Gerhard Christiaan Coenraad (Gerrit) Pels Rijcken (10 January 1810 – 2 May 1889) was a career officer of the

Royal Dutch Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...

and a politician. As an officer, Pels Rijcken reached the rank of Vice-Admiral. He was Dutch Navy Minister from 1866 to 1868.

Biography

Pels Rijcken was born in Princenhage,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, where his father was sheriff as well as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

of nearby

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

. His brother later became mayor of

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...

(1874-1844). He entered the

, becoming a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

in 1826, and rose through the ranks by serving on several vessels. He became a lieutenant, 2nd class in April 1831 and was promoted to lieutenant, 1st class in December 1845. He served as a training officer at the KIM (Royal Naval Institute) in

Medemblik Medemblik () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. It lies immediately south of the polder and former municipality of Wieringermeer. History Medemblik was a prosperous ...

from 1847. From 1855 to 1857, Pels Rijcken was assigned as commandant of the

Nagasaki Naval Training Center The was a naval training institute, between 1855 when it was established by the government of the Tokugawa shogunate, until 1859, when it was transferred to Tsukiji in Edo. During the Bakumatsu period, the Japanese government faced increasing i ...

, teaching the principles of a modern naval science (navigation, cannonry, ship-handling) to

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

including Katsu Kaishu. He arrived as captain of the ''Gedeh'' which accompanied the steam warship, the ZM SS ''Soembing'', a gift from King

William III of the Netherlands William III (Dutch: ''Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk''; English: ''William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis''; 19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death in 18 ...

to ''

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

Tokugawa Iesada was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He held office for five years from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and was therefore considered by later historians to have been unfit to be ''shōgun''. His reign marks the begin ...

.J. A. van der Chijs, ''Neêrlands streven tot openstelling van Japan voor den wereldhandel: Uit officieele, grootendeels onuitgegeven bescheiden toegelicht'' The Hague, Frederik Muller, 1867, p. 46

Under the name of ''

Kankō Maru was a after '' Chōhō'' and before ''Chōwa.'' This period spanned the years from July 1004 through December 1012. The reigning emperors were and . Change of Era * 1004 : The era name was changed to mark an event or series of events. The ...

'', ''Soembing'' was used at the Nagasaki Naval Training Center as a training vessel. While in Japan, he was promoted to commander in May 1856. He was succeeded in this post by

Willem Huyssen van Kattendijke Willem Johan Cornelis, Ridder Huijssen van Kattendijke (22 January 1816 – 6 February 1866) was a career officer of the Royal Dutch Navy and a politician. As an officer, he reached the rank of Commander. He was Dutch Naval Minister from 186 ...

from 1857 and returned to the Netherlands. Pels Rijcken was promoted to captain in February 1861. On 1 June 1862 he was captain of the steamship ''Ardjoeno''. From 1863 to 1864 he commanded the frigate ''Zeeland''. He then was appointed as an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to King William III, a post which he held until his death. After his promotion to rear admiral and assignment as commandant of the naval base at Willemsoord from 1 July 1865 to 1 June 1866, Pels Rijcken was named Minister of the Navy in the cabinet of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Julius van Zuylen van Nijevelt Julius Philip Jacob Adriaan, Count van Zuylen van Nijevelt (19 August 1819 – 1 July 1894) was a conservative Dutch politician. From 1855 till 1860 he served as Minister Resident in Istanbul, during which time he offered The Union Church of Ist ...

from 1 June 1866 to 4 June 1868. He was promoted to vice admiral on his retirement from active service on 1 August 1868. After retirement, he ran unsuccessfully for public office in Amsterdam, but was defeated in the elections of 1869. He was also a candidate for Minister of the Navy in 1874, but was rejected for showing symptoms of

senility Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affec ...

during his interviews. He died in

in 1889.

Honors and decorations

NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Commander BAR

– Commander of the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...

, August 15, 1867 * LUX Order of the Oak Crown - Grand Cross BAR

– Grand Cross

Order of the Oak Crown The Order of the Oak Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne de chêne, german: Eichenlaubkronenorden, lb, Eechelaafkrounenuerden) is an order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. History The Order of the Oak Crown was established in 1841 by Grand ...

, June 2, 1868

References

Parliamentarian Documentation Center, University of Leiden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pels Rijcken, Gerhard 1810 births 1889 deaths People from Breda Dutch expatriates in Japan Royal Netherlands Navy admirals Ministers of the Navy of the Netherlands Commanders of the Order of the Netherlands Lion