Nathaniel Courthope
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Nathaniel Courthope (d. October 20 est., 1620) was an English merchant navy officer[1] involved in the wars with the Dutch over the sea.
On November 13, 1609, Nathaniel Courthope was hired by the East India Company to go to the Spice Islands. He left England with great fanfare and by 1616 was a factor at Sukadana in Borneo.[2]
On December 25, 1616, Nathaniel Courthope landed his ships, Swan and Defence, on Run, the smallest island of Banda Islands, in a quest to break the Dutch hold on the nutmeg supply. He persuaded the islanders to enter an alliance with the British for nutmeg. After losing his two ships to mutiny and sinking by the Dutch, he fortified the island by erecting forts to overlook approaches from the east.[3] With 39 men he proceeded to hold off a Dutch siege for 1,540 days. He was shot in the back by the Dutch while rowing back to Run in a small boat. Refusing to surrender, he leapt into the sea and swam for it, dying en route.[4]
The English and their local allies departed without a struggle shortly following Courthope's death.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Nathaniel Courthope : Oxford Biography Index entry
- ^ Giles Milton, “Nathaniel’s Nutmeg”. Penguin Books, 1999 ISBN 978-0-14-029260-2
- ^ Fortnightly Club of Redlands
- ^ Russian Students in England : Cathi Szulinski
- ^ Timeline Indonesia
