Jacob van Heemskerck was born in Amsterdam on 13 March 1567. As a young man he attended classes in the art of navigation. At 28 he got the opportunity as cargo superintendent for the States General to make a voyage of discovery to find another way to the East Indies. This voyage failed. In 1596 the city of Amsterdam paid for a new expedition by two ships to find a Northern route to the Indies. This voyage has become famous for the wintering of Willem Barentsz on Nova Zembla. In spite of the failure of this voyage Jacob van Heemskerck was sent to the Indies as an Admiral. On the return voyage he captured a rich Portuguese prize.

In 1607 he commanded a fleet of 26 ships to inflict as much damage as possible on the Spanish fleet. Although the 21 heavily armed Spanish ships were anchored in the Bay of Gibraltar under the protection of the guns of the fortress he decided to attack. A shot from the second round from the Spanish Admiral's ship killed him.

In spite of that the Spanish fleet was defeated. The body of the Admiral was taken to Amsterdam, where he was buried in the Old Church with much pomp and circumstance on 8 June 1607.