Batavia Bricks

About 8000 small building bricks were recovered from the Batavia wreck site. Large quantities of bricks were sent each year to the Indies.

In 1653, 300,000 bricks were requested, and these orders included Vries clijnkert (Friesland bricks), grauwe leijts moppen (grey Leiden bricks), leijts clijne grauwe clijnkert (small grey Leiden bricks) and Gousteclijnkert (Gouda bricks). The bricks made an excellent paying ballast and would, no doubt, have been used in the various building programmes taking place in Batavia during this period.