Willem Bloys van Treslong

Willem Bloys van Treslong (1529 in Brielle – 17 July 1594 near Leiden) was a nobleman from the Southern Netherlands and military leader during the Dutch war of Independence . He was best known as one of the leaders of the Sea Beggars who captured Den Briel on April 1, 1572.

The family Bloys van Treslong had lands in Flanders, Hainault and Holland, they are descended from John of Beaumont. The father of William Bloys van Treslong was the bailiff of Voorne.

Willem left Spanish service in 1558 and in 1567 joined other high nobles of the Netherlands in refusing to pledge allegiance to Margaret of Parma, the governor of the Netherlands and was part of the compromise of nobles. He fought in the battle of Heiligerlee in 1568. In 1571 William the Silent provided him with letters of marque and equipped two ships to join the Sea beggars. In March 1572 Bloys' ships were trapped by ice at Wieringen and are attacked by four Spanish companies of infantry. Bloys escaped from the Spaniards but lost his sword which at present hangs in the Michaëlskerk Church in Oosterland. In April 1572 the Sea Beggars captured Briel, which became a rebel base. Later in 1572 the rebels captured Vlissingen (known as Flushing in contemporary English).

Bloys of Treslong was appointed Admiral of Holland in 1573, followed by the appointment as Admiral of Zealand in 1576. After a dispute over the strategy for the relief of Antwerp in 1585 he went out of favour and ended up in jail, believed to have been under the custody of Count Steijn. In his last years he became bailiff of Voorne and grand-falconer of Holland and lived in relative peace.

William Bloys of Treslong was married to Adriana van Egmond (ca. 1540-1587) and Wilhelmina Kaarl. By Adriana van Egmond, he had a son, Jasper.

The Dutch warship HMNLS Bloys van Treslong was named after him.

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