to have been lightly armed

Ron van Maanen has data about the Noorderkwartier ship Alkmaar, built at Hoorn in 1693. The Alkmaar was built to the 15 February 1680 establishment for 70 gun ships. The dimensions of the Alkmaar were 156ft x 41ft x 15ft, with a height between decks of 7-1/2ft. The amazing thing to me is that the lower tier was all 18pdrs. The armament was 26-18pdr, 24-12pdr, 16-6pdr, and 4-4pdr guns. The Alkmaar was in service until 1712. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992

Dutch warships in the First Anglo-Dutch Wars with 8-18pdr guns

The Dutch flagship Brederode was the most heavily armed of the Dutch ships in the First Anglo-Dutch War. There was a group of ships that were pretty heavily armed, as well. They carried 8-18pdr guns, along with more of smaller shot weights. Pieter Florissen's flagship, the Monnikendam, although just a 120ft ship, had 8-18pdr guns, along with other that brought the armament up to as many as 36 guns. Michiel De Ruyter's flagship for much of the last half of the war, the Lam, also had 8-18pdr guns. For a brief period in April 1653, De Ruyter used the Middelburg Directors' ship Gekroonde Liefde (36 guns) as his flagship. That ship too carried 8-18pdr guns, along with others. One odd ship, only 117ft x 27ft x 11ft, that had a large complement of 18pdr guns, according to the Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654 was the Rotterdam, commanded by Jan Aertsz Verhaeff. I have seen another document that shows that they might have actually been 16pdrs. Still, if the Rotterdam was only 116ft long and had 18-18pdr guns, they must have been very light pieces and would have had to have been fired with light charges. There was very little space for gun recoil on a 27ft beam. This all seems very odd, and is a mystery to me.

The Zevenwolden in 1653

Ron van Maanen has the dimensions for Frederick Stellingwerff's ship, the Zevenwolden (Sevenwolden): 122ft x 28-1/2ft x 11-1/4ft, with a height between decks of 7ft. According to Witte de With's journal, in July 1653, the Zevenwolden carried 34 guns and had a crew of 133 men. The Zevenwolden was sunk at the Battle of Scheveningen. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

The Zevenwolden in 1653

Ron van Maanen has the dimensions for Frederick Stellingwerff's ship, the Zevenwolden (Sevenwolden): 122ft x 28-1/2ft x 11-1/4ft, with a height between decks of 7ft. According to Witte de With's journal, in July 1653, the Zevenwolden carried 34 guns and had a crew of 133 men. The Zevenwolden was sunk at the Battle of Scheveningen. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "Dutch Warships 1600-1800", undated, but circa 1992
2. Witte de With, journals from 1652 to 1658, Archive E8812 from the Riksarkivet, Stockholm

English Captain: Anthony Joyne

Anthony Joyne served in the Commonwealth navy. In 1653, he commanded the Portuguese prize Convertine. He sailed from Portsmouth on 30 March 1653, in William Penn's squadron. The Convertine carried 44 guns and had a crew of 220 men. After the Restoration, the Convertine and her peers were classified as 4th Rates, but in the First Dutch War, they were small 3rd Rates. The actual date that Anthony Joyne took command of the Convertine is uncertain. Very likely, he commanded the Convertine in the Three Days Battle (the Battle of Portland). The published list for the Battle of the Gabbard shows the Convertine, with Anthony Joyne in command, assigned to William Goodsen's Rear Division in the Blue Squadron. He very likely also fought in the Battle of Scheveningen. He was still in command of the Convertine on 13 September 1653. By 27 December, 1653, John Hayward commanded the Convertine. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, "English Fleet-Lists in the First Dutch War," The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.XXIV No.4, October 1938
2. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910
3. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.V, 1912
4. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol. VI, 1930

English Captain: Francis Barham

Francis Barham served in the Commonwealth navy. He commanded the hired ship Hannibal (44 guns) in 1652. He was succeeded in command by William Haddock. He was in Andrew Ball's squadron that was sent to the Sound in September 1652. He fought in the Battle of Dungeness, where he again commanded the Hannibal. He seems to have been removed from command, as were many of the hired ship captains, following the battle. The younger William Haddock commanded the Hannibal from the Battle of the Gabbard, and later. Sources:

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

The Svenska Flottans Historia

I have a few copies from the Svenska Flottans Historia, of which the University of Minnesota has a copy. I was interested because of my interest in the 17th Century naval wars in the Baltic. In particular, I am interested in everything to do with the Battle of the Sound in 1658. The entire three volume set, published in 1942, is very pricey. I see prices in the range from $360 to $840. The book has ship and gun data, and photographs of old guns and carriages. The book has tables with gun data for various dates, including 1658:

                 Brass guns                                Iron guns
Ship             30pr 24pr 18pr 14pr 12pr 10pr 8pr 6pr 3pr 18pr 14pr 8pr 6pr 3pr
Kronan                24         4   26            14   6
Viktoria          2   26             24            16   4
Mars                   6        12    8             4   4   2    2        4
Apollo                 4         8    2             6   2        6        4    

Some speculation about hte Stad Medemblick

Pieter Schellinger commanded the Noorderkwartier ship Stad Medemblick. This was one of the 36 ships of 1651, a cruiser that was activated when war with England seemed likely. As the Stad Medemblick seems to have been built as a warship, the likelihood is that the ship was built to the one of the existing charters. The Stad Medemblick started the war with 26 guns and by June 1653 carried 32 guns. The 120ft charter ships had dimensions of 120ft x 27ft x 11ft with a height between decks of 6-1/2ft. The 116ft charter had dimensions of 116ft x 26-1/2ft x 10ft with a height between decks of 6-1/4ft. If the Stad Medemblick carried 32 guns in 1653, then the 120ft length would seem to be correct. We know some armaments for similar ships:

Medemblick              28 guns: 10-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 6-4pdr, and 2-3pdr
Casteel van Medemblick  28 guns: 10-12pdr, 8-8pdr, 2-6pdr, 6-4pdr, and 2-3pdr

Hoorn                   32 guns: 6-12pdr, 20-8pdr, 2-6pdr, and 2-4pdr
Enkhuizen               28 guns: 4-12pdr, 14-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 4-4pdr
Wapen van Monnikendam   28 guns: 4-12pdr, 14-8pdr, 6-6pdr, and 4-4pdr

There were apparently two different arming schemes for Noorderkwartier ships. One was more like the Amsterdam Directors' scheme, with 10-12pdr and 8-8pdr guns, with some smaller. The other schweme had either 4 or 6 12pdr with many more 8pdr guns. 14-8pdr was apparently a typical number. Sources:

1. Staet van Oorlog te Water for the year 1654, 1654