A Brill Calendar: September 8

Few Dutchmen have been more lionized than Piet Pieterszoon Heyn (Delfshaven, Holland, November 15 1577 – near Dungeness, June 18 1629).

In a deft nautical manoever starting on September 8 1628 and lasting through the following day, the Vice-Admiral conquered almost the entire Spanish fleet which had been charged with the shipment of silver and bullion to Madrid. Suffering hardly any losses, Heyn returned to his commissioners, the ‘gentlemen XIX’ of the West-Indian Company, with a consolidated profit of some 11,5 million guilders. It is seldom that the return of a modest fleet caused more general enjoyment and pride in Holland. And merriment.

The enormous windfall should not be seen, however, as an increase in general wealth and wellbeing benefiting the nation. Most of the capital gained was added to the WIC reserves, while Heyn’s superiors were financially adroit enough to protect and extend their personal solvency and interests. Heyn was entitled to 1 ‘pro mille’ of the net-profits, (which totaled 7 million) cashing Dfl 7.000, barely enough to buy a new house; his men and crew were also more enraged and embittered than pleased with the outcome of the affair. After all, the country could hardly be unaware of the undubious fact that mightly Spain had suffered a startling economic blow…

This disenchantment hightened when, less than a year later, Piet Heyn was killed in one of the umpteen actions that Dutch private companies undertook to protect their business against the continuous harassment of Dunkirk pirates.