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Seventeenth Century pirate vessels. From a contemporary print.

There are historical records that Dutch explorers and traders visited Newfoundland in the early 1600's. However, the Dutch never established a presence in the region. But during times of warfare, the Dutch navy and Dutch buccanneers would carry the conflict to even the most remote of their opponent's territories.

Between 1652 and 1674, England and Holland went to war twice. On one occassion, the Dutch navy sailed up the Thames, burned the Royal Dock Yards at the Isle of Dogs and and threartened London itself.

The Anglo-Dutch wars were not limited to Europe and the conflict spilled over into the colonies of both nations. On August 27, 1664, the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (present New York)  surrendered to the English. However, this defeat did not end the Dutch attempt to dominate North America. In 1665, the Dutch buccaneer and folk hero Admiral De Ruyter sailed into St. John's Harbour twice and captured or burned all ships, houses and chattel in the community.

In 1673, The Dutch recaptured New Amsterdam (present New York). At this time, Dutch buccaneers returned to Newfoundland under the command of Captain Jacob Everson. The Dutch buccaneers laid seige to the Colony of Avalon at Ferryland. There is evidence that the Dutch pirates sacked the settlement.

The Dutch continued toward St. John's. However, on this occassion the defences of St. John's were organized by  Captain Christopher Martin. Captain Martin wasa Devonshire Captain and Vice Admiral of the Newfoundland convoy.

Martin and about thirty followers occupied the "Castle" on the south side hills. They stretched a large heavy iron chain from Prosser's rock on the south side of St. John's Harbour to Chain rock on the north side.

The Dutch ships ran aground on this chain and were stopped. As the Dutch tried to deal with this obstruction, Captain Martin and his followers set fire to a number of shallops and dorys that were filled with combustibles. These boats were steered toward the Dutch fleet and set it aflame.  Several Dutch pirate ships were burned and sunk in the narrows of St. John's harbour.
 

In 1665, the Dutch Admiral De Ruyter sailed through these narrows. An unidentified sunken seventeenth century man of war has been recently discovered. It's position is just off of  1 O'Clock Battery, in the center of this picture. This vessel may well be a Dutch Man-O-War destroyed by England's Captain Christopher Martin in 1673.

 
 
 
 
 
 

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