Gerard Callenburgh

Who was Gerard Callenburgh?

Gerard Callenburgh was a Dutch admiral.

Gerard was born in Willemstad, the son of a wood-trader, but chose to enter the Dutch navy in 1661 as a cadet, serving the Admiralty of the Maze. He was made second lieutenant in May 1666 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. On 10 February 1671 he was promoted lieutenant. During the Third Anglo-Dutch War he served on Michiel de Ruyter's flagship, De Zeven Provinciën, in the Battle of Solebay. He was promoted to extraordinary captain on 15 March 1673, serving as second flagcaptain of De Zeven Provinciën in the Battle of Texel, below captain Pieter de Liefde. On 13 February 1674 he was made a full captain.

In 1676 he commanded the Eendragt, the flagship of De Ruyter in the Mediterranean. When De Ruyter was killed, he became acting Vice-Admiral as squadron leader of the van, bringing home the body of the Admiral.

In 1688 he was captain of the Maagd van Dordrecht in the invasion fleet of William III of Orange during the Glorious Revolution. Having excellent relations with the stadtholder he became Vice-Admiral of the Admiralty of the Northern Quarter on 16 April 1689. In 1690 he fought in the Battle of Beachy Head on the West-Friesland. On 18 April 1692 he returned to the Admiralty of de Maze in Rotterdam, using the new and fourth De Zeven Provinciën as flagship. However on 20 November 1697 he again was relocated to the Admiralty of the Northern Quarter to be its Lieutenant-Admiral.