Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Nores, Simon de

NORES, Simon de (no'-res), Dutch naval officer, b. in Muyden, near Amsterdam, in 1581; d. in Amsterdam in 1643. He was the son of a pilot, and followed the same profession till about 1610, when he entered the service of the Dutch East Indian company. In 1624 he proposed to John Usseling, president of the company, a plan for attacking the Spanish possessions in South America, which was accepted. An expedition was sent out on 22 Dec., 1624, under Admiral Jacob Wilekens, Nores commanding the first division of the fleet, and taking an active part in all the operations of the campaign. He remained as lieutenant of Piet Hein (q. v.) when Willekens returned to Holland in August, 1525, and, being left in command of Bahia during Hein's expedition against Espiritu Santo, defended the city against a powerful Spanish and Portuguese fleet. After holding it for two months, he was forced to sign a capitulation in October, 1525, and was detained a prisoner for several months, till Hein's return from Holland and his recapture of the city, 3 May, 1526. Being appointed vice-admiral on his return to Holland, he commanded from 1627 till 1631 several expeditions that ravaged the Venezuelan and Brazilian coasts, and twice captured the treasure-ship that bore the yearly tribute of the colonies to Spain. He retired in 1632, settled in Amsterdam, and at his death was one of the consulting directors of the Indian company.