Sir Edmond Nandels

Sir Edmond Nandels (28 January 1661 - 31 May 1733) was a British scholar who led the Nandels Expedition that formed English settlements in the Nandels Port area in 1704.

Early Life
Nandels was born in 1661 in Maidstone, England to Jacob (1633-1708) and Mary (née Rochester) Nandels (1643-1729). The Nandels family was a prominent and wealthy family in the Maidstone area, who had been there for centuries. Edmond Nandels was the oldest of six children, one of whom died of influenza in childhood. His father, Jacob, was a brewer.

The Nandels Expedition
Main Article: Nandels Expedition

Nandels made three attempts to form a permanent settlement in Doggerland after reading of historic attempts there dating back to the 14th century. After initial reluctance, King William III gave him permission to survey the land in 1694. After initially sailing off course to the island of Texel, Nandels and his crew sailed around the island and decided to come back and form a settlement on the Bay of Nandels, due to its secluded location on the waterfront and way from recent Dutch settlements that were mistaken for former settlements at the south of the island. In 1699, his crew sailed accidentally to Rotterdam, and bad weather forced them to return to England. In late 1703, they set off a third and final time, arriving in early 1904, and travelling on foot from Port Hope to Viestern, following the West Star. They founded the settlement of Viestern, which eventually expanded into many other settlements that now make up the Nandels Port Metropolitan Area, now the largest metropolitan area in the entire country.

Later Life
Nandels remained in Doggerland for the remainder of his life. He returned to England briefly in 1728, when he was knighted by King George II for his successful expedition and new settlements. Despite starting with fifty people, by his death, his settlements had expanded to five communities and a total population of over 900 permanent residents, some of whom have descendants still there today. He died in 1733 in Viestern and is buried in the Nandels Port Pioneer Cemetery.

Personal Life
In 1690, Nandels married his third cousin, Agatha Sommers (1669-1756). They had three children in England:


 * James Nandels (1693-1745), married Mary Wright
 * Edmond Nandels Jr. (1696-1776), married Elizabeth Kent
 * Samuel Nandels (1701-1754), no issue, first warden of Viestern

In 1703, Nandels left for Doggerland, leaving behind his family back in England until they joined him in Doggerland. He had two more children born in Viestern:


 * Elizabeth Nandels (1709-1778), married Samuel Kent Jr.
 * John Nandels (1711-1801), married Catherine Gowan, then Annatje Pries

It is disputed that he may have had a mistress in Viestern before his English family arrived. Historians are debating claims that he may have also had a daughter, Catherine, in 1705 by a young woman named Margaret, however, this theory is still under investigation.