Princess Amelia (1634 ship) facts for kids
The Princess Amelia was a large Dutch merchant ship built in 1634. It had 38 cannons and weighed about 600 tons. This made it one of the biggest merchant ships of its time. The ship worked for the Dutch West India Company, a powerful trading company.
A Journey to New Netherland
In 1647, the Princess Amelia sailed to New Netherland, which was a Dutch colony in North America. The ship's captain was Jan Claesen Bol, who was 28 years old.
On board was Peter Stuyvesant, who was the new leader of New Netherland. He was called the Director-General. His wife, Judith Bayard, and his advisors also traveled with him. They arrived in Manhattan in May 1647. While the ship was in port, Captain Bol even joined meetings with Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam, the main town of the colony.
The Return Voyage
On August 16, 1647, the Princess Amelia left Manhattan to sail back to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The ship was full of valuable goods. It carried 200,000 pounds of special wood from Curaçao used for dyes. It also had about 14,000 beaver furs.
There were 107 people on board, including passengers and crew. One important passenger was Willem Kieft, the previous leader of New Netherland. He was going back to Amsterdam to explain his actions as Director. Other passengers included soldiers from the Dutch West India Company.
The Shipwreck
On September 27, 1647, Captain Bol made a mistake. He thought he was in the English Channel, but he was actually in the Bristol Channel. The Princess Amelia hit the ground near Mumbles Point, Wales, close to Swansea, Wales. The ship broke apart in the rough waters.
Out of 107 people, only 21 survived the shipwreck. Sadly, Willem Kieft drowned. The Reverend Everardus Bogardus, a church leader from the colony, also died. Many soldiers and other passengers were lost too.
After the Wreck
After the shipwreck, there were many arguments and legal cases about the lost ship and its cargo. These discussions lasted for years.
Some of the beaver furs from the ship washed ashore in Swansea Bay. They were sold for very low prices.
Two of the survivors, Jochem Pietersen Kuyter and Cornelis Melyn, were later found innocent of any wrongdoing. They were able to return to their families in New Amsterdam.
Some items from the wreck were found, like two cannons, small weapons, and silver coins. However, these items were later lost again on Rhossili beach before they could be taken to a safe place.
