THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
Barent Vockes (also spelled Barend Fokkes, Bernard Fockensz and other variations) is a special figure in history. This Frisian man had been working for the VOC for 20 years when he in September 1676 proposed to the Council of the Lords Seventeen to have a special galliot built for various purposes:
- cruising on return ships;
- foresailing on outgoing ships;
- and to convey telegrams to the East.
The Amsterdam Chamber accepted his proposal and appointed Barent as permanent skipper on the brand new galliot the Snoeper (also called the Snobber).
Because it was said Barent sailed with full sail in all weather conditions, he completed the voyages between the Republic and Batavia in record time. To prevent his masts from breaking under the force of a storm, he reinforced them with iron rods. The English gave him the nickname The Flying Dutchman, because they were jealous of his speed. On account of his fast crossings, a statue of Barent Vockes in Frisian costume stood for many years on the island of Kuiper (just outside the roadstead of Batavia), until it was destroyed by the English in 1806.
Drawing from 1779 of the island of Kuiper by Johannes Rach with the statue of Barend Fokkes with flag on the left. (Maritime Museum, Rotterdam)
The first voyage with galliot Snoeper from Texel to Batavia:
The return journey is in the newspaper:
Oprechte Haerlemsche courant of May 13, 1679, page 2 (found via Delpher.nl!!)
Amsterdam den 11 Mey. Schipper Barent Fockes, met sijn Galjoot den 22 December van Batavia gezeylt, is op eergisteren in Tessel gearriveert, en op gisteren persoonlijck hier gekomen, mede brengende een Doos met Brieven aen de Heeren Bewinthebbers; men segt, dat hy rapporteert, dat op sijn vertrecken, te weten, 5 capitale Schepen van de Compagnie, en 3 minder Schepen, voor de selve gehuurt, wachtende alleen nae de komst van de Schepen van Bengale, die Salpeter souden mede brengen, welcke Schepen nae sijn vertreck in de Straet Sunda heeft gerescontreert; vorder weet hy te seggen, dat men te Batavia 2 Schepen van Ceylon was verwachtende; dat de Compagnie seer goede Negotie in Japan had gehad, als mede dat de Heer Jacob van der Weye als Commandeur met gemelde 8 Schepen na 't Vaderland stont te komen. (...)
Amsterdam den 12 Mey. (...). Met het Galjoot uyt Indien zijn Brieven van den Heer van Goens, van den 20 December laetst.
PS: Thanks to Anja Moritz and her daughter, who are descendants of this famous ancestor and are doing research on him. So if anyone has more information about Barend Fockesz, we would be very happy to hear from you!
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