Captain Gerhardus Johannes Vis. No photo or illustration has been found yet

Gerardus Johannes Vis was born on   26 October 1840 at Heemvliet (also spelled Heenvliet) a small town  at the southwest of Rotterdam. (a)

IF YOU KNOWN ANYTHING ABOUT CAPTAIN VIS PLEASE CONTACT ME ON Captalbert1@aol.com. NOTHING IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS MAN AND I WOULD LOVE TO COMPLETE HIS BIOGRAPHY.

There is nothing know about him as he suddenly pops up in the company records in 1874 and disappears as suddenly in 1888.

In 1874 he was noted as living at Vasteland 5 Rotterdam. The house has since long disappeared.

He was taken on in 1874 when the company expanded with the addition of two new ships. As he was signed on as Chief Officer he must have had some experience in steam as otherwise the company would have placed him on board as 2nd in command.

The ss Rotterdam (I) was the first ship of the company when it was still called Plate Reuchlin C.V from 1872.

He joined the ss Rotterdam (I) the first ship of the company in 1874 and was promoted on the same ship a year later. In 1877 he transfers to the W.A Scholten and remains there until 1884, when in Sptember he is temproary assigned as Superintendnt in Hoboken Piers. After 7 months he returns to sea.

In this period he saves the crew of the British barque “Frederick” (Captain Hunter) consisting out of the captain and his wife and 13 crewmembers.  Chief Officer Geert Bakker, later captain commanded the lifeboat and of one of the volunteer crewmembers the name is known, F van Harten. He received a silver medal from the Dutch lifesaving association (ZHRM) and 10 guilders. Captain Vis reived, together with Chief Officer Bakker the “Robin Price of the same lifesaving company.

The ss W.A Scholten. Seen here departing a port. Most likely New York.

Also on 06 april 1883 he is awarded the silver medal by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Society (KNMI)  for the quality of keeping the ships logs. These were used to created charts with compass deviations for sue on the ships in the future.

The ss Rotterdam (II) seen here flying flags from every mast. The last one is most likely the Pennant number of the captain.

In September 1886 he is sent with the ss Adler of the Hamburg Amerika Linie to Liverpool to collect the  ss British Empire in Liverpool. This was one of several ships holland America was aqcuring at that time. He brigns the ship to Rotterdam and from there it goes on her maiden voyage for the company on 06 November to New York.

After 22 voyages, Captain Vis disappears from the records without a trace. The company notes that on 27 Jan. 1888 he is dismissed. He was a member of the “Rotterdam College of Captain” and flew their pennent number R 19 from 1877 onwards. He cancelled his membership also in 1888 when he left the company.

Career listing: (a)

Date:               Function:                    Ship:                           Wages and/or remarks.

Xx Feb. 1874 Chief Officer              Rotterdam

Xx Jul. 1875   Captain                       Rotterdam

Xx Feb.1878   Captain                       W.A Scholten

01 Sep. 1884   Acting superintendent at New york

15 Apr. 1885   Captain                       W.A Scholten

Xx Sep. 1886 From New York per ss Aller to Liverpool to collect the ss Rotterdam (II)

Xx Sep. 1886  Captain                       Rotterdam                   250 ,–

27  Jan. 1888   Dismissed.

Sources:

(a) Stamboek HAL archive as kept at the Municipal Archives of the City of Rotterdam.

(b) Author’s archive and photo database.

Last Updated: 25 January 2025.