Lt. Admiral Johan Evertson

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• Hij was de zoon van Johan de Kapitein, werd in 1622 kapitein, streed in 1627/1628 tegen Barbarijse zeerovers, werd in 1628 schout-bij-nacht en konvooieerde daarna met slechts vier schepen de door Piet Heyn veroverde Zilvervloot door het van Duinkerker kapers wemelende Nauw van Calais. Hij nam deel aan de Slag op het Slaak (1631) en behaalde na vele jaren van moeizame strijd tegen de Duinkerkers met enkele schepen een overwinning op de Vlaamse kapercommandant Jacques Collaert, die met ten minste 150 man door hem gevankelijk naar Vlissingen werd opgebracht. In febr. 1637 vice-admiraal van zijn gewest geworden, voerde hij in de Slag bij Duins (1639) het Zeeuwse eskader aan tegen dat van de Portugezen, en had een groot aandeel in de zege. De afgunst van zijn Hollandse collega, Witte Cornelisz. de With, de voortdurende naijver tussen de Hollanders en de Zeeuwen en de partijpolitiek hebben het verdere leven van de Oranjegezinde, met Frederik Hendrik en Willem II bevriende Evertsen niet gemakkelijk gemaakt. Na aan de voornaamste wapenfeiten van de Eerste Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog (1652–1654) te hebben deelgenomen, werd hij in dec. 1664 tot luitenant-admiraal benoemd. Bij het uitbreken van de Tweede Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog (1665–1667) moest hij echter het recht op het opperbevel bij eventueel sneuvelen van Van Wassenaer-Obdam aan een jongere Hollander, Kortenaer, afstaan. Na de rampzalige Slag bij Lowestoft (1665) werd hij ten onrechte van plichtsverzuim beticht en door het Brielse grauw in het water gesmeten. Ondanks zijn rehabilitatie besloten de Staten dat hij, met behoud van zijn rang, vooral aan land zou dienen en dat zijn broer Cornelis hem met gelijke rang op zee zou vervangen. Toen deze echter in de Vierdaagse Zeeslag was gevallen, verzocht de 66-jarige naar de vloot te mogen terugkeren, waarbij hij met de vierde positie onder de vlagofficieren genoegen nam. Hij sneuvelde nog datzelfde jaar in de Tweedaagse Zeeslag.

Op 26 oktober 1646 gaf de Koning van Frankrijk kennis aan zijn gezant De la Thuillerie dat Johan Evertsen in de vergadering van de leden van de Ordre de Saint-Michel tot medelid was verkozen op grond van "zijn verdiensten en deugden en bijzonder, om de goede genegenheid welke hij toedroeg aan het welzijn en de behoeften van de Koning". In december 1646 werd hij in Den Haag ingewijd als Ridder van de Ordre de Saint-Michel.

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Johan Evertsen (Vlissingen, 1 February 1600 – 5 August 1666) was a Dutch admiral during the 17th century.

Biography

Johan was the eldest surviving son of Johan Evertsen, known as Captain Jan, who died in 1617 fighting near La Rochelle against a French corsair. As gratitude for his services rendered, all five sons of Captain Jan were named lieutenants by the Admiralty of Zeeland.

Johan is already at the age of 18 reported as captain of a ship. He fights near La Rochelle in 1625 under Willem de Zoete and in 1626 and 1627 in a campaign against the Barbary Coast under Laurens Reael.

Between 1628 and 1636, he distinguished himself while fighting the Dunkirk corsairs. His greatest successes were in 1628 preventing the interception by the Dunkirkers of the captured treasure fleet of Piet Heyn and in 1636 the capture of the famous corsair Jacob Collaert. He also played an important part in the Dutch victory in the Battle of the Slaak against the Spanish.

In 1637 he becomes Vice-Admiral and commands in 1639 a squadron in the Battle of the Downs in which he destroys the Portuguese Admiralship Santa Teresa, killing 800 of the 1000 men crew.

In the wake of this battle, he gets into conflict with Witte Corneliszoon de With, and doesn't receive any more important commands for the next years. In those years he develops a friendship with stadtholders Frederick Henry and William II.

First Anglo-Dutch War

At the outbreak of the First Anglo-Dutch War, Johan Evertsen was still left aside by Witte de With, who considered him an orangist. But after de With's defeat in the Battle of the Kentish Knock and his replacement by Maarten Tromp, Johan Evertsen was reinstated as squadron commander and helped achieve victory in the Battle of Dungeness, extricating Tromp's flagship from an English attack.

He then fought in 1653 in the lost Battle of Portland and Battle of the Gabbard.

The final Battle of Scheveningen was also lost and Tromp was killed in battle. Evertsen's ship was so badly damaged that he had to withdraw and leave the command to Witte de With. Evertsen was again blamed by de With to be a coward, and he didn't receive any command for the next 5 years.

Only in May 1659, after the death of de With, he sailed under Michiel de Ruyter in the fleet that assisted Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam in reconquering the Danish islands after the victory in the Battle of the Sound, in which de With was killed.

