The First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-1654) was the first of three wars fought between England and the Netherlands in the 17th century. Here, Daniel Smith considers the background to the war and some of the key battles and events during the war’s first year
Daniel’s new book on mid-19th century northern California is now available. Find our more here: Amazon US | Amazon UK
An 1873 depiction of the Battle of Dover/Battle of Goodwin Sands.
Into The First War
It was between the years of 1652 and 1678 that England and the Netherlands would fight a terrible series of wars for ultimate control of trade and mercantile establishments over both the English Channel and the North Sea. During this time period, most nations would come to rely on merchant shipping with a couple of cannons for their naval defense. However with the rise of trade and the pretense to control trade, this series of events may have been the catalyst that led to England’s historic reputation as a naval superpower.
In 1790, the Royal Navy was ten times larger than it was in 1650. Soon well-crafted vessels which were well-armed in cannon with disciplined crews began to emerge. In the Anglo-Dutch Wars, British ships would end up attacking Dutch interests all over the world: Africa, North America, the West Indies, and actually capturing New Amsterdam—where it was immediately renamed New York. It was the growth of the English and the Dutch fleets, who had been rapidly expanding since earlier in the 17th century, that would cause hostilities and political friction. It was them who had been competing in a rivalry over securing maritime trade and in pushing early colonial expansion.
Prior to the year 1648, the Dutch were at war with the Spanish. This was beneficial to English traders who could profit from the Spanish marketplace, where the warring Dutch merchants were banned from commerce. This was typical of warfare, where neighboring nations would capitalize on trade with neighboring belligerent nations, while staying far away from participation. Spain and the Netherlands would sign a formal peace treaty to cease hostilities in 1648. Due to this, the very expertly mercantile Dutch nation would return to the trading sphere globally. As a result of this, English merchants would end up being economically pushed out of the very profitable East Indian spice trade and their economic markets would resultingly plummet. To make matters worse, England would quickly lose global trade power and suffer a significantly detrimental shock to its economy.
Due to security fears, the Navigation Act of 1651 was passed through parliament and opened up privateering (codified contractual piracy) to ordinary captains of vessels outside of the Royal Navy. English privateers began to exercise these new legal rights and the profitable Dutch shipping trade and their cargo became main targets. The Dutch government regarded England as a traditional Protestant ally against Catholicism and the Pope, despite the aggressive trade war that had been ensuing. At this point there had been internal struggles inside both nations, but more specifically with the beheading of King Charles I in England and no hereditary heir to the Dutch Stadtholder (government). Stability in both nations was at a low point. In the Netherlands, as the Prince of Orange, Willem II, was too young to inherit the responsibilities and obligations to lead the Dutch government, two elite individuals jumped on the opportunity.
It’s Just Politics
Dutch republicans (government party officials) led by Cornelis de Graeff and Johan de Witt used their cunning and wit to influence the House of Orange – the very influential aristocrats. While this velvet takeover was taking place inside of the Dutch palace, the English had sent a diplomatic envoy to The Hague led by Oliver St. John in March 1651. The ultimate goal of St. John’s was to present a political union between England and the Netherlands; however the political upheaval in England was too heavy for the Dutch to consider a union. Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector over England with the execution of Charles I. Besides religious and political turmoil, the House of Orange would never accept an informal government.
Soon after the negotiations between the two nations fell apart, St. John drafted a malicious trade policy that would later be drafted into law called the Navigation Act of 1651—which would further increase the tensions between the Dutch and the English. Besides that, the Dutch did not want to risk losing their sovereignty over a political union with England. They felt the plan was underhand and could even compromise the existence of the Netherlands. With such an excessive and aggressive maritime policy in effect and relations spiraling out of control, the Dutch and English both felt war inevitably on the way.
It was during the blistery winter of 1651 and into the spring of 1652 that the English would press their will onto Dutch shipping with letters of marque. Later, France would lend political support to the English Royalists - the opposition of the English government. Because of this, the English authorized letters of reprisal—allowing them to confiscate French cargo onboard Dutch shipping. Meanwhile, the naval officer and well-respected veteran Maarten Tromp took to the ocean in May of 1652.
Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp had orders to defend Dutch merchant shipping from any belligerent flying the English flag. English Captain Robert Blake and Tromp of the Netherlands would end up meeting in a naval engagement off the coast of Dover, England in May. War would be officially declared by both nations on July 8, 1652. Naval battles would be fought predominantly in the English Channel and the North Sea, with minor action in the Mediterranean.
The engagement by both naval commanders would officially be titled the Battle of Dover (Goodwin Sands) on May 19, 1652. Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp sailed with a strong fleet of 42-ships one-month prior in April, with naval superiority as the goal set for his fleet inside of the English Channel. This was a logical attempt to prevent Dutch merchant trade from being disrupted by English hostility and naval aggressions. During his patrol of the straits, Tromp and his fleet experienced a storm that would have surely battered down the fleet. To protect it, he attempted to duck into a pocket near the Kent coastline outside of Dover under the South Foreland. Much to his dismay, Tromp sailed right into nine British warships under the command of Nehemiah Bourne. There was a timid stand-off between the two fleets before the Dutch officers insisted that they were only seeking shelter from the storm.
