Editing Maarten Tromp (section)

==Early life==
Born in [[Brielle]] in the Netherlands, Tromp was the oldest son of Harpert Maertensz, a naval officer and captain of the frigate ''Olifantstromp ("Elephant Trunk")''. The surname ''Tromp'' probably derives from the name of the ship; it first appeared in documents in 1607. He was baptized 3 May 1598 in [[St Catherine's Cathedral, Utrecht|St. Catherine's Cathedral]].<ref name=wijn37>[[#wijn1997|Wijn, 1997]], p. 37</ref>  In 1606, the Tromp family moved to [[Rotterdam]] where Tromp's father was appointed by the [[Admiralty of Rotterdam]] as captain of the frigate ''Olifantstromp''. His mother supplemented the family's income as a washerwoman. In 1607, at the age of nine, Tromp went to sea with his father aboard the ''Olifantsdorp'', of the Rotterdam squadron, commanded by  Commodore [[Mooy Lambert]], as part of the Dutch fleet of Lieutenant-Admiral [[Jacob van Heemskerck]], with the objective of blockading [[Dunkirk]] and the Spanish coast and intercepting the Spanish fleet being sent to drive the Dutch from the [[East Indies]]. On 25 April,  a fierce battle ensued at the [[Battle of Gibraltar (1607)|Battle of Gibraltar]], resulting in a great Dutch victory.<ref name=wijn37/><ref name=historiek1>[[#historiek|Historiek]], essay</ref><ref>[[#britannica|Encyclopedia Britannica]], essay</ref><ref name=harpetszoonessay>[[#harpetszoon|British Civil Wars Project (BCW)]], Essay</ref>

In 1610, after his father's discharge because of a navy reorganization, the Tromps were on their way to [[Guinea]] on their merchantman when they were attacked by a squadron of seven ships under command of the English pirate [[Peter Easton]]. During the fight, Tromp's father was slain by a cannonball, where after the battle his body was thrown overboard by the boarding party. According to legend, the 12-year-old boy rallied the crew of the ship with the cry "Won't you avenge my father's death?" The pirates seized him and sold him on the slave market of [[Salé]] where he ended up serving as a cabin boy. Two years later, Easton was moved by pity and ordered his redemption.<ref name=historiek1/><ref>[[#vere1955|Vere, 1955]], p. 28</ref><ref name=wijn39>[[#wijn1997|Wijn, 1997]], p. 39</ref>

Set free, Tromp supported his mother and three sisters by working in a [[Rotterdam]] shipyard. He went to sea again at 19, briefly working for the navy, but he was captured again in 1621 after having rejoined the merchant fleet, this time by [[Barbary]] corsairs off [[Tunis]]. He was kept as a slave until the age of 24 and by then had so impressed the [[Murad I Bey|Bey of Tunis]] and the corsair [[Jack Ward|John Ward]] with his skills in gunnery and navigation that the latter offered him a position in his fleet. When Tromp refused, the Bey was even more impressed by this show of character and allowed him to leave as a free man in 1622.<ref name=harpetszoonessay/>