History
The Ridderschap van Holland was the flagship of vice admiral Johan de Liefde during the Four Days' Battle in 1666. Later it was the flagship of rear admiral Jan Jansse van Nes during the Battle of Solebay on June 7th, 1672. During the Battle of Texel on August 21st, 1673, it was the flagship of Eland du Bois.
Lost in a storm after a long career
The Ridderschap was lost later in her life during a convoy voyage in a heavy coast before the Spanish coast in the Gulf of Biscay.
The convoy, consisting of around 400 ships, had left Torbay on Marchi 17th, 1690. Admiral Russel, who was also part of the convoy and who had the queen of Spain on board, left the convoy for a different destination with a part of the ships, and the other part went on towards Cape Finisterre. On the 25th, they ended up in a heavy storm. It blew harder then the crew had ever witnessed and they were forced to drift on with their sails down.
A letter written by the crew of the Sint Joseph reports that they saw the Ridderschap and that the ship had lost all her masts. The crew was taken over by other ships and she sank immediately after that. Many ships in the convoy were damaged, yet most made it to A Coruña at the start of the next month.
The loss of the Ridderschap was around 45 degrees, 38 minutes north but the latitude is not clear. This is put at 59 degrees and 23 minutes. In this period (before the Greenwich meridian became the standard), several zero meridians were in use, yet none of these makes sense with this position. Furthermore, it is not very likely that they were able to take such specific positions in such a storm.
Description
Yard: Rotterdam (Admirality Yard?), master Salomon Janszoon
Crew: 350 (1666)
Bewapening: 66 cannon (1666)
12 x 24 pounder
18 x 18 pounder
26 x 12 pounder
2 x 6 pounder
8 x 4 pounder
| Master | Liefde, Pieter de |
|---|---|
| Length | 150 Amsterdam feet (42.5 m) |
| Width | 40 Amsterdam feet (11.3 m) |
| Draft | 15 Amsterdam feet (4.3 m) |
References
- G. van Reyn, Glavimans.
Beschrijving van Rotterdam, Bijlage: II Schepen op de admiraliteitswerf gebouwd. - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Europische Mercurius.
Maart 1690. - Nationaal archief, Den Haag.
Staten Generaal.
1.01.04, nr 7089. - Nationaal Archief, Den Haag.
Admiraliteitsarchief.
1.01.47,27, nr 440. - pp 1.
Delpher.
Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant.
29-04-1690. - pp 1.
Delpher.
Amsterdamsche Courant.
11-03-1690.