Frans Jacobszoon Visscher

{{Short description|Dutch mariner and explorer}}

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Frans Jacobszoon Visscher was a Dutch mariner and explorer, who voyaged as pilot-major on the first voyage of Abel Tasman to the Southern Hemisphere, between August 1642 and 15 June 1643 and was a native of Flushing, Netherlands. He is known to have lived in the period 1623–1645. His first name may be written Franchoijs or Franchoys etc.; his middle name may be found sometimes abbreviated "Jacobsz."Beazley, Charles Raymond (1911), "Tasman, Abel Janszoon" , in Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 437–438

According to the specialist on Visscher and Abel Tasman, Michael Ross,{{cite web|url=http://abeltasman.org.nz/articles-research/ |title=Articles & Research | Abel Tasman 1642 |publisher=Abeltasman.org.nz |date= |accessdate=2021-06-24}} Visscher had been in Asia about ten years before Tasman's great voyage. He was a mate and steersman on the Nassau fleet (1623-6) of Jacob L’Hermite and Hugo Schapeham. Visscher was therefore able to develop the proposal that would lead to Tasman's 1642 expedition, and he was an ideal person to choose as navigator.{{Cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/8715084|title = The Mysterious Eastland Revealed|last1 = Ross|first1 = Michael}}

In 1642, Visscher published Memoir concerning the discovery of the South land.