Lot Essay
England and the Netherlands found themselves at war on three occasions within twenty years in the mid-seventeenth century and despite the variety of political causes, the underlying rationale for this essentially continuous conflict was trade. The first outbreak of hostilities came in 1652 and, in all, there were seven fleet encounters during this initial phase ended by the Treaty of Westminster in April 1654. The lighter-armed Dutch suffered heavy defeats at the Battle of Kentish Knock on 8th October 1652 and at the Battles of Portland, Gabbard Bank and Scheveningen - all in 1653 - but conceded so little when peace was agreed that further fighting, after both sides had recovered and rearmed, became inevitable.