Maarten Tromp
Maarten Tromp | |
---|---|
Birth name | Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp |
Nickname(s) | Bestevaêr |
Born | 23 April 1598 Brielle, Dutch Republic |
Died | 31 July 1653 Battle of Scheveningen | (aged 55)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Dutch Republic |
Years of service | 1607–1653 |
Battles/wars | |
Signature |
Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp or Maarten van Tromp (23 April 1598 – 31 July 1653) was an
Early life
Born in Brielle in the Netherlands, Tromp was the oldest son of Harpert Maertensz, a naval officer and captain of the frigate Olifantstromp ("Elephant Trunk"). The surname Tromp probably derives from the name of the ship; it first appeared in documents in 1607. He was baptized 3 May 1598 in St. Catherine's Cathedral.[1] In 1606, the Tromp family moved to Rotterdam where Tromp's father was appointed by the Admiralty of Rotterdam as captain of the frigate Olifantstromp. His mother supplemented the family's income as a washerwoman. In 1607, at the age of nine, Tromp went to sea with his father aboard the Olifantsdorp, of the Rotterdam squadron, commanded by Commodore Mooy Lambert, as part of the Dutch fleet of Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Heemskerck, with the objective of blockading Dunkirk and the Spanish coast and intercepting the Spanish fleet being sent to drive the Dutch from the East Indies. On 25 April, a fierce battle ensued at the Battle of Gibraltar, resulting in a great Dutch victory.[1][2][3][4]
In 1610, after his father's discharge because of a navy reorganization, the Tromps were on their way to Guinea on their merchantman when they were attacked by a squadron of seven ships under command of the English pirate Peter Easton. During the fight, Tromp's father was slain by a cannonball, where after the battle his body was thrown overboard by the boarding party. According to legend, the 12-year-old boy rallied the crew of the ship with the cry "Won't you avenge my father's death?" The pirates seized him and sold him on the slave market of Salé where he ended up serving as a cabin boy. Two years later, Easton was moved by pity and ordered his redemption.[2][5][6]
Set free, Tromp supported his mother and three sisters by working in a
Maarten Tromp was supreme commander of the Dutch fleet during the later part of the
Eighty Years' War
During the
In 1637 Tromp re-enlisted in the Dutch navy and was promoted from captain to
With his flagship, the
During his career, his main rival was Vice-Admiral
Tromp commanded the Dutch squadron that escorted
First Anglo-Dutch War
In the First Anglo-Dutch War of 1652 to 1653, Tromp commanded the Dutch fleet in the battles of Dover, Dungeness, Portland, the Gabbard and Scheveningen.[24]
Prior to the war, Oliver Cromwell and the Rump Parliament had issued an ordinance prohibiting foreign trade and requiring all foreign fleets in the North Sea or the Channel to lower their flag in salute and as a sign of compliance. A Dutch embassy was in London trying to negotiate a lifting of the Navigation Acts, but without much success.[25] On 19 May 1652, Tromp was cruising in the English Channel with a fleet of forty ships between Nieuport and the mouth of the Meuse River, with general orders to protect Holland's commerce, while keeping watch over the English fleet who were searching and seizing Dutch merchant ships prior.[26] British Admiral Robert Blake had recently seized seven richly laden Dutch merchant ships, off the coast of Fairlight.[27] Blake was now lying in Dover Roads with fifteen ships, while eight others were anchored in Bourne in the Downs.[26] When Tromp failed to lower his flag in salute, Blake, aboard his flagship the James, believing Tromp had just received orders from a dispatch ketch to commence battle, fired two warning shots, without ball. The Battle of Dover was began when Tromp refused to strike his flag and instead hoisted a red battle flag in defiance,[28] which prompted Blake to fire a third gun, hitting Tromp's ship and wounding some crew members. This was followed with Tromp returning fire with a warning broadside from his flagship Brederode. Blake in turn fired a broadside and a five-hour battle ensued.[29] The fighting continued until nightfall, where both sides withdrew, the battle having no distinct victor.[30][31] Shortly after the battle a board of commissioners, which included Cromwell, after questioning witnesses, had concluded that Tromp had deliberately provoked hostilities. Subsequently Holland withdrew its three ambassadors from Westminster,[32] and on 8 July 1652 England declared war against Holland.[30]
Tromp with a larger fleet than he had ordered for, sailed to the Downs and found that Blake had made it to the north-east coast, where he set sail for the
On 8 October 1652, with Tromp's command still in suspension, Dutch Vice-Admiral Witte de With underestimating Blake, with 60 ships, attempted an attack at the Battle of the Kentish Knock, but ended with Blake sending the defeated de With back to the Netherlands. Although de With was the more adept tactician, he was no match against Blake's force, that included the heavy English ships the Resolution, and the Sovereign, the two largest war ships in the world at the time.[34][c] The significance of De With's defeat was received over-optimistically by the Council of State, leading them to assume that Blake now had control over the English Channel. The Council subsequently dispersed their fleets to protect English interests in the Baltic Sea, and Newcastle, while another fleet was sent to reinforce the squadron in the Mediterranean. This left Blake with about forty ships that were in anchor in the Downs, and a situation that was compounded by a lack of funds to pay for badly needed repairs and for the crews.[35][36]
Subsequent to de With's defeat, Tromp was reinstated as commander, on 8 May Tromp, which proved to be a big boost for Dutch navy morale, which was the highest it had been since he was dismissed months before in July.
