Dutch officer ranks grew from merchant experience and multiple admiralties

Early Dutch naval leadership drew on experienced merchant sailors serving through several admiralties. Their senior officers brought practical knowledge of the sea, and some rank names resembled civilian titles or descriptions of the work involved. Schout-bij-nacht, the rear-admiral grade, is translated here as sheriff by night. Lieutenant-admiral describes someone standing in for an admiral. Fleets could number hundreds of ships, but smaller forces did not always justify appointing a full admiral, making the intermediate grade a practical way to organize command.