Bernard Claesen Speirdyke
Encyclopedia
Bernard Claesen Speirdyke, also called Barnard or Bart Speirdyke, (fl.
1663-1670) was a 17th century Dutch buccaneer
. His Dutch name Bernard Claesen Spierdijk suggests he may have come from the village of Spierdijk
, North Holland
.
Commander of the 18-gun Mary and Jane, he was a longtime privateer active in Cuba
throughout the 1660s and, on his first voyage, successfully attacked and looted the town of San Tomas while sailing along the coast of Venezuela
. In early-1670, he set out from Port Royal
with letters from Governor Thomas Modyford
to the Governor of Cuba "signifying peace between the two nations". As a further show of goodwill, several Spanish prisoners being held in Jamaica
were also returned.
However, the Governor of Bayamo
was suspicious of his intentions and had an officer search his ship three times looking for evidence of privateering. Having brought a full cargo of European luxury goods, which were in short supply among the local townspeople, Speirdyke soon sold his entire stock. Despite this breech of Spanish law, the governor chose to turn a blind eye.
Setting sail for his return to Jamaica, it was shortly after leaving the harbor that they were hailed by an English ship and asked where they hailed from. When Speirdyke answered Jamaica, the captain revealed himself as Manuel Rivero Pardel, a former Portuguese privateer turned pirate hunter, and called upon the elderly Dutchman to defend himself. Pardel opened fire and the two ships began a battle lasting until the evening when it became to dark to see. Speirdyke was outnumbered 18 to 70, however he continued to fight on.
At dawn, he sailed towards Pardel's ship which he and his men boarded. The Dutchmen were said to have fought bravely and during the savage hand-to-hand fighting that followed resulted in one-third of Pardal's crew being killed or wounded. The numbers of the Portuguese eventually overwhelmed Speirdyke and his men. By the time the Dutch surrendered, the Mary and Jane was on fire in two places and five men had been killed including Speirdyke. Sending nine of the survivors back with a message to Modyford of his commission and his intentions of retaliation for the raid of Portobello
two years before, he took the remaining four with him as prisoners to Cartagena
.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1663-1670) was a 17th century Dutch buccaneer
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
. His Dutch name Bernard Claesen Spierdijk suggests he may have come from the village of Spierdijk
Spierdijk
Spierdijk is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about 8 km east of Heerhugowaard.In 2001, the town of Spierdijk had 554 inhabitants...
, North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
.
Commander of the 18-gun Mary and Jane, he was a longtime privateer active in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
throughout the 1660s and, on his first voyage, successfully attacked and looted the town of San Tomas while sailing along the coast of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. In early-1670, he set out from Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
with letters from Governor Thomas Modyford
Thomas Modyford
Colonel Sir Thomas Modyford, 1st Baronet was a planter of Barbados and Governor of Jamaica, 1664-70.Modyford was the son of a mayor of Exeter with family connections to the Duke of Albemarle, who emigrated to Barbados as a young man with other family members in 1647, in the opening stages of the...
to the Governor of Cuba "signifying peace between the two nations". As a further show of goodwill, several Spanish prisoners being held in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
were also returned.
However, the Governor of Bayamo
Bayamo
Bayamo is the capital city of the Granma Province of Cuba, and one of the largest cities in the Oriente region.The community of Bayamo lies on a plain by the Bayamon River...
was suspicious of his intentions and had an officer search his ship three times looking for evidence of privateering. Having brought a full cargo of European luxury goods, which were in short supply among the local townspeople, Speirdyke soon sold his entire stock. Despite this breech of Spanish law, the governor chose to turn a blind eye.
Setting sail for his return to Jamaica, it was shortly after leaving the harbor that they were hailed by an English ship and asked where they hailed from. When Speirdyke answered Jamaica, the captain revealed himself as Manuel Rivero Pardel, a former Portuguese privateer turned pirate hunter, and called upon the elderly Dutchman to defend himself. Pardel opened fire and the two ships began a battle lasting until the evening when it became to dark to see. Speirdyke was outnumbered 18 to 70, however he continued to fight on.
At dawn, he sailed towards Pardel's ship which he and his men boarded. The Dutchmen were said to have fought bravely and during the savage hand-to-hand fighting that followed resulted in one-third of Pardal's crew being killed or wounded. The numbers of the Portuguese eventually overwhelmed Speirdyke and his men. By the time the Dutch surrendered, the Mary and Jane was on fire in two places and five men had been killed including Speirdyke. Sending nine of the survivors back with a message to Modyford of his commission and his intentions of retaliation for the raid of Portobello
Portobello
-Places:England* Portobello, West Midlands* Portobello Road, London* Portobellow, an estate in Wakefield, West YorkshireIreland* Portobello, Dublin, IrelandNew Zealand* Portobello, New ZealandPanama* Portobelo, PanamaScotland* Portobello, Edinburgh...
two years before, he took the remaining four with him as prisoners to Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
.
Further reading
- Marley, David. Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 1998. ISBN 0-87436-837-5
- Rogozinski, Jan. Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, and Privateers in Fact, Fiction, and Legend. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 0-306-80722-X