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Saturday 18 September 2021

Dutch merchant ship St. Pieter hired by Danish crown to be used as troop transport in Danish-Swedish war in 1659

After the peace treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, Denmark intended to recapture from Sweden her possessions and recover her position in the Baltic area. Due to the fact that Sweden was involved with problems in Polen, Denmark thought it was a good time to attack Sweden. However Swedish troops attacked with overwhelming success from the south Denmark. After the capture of the Danish fortress of Frederiksodde October 1657 Sweden possessed the Danish mainland. Only the islands Funen and Seeland were still Danish. The Dutch republic came in action for strategic and economic reasons. The Dutch merchant shipping needed a free passage from the Baltic area towards the home country. The Dutch response towards Sweden was undoubted. A Dutch fleet commanded by one of the most renowned Dutch admirals, Witte de With, attacked 8 November 1658 in the Sont the Swedish fleet commanded by Wrangel. In the battle De With was killed. The same year the Dutch States General allowed the Danish through their representative Gabriel Marselis to hire ships in the Netherlands, mainly to be used as troop transports. The States General and the admiralty of Amsterdam hired for the same purpose ships. All contracts passed notary Jan Volkaerts Oli of Amsterdam. Notary contract dated 7 April 1659 between Gabriel Marselis for the Danish crown and master Tjaart Luijtjes of Hindelopen, St. Pieter, dimensions 120 x 25 x 10¼ feet, with a half verdeck, 160 last, rental price ƒ 950, destined first to go to Aalburg and from there to Funen/Seeland with horsemen, horses and luggage, ordered to make a foredeck for the soldiers to be able to lie on.

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