Isaac Rochussen
Encyclopedia
Isaac Rochussen or Isaac Rockesen (1631–1710) was a 17th century Dutch corsair and privateer during the Second
and Third Anglo-Dutch War
. His capture of the The Falcon, a merchantman belonging to the East India Company, was one of the most valued ships captured during the late 17th century.
and Third Anglo-Dutch War
, he captured the English East India merchantman The Falcon near the Isles of Scilly
on July 7, 1672. The prize was sold at as 350,000 gilders, the highest paid for the time when an average ship and cargo went for only a few thousand or, at best, tens of thousands of gilders. The Falcon was thereafter referred to by the Dutch as De Gouden Valk (or The Golden Falcon). Rochussen himself received a gold medal from the ships´ owner for this capture. He later became a successful privateer in his later years, a trade followed by his son Isaac Rochussen, Jr., before his death in 1710.
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
and Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
. His capture of the The Falcon, a merchantman belonging to the East India Company, was one of the most valued ships captured during the late 17th century.
Biography
Isaac Rochussen was born in the city of Vlissingen, although little of his life is recorded. An active corsair during the SecondSecond Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
and Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
, he captured the English East India merchantman The Falcon near the Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
on July 7, 1672. The prize was sold at as 350,000 gilders, the highest paid for the time when an average ship and cargo went for only a few thousand or, at best, tens of thousands of gilders. The Falcon was thereafter referred to by the Dutch as De Gouden Valk (or The Golden Falcon). Rochussen himself received a gold medal from the ships´ owner for this capture. He later became a successful privateer in his later years, a trade followed by his son Isaac Rochussen, Jr., before his death in 1710.
Further reading
- Prud'Homme van Reine, R.B. and E.W. van der Oest. Kapers op de kust: Nederlandse kaapvaart en piraterij, 1500-1800. Vlissingen: ADZ Vlissingen, 1991.
- Nagtglas, F. Levensberichten van Zeeuwen: Zijnde een vervolg op P. de la Rue, Geletterd, Staatkundig En Heldhaftig Zeeland. Middelburg: J.C. & W. Altorffer, 1893.