The naval
During the
Legacy
Tromp was held in high esteem in the Dutch navy and with the general public. His death was a severe blow to the Dutch navy but also to the Orangists, who sought the defeat of the Commonwealth of England and the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. Republican influence strengthened after Scheveningen, which led to peace negotiations with the Commonwealth, culminating in the Treaty of Westminster. He received a state funeral in August 1653 at the Oude Kerk in Delft where a monument was erected to his honor. Tromp was survived by his second son, Cornelis Maartenszoon Tromp (1629-1691), who was also a distinguished naval officer.[20]
See also
- Second Anglo-Dutch War
- Glossary of nautical terms : (A–L), (M–Z)
Notes
- ^ Tromp had received secret instructions from the Stadholder, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, to disregard English objections.[16]
- ^ Dutch for "Prince William"
- ^ The Resolution had 70 guns, and the Sovereign had 102 guns. See: • HMS Sovereign of the Seas and • English ship Prince Royal (1610
- ^ British naval historian Andrew Lambert maintains that the Dutch victory was a "salutary reminder" that the British were dealing with a major and capable opponent, causing Blake to submit his resignation, which was declined, and prompting a Court of Enquiry to further look into matters, while the Council of State supported Blake's contention that he had to have absolute authority in such matters, with added subordinate commanders, and an increase in sailor's pay, while insisting for the same professional standards that existed for the army. This was followed with a large tax increase to fund these improvements.[41]
Citations
- ^ a b Wijn, 1997, p. 37
- ^ a b c Historiek, essay
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica, essay
- ^ a b c d e British Civil Wars Project (BCW), Essay
- ^ Vere, 1955, p. 28
- ^ Wijn, 1997, p. 39
- ^ Konstam, 2011, p. 30
- ^ Vere, 1955, p. 42
- ^ Vere, 1955, p. 43
- ^ Vere, 1955, p. 47
- ^ a b Wijn, 1997, p. 42
- ^ Mets, 1902, p. 128
- ^ a b Hinds (ed.), 1864, v. xxiv, p. 328
- ^ Journal of Maarten Tromp, C.R. Boxer
- ^ a b Jones, 1966, p. 40
- ^ a b Israel, 1995, p. 537
- ^ Stradling, 1979, p. 208
- ^ Warner, 1963, pp. 38-39, 42
- ^ Wijn, 1997, p. 46
- ^ a b c British Civil Wars Project (BCWP), Essay
- ^ Hinds (ed.), 1925, v. xxvi, pp. 267-278
- ^ Clowes, 1897, v. 2, p. 168
- ^ Gardiner, 1897, v. 1, pp. 133-134
- ^ a b c BCW, 2010, Essay
- ^ Jones, 1966, pp. 48-49
- ^ a b Hannay, 1886, pp. 77-78
- ^ Gardiner, 1897, v. II, p. 117
- ^ Lambert, 2008, p. 52
- ^ Dixon, 1852, pp. 191-192
- ^ a b Low, 1872, p. 36
- ^ Hyde, Edward, Earl of Clarendon, 1717, pp. 459-460
- ^ Gardiner, 1897, v. ii, pp. 118-119
- ^ Low, 1872, pp. 36-37
- ^ Lambert, 2008, p. 54
- ^ Atkinson, 1898, pp. 203
- ^ Lambert, 2008, p. 54-55
- ^ Lambert, 2008, p. 55
- ^ a b Clowes, 1897, v. 2, p. 173
- ^ a b Hannay, 1886, pp. 98-100
- ^ Lambert, 2008, p. 55
- ^ a b Lambert, 2008, pp. 56-57
- ^ a b Clowes, 1898, v. 2, pp. 187-189
- ^ Jones, 1996, pp. 42, 129
- ^ Gardiner, 1897, v. 1, pp. 346-347
- ^ Rickard, 2009, Essay
- ^ Clowes, 1897, v. 2, pp. 195-196
- ^ Clowes, 1897, v. 2, p.196,
Bibliography
- Gardiner, Samuel Rawson; Atkinson, Christopher Thomas (1899). Letters and papers relating to the First Dutch War, 1652-1654. Vol. IV. London: Navy Records Society.
