Liefde was a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on Mast (sailing), masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing Square rig, square-rigged or Fore-an ...

that ran aground and sank during a storm in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

off the

Shetland Islands Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the Uni ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

, while she was on her fourth homeward voyage from the East under the command of Captain Meikens Barend.

Owners

''Liefde'' was built in

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

by the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) as a frigate for voyages to the East.

Sinking

On 7 November 1711 ''Liefde'' was on her fourth homeward voyage from the East under the command of Captain Meikens Barend and with a crew of 300. She was thought to be carrying 32 guns as well as merchandise from the east, some 227,000 guilders in bags and 1800 silver and gold ducats. After a storm hit the ship, she ran aground and sank off the

leaving only one survivor of the entire crew. This individual, whose name is unknown, lodged with a local family for about a year before being taken off the island.

Wreck

About 2,000 guilders were salvaged by the local inhabitants during the year following the ship's sinking. In August 1965 Dutch coins were found washed ashore on the island of Housay in the

Out Skerries The Out Skerries are an archipelago of islets, some inhabited, in Shetland, Scotland, and are the easternmost part of Shetland as well as Scotland. Locally, they are usually called Da Skerries or just Skerries. Geography The Out Skerries lie ...

by divers. In 1968 the remains of the wreck were discovered on the southernmost tip of the island. They lie in a cleft called Dregging Geos on the Mio Ness peninsula.

References

{{Reflist Sailing ships of the Netherlands 1690s ships Shipwrecks in the North Sea Ships built in the Netherlands Ships of the Netherlands