Popkensburg was built in 1646 for the VOC chamber of Zeeland on a wharf in Middelburg. She was named for a castle north of Middelburg which was built in the 13th century by a member of the Popken family. It was common for ships of the era to be given names of this type.

Due to being worn out, the ship was lost between Coromandel and what was then Ceylon,13 miles north of Punte Pedra (Point Pedro), which is on the northern coast of modern day Sri Lanka. She carried 22 cannons and 100 tons of rice. Her crew was saved.

British Museum (1946,0713.177)

Het Huys Popkensburgh. Tekening Abraham Storck (ca. 1650-1660)

Built: 1646 on a wharf in Middelburg

Tonnage: 260

• Gegevens VOC-schip Popkensburg.
  De VOCsite.
• NL-HaNa, VOC, 1.04.02, inv. nr. 1215, fol. 931.
• NL-HaNa, VOC, 1.04.02, inv. nr. 1217,section Ceylon, fol. 56.