Chapter Four. The ‘Marque Fleets’ Of Scotland, 1618–1638 (Chapter Five)

The collective series of conflicts that made up the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), came to involve almost every part of Europe and also drew in resources from the Americas and Asia. There were two main locations from where Great Britain remained vulnerable to a potential maritime threat in retaliation for British military participation in support of Frederick V. The Spanish Netherlands possessed a significant and sophisticated armed fleet operating predominantly out of Dunkirk and Ostend, which was collectively known as 'Dunkirkers'. The intervention of Great Britain in the Thirty Years' War heralded a new era for Scottish maritime warfare. Some perspective on the numbers and activities of Scottish privateers must be borne in mind. For example, it is instructive to note that the Scottish marque fleets, even taken together, were a minimal force compared to the English private men-of-war.Keywords: Dunkirkers; Great Britain; Scottish marque fleets; Spanish Netherlands