Jacob Willekens
Encyclopedia
Jacob Willekens or Wilckens (1564 – 1649) was a Dutch admiral on a fleet to the Dutch Indies, and a herring seller, who went to sea again at the age of fifty for the Dutch West Indies Company. His most well-known success was undoubtedly the conquest of San Salvador de Bahia
, the then capital of Brazil
. His fleet, which included Dutch corsair Piet Hein
as vice admiral
, departed from Texel
on December 22, 1623 with between 26-36 ships and 3,300 sailors towards South America
. At the beginning of June 1624, they began their attack from sea and soon captured the Portuguese stronghold with little resistance. They occupied Bahia for over a year before the local population took up arms under acting governor Matias de Albuquerque
and Archbishop Dom Marcos Teixeira who eventually expelled them
with the help of a combined Spanish-Portuguese fleet numbering 52 warships and 12,000 soldiers in May 1625. This was the first major WIC privateering expedition to the region.
He would also participate in an attack on Rio de Janeiro
with Hein in 1626, but after a dispute over who would be in command, the two separated with Willekens returning to Amsterdam
. Willekens joined the vroedschap
in 1639 and the Admiralty of Amsterdam
. He was buried in the Zuiderkerk in 1649.
Capture of Bahia
On December 22 of 1623 a Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Jacob Willekens and Vice Admiral Pieter Heyn consisting of 35 ships, of which 13 were owned by the United Provinces, while the rest belonged to the WIC, sailed from Texel carrying 6,500 men en route to Cape Verde, where they arrived...
, the then capital of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. His fleet, which included Dutch corsair Piet Hein
Piet Hein
Piet Hein is the name of:* Piet Pieterszoon Hein , Dutch naval commander and folk hero* Piet Hein , descendant of the above, Danish poet and scientist...
as vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
, departed from Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
on December 22, 1623 with between 26-36 ships and 3,300 sailors towards South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. At the beginning of June 1624, they began their attack from sea and soon captured the Portuguese stronghold with little resistance. They occupied Bahia for over a year before the local population took up arms under acting governor Matias de Albuquerque
Matias de Albuquerque
Matias de Albuquerque , the first and only Count of Alegrete, was a Portuguese colonial administrator and soldier...
and Archbishop Dom Marcos Teixeira who eventually expelled them
Recapture of Bahia
The recapture of Bahia was a joint Spanish-Portuguese military expedition in 1625 to retake the city of Salvador da Bahia in Brazil from the forces of the Dutch West India Company .In May 1624, Dutch WIC forces under Jacob Willekens captured Salvador Bahia from the Portuguese...
with the help of a combined Spanish-Portuguese fleet numbering 52 warships and 12,000 soldiers in May 1625. This was the first major WIC privateering expedition to the region.
He would also participate in an attack on Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
with Hein in 1626, but after a dispute over who would be in command, the two separated with Willekens returning to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Willekens joined the vroedschap
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
in 1639 and the Admiralty of Amsterdam
Admiralty of Amsterdam
The Admiralty of Amsterdam was the largest of the five Dutch admiralties at the time of the Dutch Republic. The administration of the various Admiralties was strongly influenced by provincial interests...
. He was buried in the Zuiderkerk in 1649.