Ducking the Channel
The two opposing fleets would stay anchored within sight of each other until the next day. An awkward departure, Tromp’s fleet sailed off towards Calais, France. At one point, Tromp’s War Galleon rendezvoused with two Dutch merchants who had been shot at by an English fleet near Kent’s coast at Start Point. Tromp’s fleet responded by punctually returning back to meet Captain Blake’s squadron. On May 19, upon arriving near Dover, Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp ordered his ships into the oncoming path of Blake’s ships. Further, he refused to hoist their Dutch colors up the mast when approaching the English - a complete sign of disrespect. Captain Blake responded in kind by sending a warning shot over their bows. The event would spiral out of control and a full-blown battle occurred.
There were two highlights to the battle: Captain Blake’s fleet had considerably more heavy ships, in comparison to Tromp’s fleet which only had one heavy ship—his own—theBrederode off Helvoetsluys. The Dutch fleet was also very uncoordinated in their execution of tactical and logistical planning during the battle. Further, the back-up fleet of Nehemiah Bourne’s nine warships arrived unexpectedly to attack the Dutch rear. In knowing that the battle was lost, Tromp’s merchant fleet returned to the Netherlands (minus two that had been captured) after sundown without further actions or incident.
The English were content on retaliating. The English Council of State would end up ordering Sir Robert Blake to cut off (and possibly capture) the Dutch East Indian trading convoy that was headed towards the Netherlands from Scotland. Their course was dialed in to avoid any English patrols in and around the English Channel. On June 27, 1652, Captain Robert Blake took his fleet of warships north, and Sir Ayscue would stay to patrol. Six days later in the Channel, Ayscue with ten warships, would spot a Dutch merchantmen fleet near Calais. He moved to attack. In the melee, three Dutch ships were destroyed. Five of them were captured, and out of further fear of death, the others would purposefully run themselves aground on the local sandbars.
A month later, on July 8, Maarten Tromp’s now had a massive war-fleet of eighty-two vessels and nine fireships (boats designed to be set afire and pushed into enemy vessels). In seeing the outnumbered fleet, Ayscue parked his fleet underneath the artillery fort on the coast near Deal, England. This move was of course a defensive posture. It seems as though providence may have been on the side of the English, as a fierce storm prevented the massive Dutch fleet from entering the coastal area where Blake and his fleet were anchored. At this point, Captain Blake’s fleet was split into two. His smaller squadron located on the southern end of England, and the larger squadron on the northern end of England.
A Twice-Bitter Ending
The Dutch fleet of warships patrolling the English Channel decided to pursue Blake’s more vulnerable flotilla in the north on July 10, 1652. Captain Blake in the meantime was busy between the northern islands of Orkney and Shetland near Scotland, awaiting the East India Trading convoy scheduled to make their appearance. While there, he also took aggressive action in breaking up the North Sea fishing fleet—a pride of the Dutch—while operating in the area. While on patrol near Fair Isle on July 24, Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp spotted Captain Blake and his fleet.
In another turn of extraordinary events, another fierce storm took hold in their location that lasted for three days. It seems it was another disaster, as the Dutch squadron was smashed apart on the rocks of Sumburgh Head. Captain Blake ended up ducking into Bressay Sound to avoid the winds and waves. Most of his fleet was damaged to some degree, but all of his ships managed to stay afloat. On July 27, the fierce storm began to subside and both the English and the Dutch fleets set a course to their own home ports. Both sides limped back; however, Tromp’s fleet had halved in size
It would be in fact Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp that received a bitter homecoming, as his political opponents laid complete blame on him for all the losses involved. He would resign his commission showing his complete ownership of the defeat. Generally speaking it was the heavier weighted and well defended English warships that prevailed over the Dutch fleet. The war would end up peaking with the loss of the fleet and untimely death of Tromp in July of 1653. He etched his historical end at the battle of Scheveningen
Daniel’s new book, 1845-1870 An Untold Story of Northern California, is available here: Amazon US| Amazon UK
You can read Daniel’s past articles on California in the US Civil War (here), Medieval Jesters (here), How American Colonial Law Justified the Settlement of Native American Territories (here), Spanish Colonial Influence on Native Americans in Northern California (here), Christian ideology in history (here), the collapse of the Spanish Armada in 1588 (here), and early Christianity in Britain (here).
Finally, Daniel Smith writes at complexamerica.org.
Bibliography
John Barratt, Cromwell's Wars at Sea, (Barnsley 2006)
Sir William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy, a history from the earliest times to the present, vol.ii (London 1898)
Bernard Capp, Cromwell's Navy: the fleet and the English Revolution (Oxford 1989)
S.R. Gardiner, History of the Commonwealth and Protectorate vol. iii (London 1903)
