Jan Jacob Best was born in the town of Hoorn on 18 April 1884 as the son of Pieter Best who was a cheese merchant. His mother was named Klaartje de Boer. Religion, Dutch Reformed. Hoorn in located in the provicne of North Holland about 30 kilometers north of the city of Amsterdam. According to the obituary announcement in the newspaper in 1947, there was one sister, Other sources give two brothers, Klaas Best and Nicolaas Best. He was the 2nd child with this name, as his older brother born in 1879 had passed away in June 1883.

ED: As you will see from what I have listed below I have a lot of gaps in his biography. According to “hints” in the Holland America Line archives, he seemed to have sailed as captain for the company, but sofar I have not found any evidence. Also I do not know much abut his family life.  There is not even a single photo of him in the HAL archives.So if there is anybody who reads this, and would have photos or information about his life and career and who like to contribute to make this biography more complete, please contact me on CaptAlbert1@aol.com. 

He was admitted to the Kweekschool voor de Zeervaart in Amsterdam on 28 February 1901 for the 2 year course. In the second year he was recognized for his “continuous good behavior” and received a watch with chain from the fund of “Knight L Zegers Vaerkens”. He excelled in gymnastic and weapon handling.

He joined Holland America on 28 July 1902 as Cadet and was assigned to the passengership the  ss Rijndam (I). (Catain van der Zee), on the Rotterdam – New York serice.  However according to the company records he went to the cargo ship ss Sloterdijk (I) (Captain Jan Baron) instead. On 21 August 1903 he returned to his old school with a very good report. He then goes to school for his 3rd mates license but for unknown reasons he does not sit for his exam but on 17 December 1903 returned to HAL as acting 4^th. officer  ( Acting as he had not passed his license yet)and is assigned to the same ship again. Once he came back from sea from the cadet ship he returned to Hoorn (supposedly to hsi parents) as the City of Amsterdam records indicate that he left Amsterdam on 29 Juy 1902.

On 4 May 1904 he is called up for his Military service and ends up as a soldier with the 4th. Regiment Infantry. As was normal for Merchant Navy officers, he was given dispensation from this military servce. (d)

On 16 June 1904 is is out of military life and the passed his exam for 3^rd mate on 22 July 1904; with a special notification for French and German. He was accordingly dismissed with honours from the academy on 26 July.

He returned to HAL and was assigned to the passengerships, joining the flagship ss Rotterdam (IV) as 4th. officer on 17 August 1904. As Holland America actively promoted a Navy Reserve career in those days, he was assigned to the Royal Netherlands  Navy on 30 September 1904. (“Extraordinary” – was an initial title given to ensigns coming from the merchant navy)

Then a regular career follows, with  hopping from ship to ship while gaining seniority, interspersed with stints in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve.

A peculiar moment in his career was to be assigned to the ss Amsterdam (II) between 05 and 27 April 1905 laid up in Rotterdam waiting to be sold. Based on the regular practises of those days he was either the only person on board as Watch Officer (if he could provide hitting in his cabin area) or together with a junior engineer, to keep a donkey boiler going for heating an steam for the anchor windlass. (The ss Amsterdam was sold in May 1905 to Italy and later that year scrapped.

He married on 22 November 1913 in “De Rijp” (province of North Holland) Gezina Schellinger daughter of Cornelis Schellinger (wine merchant) and Femmetje Cornelia van der Molen from the town Beemster. (a)

By 1912 he was assigned as Chief Officer to the ss Zaandijk  which was a HAL cargoship which sailed on 6 weeks round trips between Rotterdam and the US ports of Boston and Philadelphia.

GAP.

He passed away un-expectedly in Lugano Switzerland on 27 December 1947 at the age of 63 years old, and was cremated locally. According to the death announcement in the newspapers, there were no children. although he was cremated there is a grave stone  at the cementary Westerveld, Driehuis. (Which is not that far from Heemstede) Peculiar thing is that his wife is not noted on the grave stone. (e)

 

Date:                    Function:                            Ship:                                    Wages and/or remarks.

28 Jul. 1902         Cadet                                  Sloterdijk                            10,–

08 Aug. 1903      Temporary dismissed to go to school for Exam 3^rd mate.

17 Dec. 1903      Act. 4^th. Officer                 Sloterdijk                            20,–

04 May. 1904     His calling up for military duty deferred with a year. Assigned to the 4^th. regiment Infantry.

26 Jun. 1904       Temporary dismissed to go to school for Exam 3^rd mate. Passed in July.

01 Jul. 1904         Assigned on 30 Sep. 1904 to the 10 regiment Infantry. Still deferred,

17 Aug. 1904      4^th. Officer                         Rotterdam                         30,–

30 Sep.1904        As per 01 October assigned as Ensign Extraordinaire to the Dutch Royal Navy.

30 Nov. 1904      4^th. Officer                         Noordam                            30,–

24 Dec. 1904      Temporary dismissed for the Navy Reserve.

03 Jan. 1905       Placed for a 3 month exercise for the Dutch royal Navy Reserve on board ss Gier.

05 Apr. 1905       4^th. Officer                         Amsterdam                        30,–

27 Apr. 1905       4^th. Officer                         Rotterdam                         30,–

23 Sep. 1905      Temporary dismissed

27 Sep.  1905      4^th. Officer                         Potsdam                             30,–

22 Dec. 1905      4^th. Officer                         Statendam                         30,–

02 Feb. 1906      Act. 3^rd Officer                  Statendam                         40,–

09 Apr. 1906       Temporary dismissed due to illness

09 May 1906       Act. 3^rd Officer                  Nieuw Amsterdam           40,–

21 Jan. 1907       3^rd Officer                           Amsteldijk                          40,–

24 Jul. 1907         Temporary dismissed for study.  11 Dec. 1907 fails exam 2^nd rank.

14 Feb. 1908       Passed exam for 2^nd Mate.

19 Feb. 1908       2^nd officer                           Potsdam                             60,–

11 Mar. 1908      2^nd Officer                          Amsteldijk                          60,–

02 May 1908       Temporary dismissed

06 May 1908       2^nd Officer                          Statendam                         60,–

12 Sep. 1908     2^nd Officer Jr.                     Rijndam                              60,–

21 Nov. 1908      Temporarily dismissed for service in the Royal Navy Reserve

02 Apr. 1909       2^nd Officer                          Rotterdam                         60,–

24 May. 1909     2^nd. Officer                         Potsdam                             70,–

24 Nov. 1909      2^nd Officer                          Statendam                         70,–

08 Jan. 1910       2^nd Officer                          Andijk                                  70,–

07 Mar. 1910      2^nd Officer                          Statendam                         70,–

02 May. 1910     Temporarily dismissed for service in the Royal Navy Reserve

01 Jan. 1911       Due to change of wage structure                              130,–

15 Mar. 1911      Passed 1st Mate’s exam.

20 Mar. 1911   2^nd Officer                          Rotterdam                         130,–

01 Jul. 1912         First Officer                        Zaandijk                              130,–

(Note in the records: Due to illness of the 1^st Officer  of the Zaandijk and who therefore stayed behind, filled in the position. He was promoted to full 1^st. Officer while on board)

TBA

Sources:

(a) Mr. E.H  Kruidhof.

(b) Captain Albert archive for photos and additional information.

(c) “Stamboek” from the Hal archives as kept by the Municipal archives of the City of Rotterdam.

(d) Military records “militia registers ” as kept by the “Noord Hollands  Archief”.

(e) www.online-begraafplaatsen. ID nummer 1383077 begraaf plaats id 837 Westerveld.

Last Updated: 06 July 2025