- ——; —— (1899). Letters and papers relating to the First Dutch War, 1652-1654. Vol. V. London: Navy Records Society.
- Baumber, Michael (2004). Oxford dictionary of national biography : Robert Blake. Vol. VI. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-71954-7065.
- Clowes, William Laird, Sir (1897–1903). The Royal Navy, a history from the earliest times to the present. Vol. II. London: S. Low, Marston.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Dixon, William Hepworth (1852). Robert Blake, admiral and general at sea. London: Chapman and Hall.
- Gardiner, Samuel Rawson (1897). History of the commonwealth and protectorate, 1649-1660. Vol. I. Longmans, Green and Company.
- —— (1897). History of the commonwealth and protectorate, 1649-1660. Vol. II. Longmans, Green and Company.
- Hannay, David (1886). Admiral Blake. New York: D. Appleton and Company.
- Hinds, Allen B., ed. (1864). Calendar of State Papers and manuscripts relating to English affairs existing in the Archives and collections of Venice, and in other libraries of Northern Italy. Vol. XXIV. London: Longman, H.M.S.O.
by Great Britain. Public Record Office
- —— (ed.). Calendar of State Papers and manuscripts relating to English affairs existing in the Archives and collections of Venice, and in other libraries of Northern Italy. Vol. XXVI . British History Online; London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1925 Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, 1642–1643. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- Hyde, Edward, Earl of Clarendon (1717). The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England: Begun in the Year 1641. Vol. III, pt.ii.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ISBN 978-0-19873-0729.
- Jones, James Rees (1996). The Anglo-Dutch wars of the seventeenth century. London ; New York: Longman. ISBN 978-0-58205-6312.
- R. Prud’homme van Reine, Schittering en Schandaal. Dubbelbiografie van Maerten en Cornelis Tromp, Arbeiderspers, 2001
- ISBN 978-0-57123-1560.
- Low, Charles Rathbone (1872). Great Battles of the British Navy. London: George Routledge and Sons.
- Mets, James Andrew (1902). Naval heroes of Holland. New York; London: The Abbey Press.
- Rickard, J. (19 August 2009), Battle of Scheveningen, 31 July 1653, retrieved 1 November 2013
- Plant, David (15 March 2010), The Battle of Scheveningen 1653, BCW Project, retrieved 26 August 2023
- Stradling, Robert (1979). "Catastrophe and Recovery: The Defeat of Spain, 1639-43". History. 64 (211). Wiley: 205–219. JSTOR 24411536.
- Vere, Frances (1955). Salt in their blood: the lives of famous Dutch admirals. London: Cassell & Company, LTD.
- Warner, Oliver (1963). Great sea battles. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
- Warnsinck, JCM, Twaalf doorluchtige zeehelden, PN van Kampen & Zoon NV, 1941
- Wijn, J.J.A. (1997). Sweetman, Jack (ed.). The Great Admirals : Command at Sea, 1587-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780-8-70212-291.
Johannes Jacosus Antonius Wijn (Tromp) has served as Historical Adviser to the Jan Blanken Drydock Foundation at Hellevoetsluis, the Netherlands, Deputy Head of the Historical Department of the Netherlands Naval Staff, and Curator of the museum ship Amsterdam. He received his doctorate from the State University of Leiden in 1982.
- Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, 1598-1653, BCW Project, 15 March 2010, retrieved 1 November 2013
- "Maarten van Tromp, (1598-1653)". The HistoryFiles.com. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- "Maarten Tromp (1598-1653) – Sea hero from the Golden Age". 2023 Historiek v.o.f., Onafhankelijk particulier initiatief. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral. Encyclopedia Britannica. 27 September 2023.
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica