Person

Laurens de Graaf

c. 1653–1704 · 17th century · Also known as Lorencillo

Laurens de Graaf was a Dutch buccaneer who operated from French Saint-Domingue and raided Spanish shipping and ports in the Caribbean. In May 1683, with Nicholas van Hoorn and Michel de Grammont, he sacked Veracruz, the chief port of New Spain, holding its inhabitants for ransom. He later entered French service and helped found settlements on the Gulf coast of Louisiana.

Laurens de Graaf
Image: Geo. S. Harris and Sons · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

New SpainMilitary

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Laurens de Graaf. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/laurens-de-graaf
MLA
“Laurens de Graaf.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/laurens-de-graaf. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Laurens de Graaf.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/laurens-de-graaf.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Laurens de Graaf’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/laurens-de-graaf (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