Despite or perhaps thanks to the Second Anglo Dutch war France was allowed to purchased warships in the Netherlands. In the municipal archive of Amsterdam are some contracts kept dealing with this matter available. I haven't seen the originals yet, but thanks to a book dealing with the industry at Amsterdam I already can tell something more. The catalogue of the Van de Velde drawings mentioned the building of French warships in the Netherlands in 1667-1667. The author(s) claimed that the French government in September 1665 was permitted to buy or let built ten warships in the Dutch Republic. Six of them were 'probably' delivered and named Conquérant, Courtisan, Intrépide, Invincible, Neptune and Normand. The Frédéric and Sophie were built in Denmark.
There are several drawings available.
One in the Marine Museum at Stockholm gives an inscription '1667 by sluijck gemaeckt t Sardam'. Sardam is in old spelling for Zaandam in the province North-Holland.
A drawing in the Boymans Museum at Rotterdam (no. 137-1163) gives a partly inscription '…luick'.
A Sotheby sale, 1921 which gives a view from abaft the port beam had an inscription '1667 Mr. gerardus gemaeckt' (made by Gerardus) aallicsander (Alexander).
And finally the Neptune in a Dutch private collection, 1952 with the inscription 'Kardinael gemaeckt/de Neptyn gemaeckt 1667 te Amsterdam voor koning van Vraenckrijck, daer sijnder 5 meer (the Neptune built by Kardinael for the king of France, while five ships more were built. So, according to the last inscription there were six ships built.
le Conquérant, built at Amsterdam 1666, wrecked 22 October 1679, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
le Courtisan, on stocks at Amsterdam 1666, launched 1667, renamed le Magnifique 1671, ponton 1682, 1100 tons, 64 guns.
l'Intrépide, built at Amsterdam 1666, renamed le Grand 1671, last mentioned 1678
l'Invincible, built at Amsterdam 1666, last mentioned 1681
le Neptune, built at Amsterdam 1664, renamed l'Illustre 1671, last mentioned >1699-1700<, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
le Normand, on stocks at Amsterdam 1666, launched 1667, renamed le Saint Louis 1671, stricken 1680, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
Van Dillen described the building of 6 warships for France as mentioned in a contract made by notary C. van Poelenburg dated 29 March 1666. Representative for France was Du Maes, the builders were Cornelis Michiels (2 ships), Cornelis Raven (1 ship), both at Amsterdam, and at Sardam (nowadays Zaandam) Hendrick Dircksz Sluyk and others (2 ships) and Jan Hendricksz Cardinael, all master shipbuilders. Costs of the ships each ƒ 60.000. Apparently the ships were completed in 1667. The dimensions mentioned in the contract were 160 (prow)/137 (keel) x 41½ x 15½, with a verdeck above 8'0", and with a 'bak en schans'.
Apparently were at Amsterdam for the French East India Company the 'Provintien', rebaptized St. Jean, dimensions 145 (prow) x 32 x 14½, height above 7, able to be fitted out with 50 guns and the Aletta Maria, age 2 years, dimensions 148 (prow) x 32 x 14½, height above 7, able to be fitted out with at least 40 guns purchased.
In 1665 the warship Nuestra Senora del Rosario built at Amsterdam for the principe de Montesarchio was taken over by the E.I.C. chamber Delft and renamed Delfland, dimensions 153 (prow) x 37 x 16, height above 7¾. In February 1665 was the Santa Theresa mentioned as built for the Spanish crown, dimensions 150 (prow) x 38 x 15, height above 7½, able to be fitted out with 60-70 guns and Spanish merchants bought for their king the Il Santissima Sacramento and the Nuestra Señora del Populo.
Sources
J.G. van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven en het gildewezen van Amsterdam, part III 1633-1672, The Hague, 1974.
Pierre le Conte, List of men-of-war part II 1650-1700, 1935.
Jacques Vichot, Répertoire des navires de guerre français, 1967.
Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Musuem made by the elder and the younger Willem van de Velde, Cambridge, 1958
Collectie Johan de Wit no's 4-5 (National Archive at The Hague).
Archive States General 5583 II January-February 1665 (National Archive at The Hague)
Archive States General 5585 June 1665 (National Archive at The Hague)fr
There are several drawings available.
One in the Marine Museum at Stockholm gives an inscription '1667 by sluijck gemaeckt t Sardam'. Sardam is in old spelling for Zaandam in the province North-Holland.
A drawing in the Boymans Museum at Rotterdam (no. 137-1163) gives a partly inscription '…luick'.
A Sotheby sale, 1921 which gives a view from abaft the port beam had an inscription '1667 Mr. gerardus gemaeckt' (made by Gerardus) aallicsander (Alexander).
And finally the Neptune in a Dutch private collection, 1952 with the inscription 'Kardinael gemaeckt/de Neptyn gemaeckt 1667 te Amsterdam voor koning van Vraenckrijck, daer sijnder 5 meer (the Neptune built by Kardinael for the king of France, while five ships more were built. So, according to the last inscription there were six ships built.
le Conquérant, built at Amsterdam 1666, wrecked 22 October 1679, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
le Courtisan, on stocks at Amsterdam 1666, launched 1667, renamed le Magnifique 1671, ponton 1682, 1100 tons, 64 guns.
l'Intrépide, built at Amsterdam 1666, renamed le Grand 1671, last mentioned 1678
l'Invincible, built at Amsterdam 1666, last mentioned 1681
le Neptune, built at Amsterdam 1664, renamed l'Illustre 1671, last mentioned >1699-1700<, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
le Normand, on stocks at Amsterdam 1666, launched 1667, renamed le Saint Louis 1671, stricken 1680, 1100 tons, 64-72 guns.
Van Dillen described the building of 6 warships for France as mentioned in a contract made by notary C. van Poelenburg dated 29 March 1666. Representative for France was Du Maes, the builders were Cornelis Michiels (2 ships), Cornelis Raven (1 ship), both at Amsterdam, and at Sardam (nowadays Zaandam) Hendrick Dircksz Sluyk and others (2 ships) and Jan Hendricksz Cardinael, all master shipbuilders. Costs of the ships each ƒ 60.000. Apparently the ships were completed in 1667. The dimensions mentioned in the contract were 160 (prow)/137 (keel) x 41½ x 15½, with a verdeck above 8'0", and with a 'bak en schans'.
Apparently were at Amsterdam for the French East India Company the 'Provintien', rebaptized St. Jean, dimensions 145 (prow) x 32 x 14½, height above 7, able to be fitted out with 50 guns and the Aletta Maria, age 2 years, dimensions 148 (prow) x 32 x 14½, height above 7, able to be fitted out with at least 40 guns purchased.
In 1665 the warship Nuestra Senora del Rosario built at Amsterdam for the principe de Montesarchio was taken over by the E.I.C. chamber Delft and renamed Delfland, dimensions 153 (prow) x 37 x 16, height above 7¾. In February 1665 was the Santa Theresa mentioned as built for the Spanish crown, dimensions 150 (prow) x 38 x 15, height above 7½, able to be fitted out with 60-70 guns and Spanish merchants bought for their king the Il Santissima Sacramento and the Nuestra Señora del Populo.
Sources
J.G. van Dillen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis van het bedrijfsleven en het gildewezen van Amsterdam, part III 1633-1672, The Hague, 1974.
Pierre le Conte, List of men-of-war part II 1650-1700, 1935.
Jacques Vichot, Répertoire des navires de guerre français, 1967.
Van de Velde drawings. A catalogue of drawings in the National Maritime Musuem made by the elder and the younger Willem van de Velde, Cambridge, 1958
Collectie Johan de Wit no's 4-5 (National Archive at The Hague).
Archive States General 5583 II January-February 1665 (National Archive at The Hague)
Archive States General 5585 June 1665 (National Archive at The Hague)fr
