ROBBINS, JAMES [SSNE 4074]
Text source
When Christian IV asked his nephew, Charles I, for a new master shipbuilder in 1641, the British king found himself in no position to send Scots due to his ongoing conflict with the Scottish Covenanters. Instead he sent the Englishman, James Rubbins, whom Christian IV made Royal Shipbuilder and effectively ended the 'Scottish' period of influence in Danish naval design. In May 1645 Christian sent "Master Rubbing" and six men to Norway with Sehested in order to start constructing ships. They were to be paid 1070 rigsdaler and 37 shillings, of which 500 had been paid in advance. Rubbins produced at least three warships for the Danish navy which were all sent to Norway to be put at the disposal of Hannibal Sehested. His son James/John also became a shipbuilder in Danish-Norwegian service [SSNE 4114]C.F. Bricka and J.A. Fredericia, Kong Christian den Fjerdes Egenhaendige Breve, (8 vols., Copenhagen, 1878-1947), vol. VIII, p.183; J. T. Lauridsen, 'Skibsbyggeri for den Danske Krone i Neustadt i 1640'rne' in Særtryk af Handels- og Søfartsmuseets Årbog (1982), p.79; Norske Rigsregistranter, vol.8 (1884), p.365. See also Martin Bellamy, 'Danish Naval Administration and Shipbuilding in the reign of Christian IV, 1596-1648', Ph.D. thesis, Glasgow, 1997, pp.369-374.
Service record
- DENMARK-NORWAY, BREMMERHOLM
- Arrived 1642-03-12
- Departed 1680-12-31
- Capacity SHIPWRIGHT, purpose NAVAL