81 Lampsins of Vlissingen

After the Church of Saint Jacob where Michiel de Ruyter was baptized and married the next logical step was to the Lampsins House. Lampsins was is an important ship-owner. Originally from Oostende Jan Lampsins settled in Vlissingen and made his fortune there. He was also the first employer of Michiel de Ruyter. As a young child after flunking school Michiel took up a job working on the ropewalk one of the businesses of Jan Lampsins. Later a children’s song was written that starts with this period of his life when ‘turning the big wheel, all day, while his boyish heart longed for a life of adventure on sea’. Or something like that. In 1618 as a 11 year old he went to sea. In 1631 after a very adventurous life on shore and at sea he was hired again by Lampsins. This time it was Cornelis Lampsins the son of Jan. Michiel was send to head the company’s office in Dublin where he learned to speak fluent Irish. The story goes that on a trip back to Vlissingen his ship was attacked by pirates. He saved his ship by smearing Irish butter on the hull of the ship. In 1638 De Ruyter was made captain of one of the Lampsins’ ships. By 1644 he had his own ship the Salamander. In 1652 he bought a house right behind the Lampsins House. The Lampsins house is now a museum. The balcony on the roof is said to function as a kind of crows’ nest. It was used to watch the ships depart and come in. The old tidal dock is now a marina. Hence the high walls. When sketching the sun was out, but a freezing cold wind from the north was blowing around my ears. High time to go inside in the MuZeeum (MuSeaum).