Until 1895 was the Dutch navy organized in five admiralties of which one in Zealand. In the province Zealand were several navy shipyards of which the largest was in
Flushing. After France invaded the Dutch Republic this yard was used by the Batavian Republic and France for building the fleet necessary for the intended invasion in England by the French emperor Napoleon. In 1808 Flushing became official part of France but already France was building warships for her own navy on this yard. By the British invasion in 1809 was the shipyard partly destroyed although a ship of the line and a frigate were taken back to England. There they were commissioned in the Royal British navy as the HMS Chatham respectively Laurel. Although the French seemed to have restore the yard probably there were none ships built anymore. In 1814 decided the Netherlands to found a navy shipyard at Flushing for building/repairing and fitting out her warships. The former admiralty yard was since then used for fitting out the ships. Via a nowadays not longer existing entrance from the river De Schelde and partly via
large sea locks was the naval complex accessible. In 1868 the navy yard was closed and in 1875 the private shipyard De Schelde take over the still existing building, the
so-called Perry dry dock and slips. One example of a building which was already used by the admiralty yard, the navy yard and later the private shipyard De Schelde was the
arsenal which was not broken up as in 1969.
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| Photo Ron van Maanen. What's nowadays existing of the two main slips of the navy yard of 1814 and until 1975 used by De Schelde although lenghtened. |
On the weblog
http://gemeentearchiefvlissingen.blogspot.nl/ of the municipal archive of Flushing are lately some notes published dealing with above topic although in Dutch language.
