Jacob Binckes (16.. - 1677)
Dutch privateer. In 1673 he met a Dutch fleet that was under the command of Cornelis Evertsen purely by coincidence in the West Indies. They decided to join their fleets and arrived at St. Eustatius on 8 July 1673. The English commander of the garrison that was stationed there received a letter from the dutchmen in which he was ordered to surrender. He refused, and after a short battle was forced to surrender. He and his remaining soldiers were transported to the island of St. Christopher on 11 July. The 80 dutch colonists that helped the English were tried and their posessions confiscated. They were transported on board one of the captured ships (in the harbour?) and together with 204 slaves would be brought to Curaçao where the slaves were to be sold. This ship left for Curaçao on 17 July 1673. The loot also included 19 cannons and a large amount of sugar. This was brought aboard the other ships of the fleet before it left on 18 July. The houses and other buildings on the island were burnt down before Evertsen and Binckes left with their fleet.
Binckes helped Denmark in 1675 against Sweden (then ally of France) as Vice-Admiral. In 1676 Binckes was sent again to the carribean with a fleet. He captured the island of Cayenne and also attacked the island St. Maarten and the coast of Guadeloupe. Afterwards the fleet was split up in two squadrons, one under the command of Jan Bont, and the other commanded by Binckes. Jan Bont sailed to Tobago. Binckes sailed to Santa Dominga and did not arrive at Tobago until September 1676. He immediately started to built fortifications.
On 20 February 1677 the Vice-admiral of France, Jean d'Estrées, arrived at Tobago with 4,000 men. Binckes and d'Estrées engaged in a battle that remained undecided, but became renowned. The French considered themselves to be the victors. In December 1677 the colony was again attacked by d'Estrées and this time he managed to take the island. Binckes lost his life in this battle. In the book The Buccaneers of America by Esquemeling Jacob is mentioned on pages 177 to 181.
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For this text I drew heavily on:
- Roos, Doeke
- Zeeuwen en de Westindische compagnie (1621 - 1674) / door Doeke Roos, 1992
- Lexicon geschiedenis ...
- Lexicon geschiedenis van Nederland & België / eindred.: Lick Mulder ; met medew. van: Jan Brouwers, Erik Drenth, Gert Gritter, Erwin Jansma, Marlies Mertens. - Utrecht : Kosmos-Z&K, cop. 1994