Second Anglo-Dutch War

Despite his age, Johan Evertsen became third in command of the fleet that faced the English in the Battle of Lowestoft. The battle went horribly wrong for the Dutch, and the first and second in command, Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam and Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer, were killed. Evertsen now took command, but the confusion in the Dutch fleet was so great, that Cornelius Tromp did the same. By the evening the Dutch fleet was in full flight.

Johan Evertsen was summoned to The Hague. When he travelled there, he was dragged from his carriage by an angry mob, mistreated, and thrown into the water, hands and feet tied. He saved himself by clinging on to the stem of a ship. He had to be escorted for his protection by an armed detachment to Den Helder, where he would be trailed for cowardice.

But the commanders of the fleet spoke out in his favour, and when it became clear that Evertsen had prevented worst by covering the retreat of the fleet, receiving 150 bullet impacts in his ship, he was released from prison.

When his brother Cornelis Evertsen the Elder was killed in the Four Days' Battle, Johan joined as yet the fleet and took command of the vanguard of De Ruyter. He was killed on the first day of the St James's Day Battle.

Both brothers were, after much conflict between the Admiralty and the family over the costs, in 1681 buried in the Abbey of Middelburg, where their shared grave memorial is still to be seen.

Marriage and children

Johan married Maayken Gorcum (1600–1671). They had five children:

Johan Evertsen, the younger (1624–1649)

Cornelis Evertsen the Younger (1628–1679), vice-admiral

three daughters

https://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/nnship05.shtml. Ships passenger list 1658

Early life Like his five brothers, Evertsen started his military career as a lieutenant after the death of his father, "Captain Jan". He quickly moved through the ranks, fighting battles with corsairs and protecting Dutch ships from other privateers. Evertsen was eventually promoted to the rank of admiral during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Despite Evertsen's successes and influence in the Dutch Navy, his abilities were questioned due to rumours that he was a coward.

Career Evertsen was born in Vlissingen. He was the eldest (surviving) son of Johan Evertsen, also known as Captain Jan who died in 1617 fighting near La Rochelle against a French corsair. In gratitude for the services he rendered, all five sons of Captain Jan were named lieutenants by the Admiralty of Zeeland.

At age 18, he was made captain of a ship. He fought near La Rochelle in 1625 under Willem de Zoete, and in 1626 and 1627 in a campaign against the Barbary Coast under Laurens Reael.

Between 1628 and 1636, he distinguished himself while fighting the Dunkirk corsairs. His greatest successes were in 1628, when he prevented the Dunkirkers from intercepting the captured treasure fleet of Piet Heyn and in 1636, when he captured corsair Jacob Collaert. He also played an important part in the Dutch victory in the Battle of the Slaak against the Spanish.

In the wake of this battle, he came into conflict with Witte Corneliszoon de With, and receive no other important commands. During this time, he developed a friendship with stadtholders Frederick Henry and William II.[1]

First Anglo-Dutch War At the outbreak of the First Anglo-Dutch War, Evertsen was left aside by de With, who considered him an orangist. But after de With's defeat in the Battle of the Kentish Knock, de With was replaced by Maarten Tromp, who reinstated Evertsen as a squadron commander. Evertsen helped to achieve victory in the Battle of Dungeness, extricating Tromp's flagship from an English attack.

In 1653, he fought the last Battle of Portland and Battle of the Gabbard.

The final Battle of Scheveningen was also lost and Tromp was killed in battle. Evertsen's ship was so badly damaged that he had to withdraw and leave the command to de With. Because he withdrew, Evertsen was accused of cowardice by de With, and he received no commands for the next 5 years.

In May 1659, Evertsen sailed under Michiel de Ruyter in the fleet that assisted Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam in reconquering the Danish islands after they had been lost in the Battle of the Sound, in which de With was killed.

Second Anglo-Dutch War Despite his age, Johan Evertsen was third in command of the fleet that faced the English in the Battle of Lowestoft. The battle went horribly wrong for the Dutch, and the first and second in command, Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam and Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer, were killed. Evertsen became commander, but the confusion in the Dutch fleet was so great, that Cornelius Tromp did the same. By evening, the Dutch fleet was in full flight.

Evertsen was summoned to The Hague. When he travelled there, he was dragged from his carriage by an angry mob, mistreated, bound hand and foot, and thrown into the water. He saved himself by clinging to the stern of a ship. He had to be escorted for his protection by an armed detachment to Den Helder, where he was tried for cowardice.

The commanders of the fleet spoke out in his favour, and when it became clear that Evertsen had prevented the worst possible scenario by covering the retreat of the fleet, receiving 150 bullet impacts in his ship, he was released.

When Johan's brother Cornelis Evertsen the Elder was killed in the Four Days' Battle, Johan joined the fleet and took command of the vanguard of De Ruyter. He was killed on the first day of the St James's Day Battle.

After much conflict between the Admiralty and the family over the costs, both brothers were buried in 1681 in the Abbey of Middelburg, where their shared grave memorial remains.