Mooy Lambert

Lambert Hendriksz ( ? 1550 – 17 March 1625) was a Dutch vice admiral known for his physical beauty. He is usually referred to by his nickname Mooy Lambert ("Lambert the beautiful").

In the early 17th century, he served under Willem Haultain and Jacob van Heemskerk and was present as a rear admiral at the Battle of Gibraltar. He was active against the Dunkirk corsairs and in 1605 managed to defeat and capture the Dunkirk admiral Adriaan Dirksen.

From 1616 to 1624, he was mostly active in the Mediterranean to protect Dutch merchants from the Barbary pirates and in 1618 teamed up with the Spanish to defeat the Algerian corsair fleet.

In 1622, he negotiated a peace agreement with the Pasha of Algiers to leave Dutch merchant shipping unmolested. After this treaty was broken by the Algerians, Lambert was sent to take punitive action against the Barbary pirates and through harsh negotiations managed to force the Algerians to set hundreds of Christian slaves free.

After his death, having served the admiralty of Rotterdam for more than forty years, he was given a grave memorial in the St Laurens church of Rotterdam.

The inscription on the epitaph reads:

           "Hier leidt in 't graf een held manhaft
           Mooy Lambert Hendrikszoon
           Die in zijn tijd tot Spanjaars spijt
           Haar trots heeft 't hoofd geboon
           Zijn deftigheid was ook verbreid
           Onder de Turkse natie
           Die hij dikwijls met zijn metaal
           Verwon in korten spacie"

This is the Text when translated into English:

           "Here lies in the grave a brave hero 
           Mooy Lambert Hendrikszoon 
           who in his time to the Spaniards' regret 
           has made their proud head bow 
           His dignity was also well known 
           among the Turkish nation 
           who with his metal he frequently 
           beat in short time"