Hendrick Lucifer
Encyclopedia
Hendrick Jacobszoon Lucifer (1583–1627) was a Dutch-born
pirate and brute.
Hendrick's last name, Lucifer
, referred not to a lighting stick, but to the fallen angel Lucifer, and was most likely used as a nickname
due to his use of fire and smoke to surprise enemies.
for the Dutch West India Company
, accompanied by two other pirate captains. One encounter off the coast of Cuba
caused by a near collision with a two-ship Honduran
treasure fleet allowed Hendrick's fleet to capture a ship and contents worth 1.2 Million Guilders. Hendrick fought as brave as a lion, (according to surviving crewmen), and personally killed around ten enemy soldiers in close combat, before being hit by a bullet. He still continued his plundering, but another bullet hit him in the chest and he had to quit fighting. He made it back safely to his ship, and his crew finished up the last of the treasure fleet's sailors.
Lucifer, by then mortally wounded, gave the order to transfer the money to his ship. He then walked to his cabin. He slowly lay down to bed, saying he would go to rest, and then died as a result of wounds received during the encounter.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
pirate and brute.
Hendrick's last name, Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
, referred not to a lighting stick, but to the fallen angel Lucifer, and was most likely used as a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
due to his use of fire and smoke to surprise enemies.
Greatest success and death
In 1627, Hendrick was in charge of 3 ships transporting colonists to GuyanaGuyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
for the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
, accompanied by two other pirate captains. One encounter off the coast of 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...
caused by a near collision with a two-ship Honduran
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
treasure fleet allowed Hendrick's fleet to capture a ship and contents worth 1.2 Million Guilders. Hendrick fought as brave as a lion, (according to surviving crewmen), and personally killed around ten enemy soldiers in close combat, before being hit by a bullet. He still continued his plundering, but another bullet hit him in the chest and he had to quit fighting. He made it back safely to his ship, and his crew finished up the last of the treasure fleet's sailors.
Lucifer, by then mortally wounded, gave the order to transfer the money to his ship. He then walked to his cabin. He slowly lay down to bed, saying he would go to rest, and then died as a result of wounds received during the encounter.