Dutch ship Delft
Encyclopedia
The Delft was a Dutch
56-gun fourth rate ship of the line
of the navy of the Dutch Republic
and the Batavian Republic
.
The order to construct the ship was given on 27 May 1782 by the Admiralty of the Meuse
. The ship was commissioned on 16 May 1783 by the United Netherlands Navy
.
On 24 December 1787 the Delft set sail on a mission against the Barbary pirates and protected Dutch traders
in the Mediterranean.
For the ship's second mission starting 31 May 1793 Theodorus Frederik van Capellen
became the new commanding officer. During this mission 75 Dutch slaves
were freed from Algiers
.
In 1795 the Dutch Republic was conquered by the French
and the new Batavian Republic was founded. Delft was initially disarmed by the French (because they feared that it could be used by Orangist
rebels) but the ship was later reactivated to participate in the war with Britain
. Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen
became her captain.
On 11 October 1797 the Delft took part in the Battle of Camperdown
. Despite heavy resistance the ship was captured by the British and sank off Scheveningen four days later while being towed to Britain.
Work has been underway in Rotterdam
since 2001 to build a replica
of the Delft at Shipyard De Delft in Delfshaven
, near to the place where the original ship was built.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
56-gun fourth rate ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the navy of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
and the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
.
The order to construct the ship was given on 27 May 1782 by the Admiralty of the Meuse
Admiralty of Rotterdam
The Admiralty of Rotterdam, also called the Admiralty of de Maze, was one of the five Admiralties in the Dutch Republic.-History:It was set up in 1574 during the Dutch Revolt, when William I of Orange's supporters decided to pool their naval resources at Rotterdam...
. The ship was commissioned on 16 May 1783 by the United Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
On 24 December 1787 the Delft set sail on a mission against the Barbary pirates and protected Dutch traders
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
in the Mediterranean.
For the ship's second mission starting 31 May 1793 Theodorus Frederik van Capellen
Theodorus Frederik van Capellen
Vice-admiral Jonkheer Theodorus Frederik van Capellen, GCMWO, KCB was a Dutch naval officer. He was married to Petronella de Lange . Alexandrine Tinné, female explorer and pioneering photographer, was his granddaughter.-Career:Van Capellen entered service in 1781 in the navy of the Dutch Republic...
became the new commanding officer. During this mission 75 Dutch slaves
Arab slave trade
The Arab slave trade was the practice of slavery in the Arab World, mainly Western Asia, North Africa, East Africa and certain parts of Europe during their period of domination by Arab leaders. The trade was focused on the slave markets of the Middle East and North Africa...
were freed from Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
.
In 1795 the Dutch Republic was conquered by the French
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
and the new Batavian Republic was founded. Delft was initially disarmed by the French (because they feared that it could be used by Orangist
Orangism (Netherlands)
Orangism is a monarchist political support for the House of Orange-Nassau as monarchy of the Netherlands. It played a significant role in the political history of the Netherlands since the Dutch revolt...
rebels) but the ship was later reactivated to participate in the war with Britain
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo–Dutch War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, tangentially related to the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that...
. Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen
Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen
Gerrit Verdooren van Asperen was a Dutch naval officer. He became a vice admiral.He was born in Bergen op Zoom on 9 February 1757. Verdooren van Asperen joined the Batavian Navy in 1795, and was the commander of the Batavian 56-gun fourth rate ship of the line Delft during the Battle of Camperdown...
became her captain.
On 11 October 1797 the Delft took part in the Battle of Camperdown
Battle of Camperdown
The Battle of Camperdown was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797 between a Royal Navy fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter...
. Despite heavy resistance the ship was captured by the British and sank off Scheveningen four days later while being towed to Britain.
Work has been underway in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
since 2001 to build a replica
Ship replica
A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...
of the Delft at Shipyard De Delft in Delfshaven
Delfshaven
Delfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas, in South Holland, the Netherlands. It was a separate municipality until 1886.The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft...
, near to the place where the original ship was built.
External links
Stichting historisch schip 'De Delft'- Shipyard De Delft (old site in English)