What did Cornelius Vermuyden invent?
What did Cornelius Vermuyden invent?
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, (born 1595, Tholen, Netherlands—died April 1683?, London), Dutch-born British engineer who introduced Dutch land-reclamation methods in England and drained the Fens, the low marshy lands in the east of England.
When did Vermuyden drain the Fens?
Contrary to popular belief, Vermuyden was not involved with the draining of the “Great Fen” in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk in the 1630s. He did not participate until the second phase of construction in the 1650s. This area of marshland was naturally drained by a labyrinth of rivers.
How was the Fens drained?
A long time ago, the fens were watery marshes. They were wild, dangerous places filled with tall grasses and flat wetlands. They drained the fens by straightening meandering rivers, building embankments and sluices, a type of channel for water which is controlled by gates, to keep the tides out.
When were the Cambridgeshire fens drained?
The major part of the draining of the Fens was effected in the late 18th and early 19th century, again involving fierce local rioting and sabotage of the works.
Who first drained the Fens?
1487 Bishop Morton of Ely caused ‘Morton’s Leam’ to be cut in 1487 to aid water flow and water traffic between Peterborough and Wisbech. This was the first straight drain in the Fenland.
How deep is the Forty Foot Drain?
It had a waterway of 15 feet [4.6 m]. Was also called Trinity Gowt. The drain gives its name to the village of North Forty Foot Bank.
How did the Forty Foot Drain get its name?
Vermuden’s Drain. Sir Cornelius Vermuyden designed the drain as part of his great drainage scheme of 1649-53, and it forms a broad, artificial river. The name “Forty Foot” is given for the width of the original works – forty feet between the tops of the banks.
Did the Romans drain the Fens?
There is also some evidence of Roman attempts to drain parts of the fen with sections of the Car Dyke both in Cambridgeshire and in Lincolnshire. A Roman coin of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius 138-181 AD was found in Woodwalton Fen in 1940.
Why is it called Forty Foot Bank?
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden designed the drain as part of his great drainage scheme of 1649-53, and it forms a broad, artificial river. The name “Forty Foot” is given for the width of the original works – forty feet between the tops of the banks.
Why is it called Forty Foot?
The Forty Foot takes its named from probably the most famous bathing place in Ireland. The Forty Foot Hole is situated on the south shore of Dublin Bay near the harbour of Dun Laoghaire on the tip of Sandycove Point.
What did Sir Cornelius Vermuyden do?
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, (born 1595, Tholen, Neth.—died April 1683?, London), British engineer who introduced Dutch land-reclamation methods in England and drained the Fens, the low marshy lands in the east of England.
When did Vermuyden drain the great fens?
In 1630 Vermuyden contracted to drain the Great Fens, or Bedford Level, Cambridgeshire; this project, completed in 1637, drew objections from other engineers, who claimed the drainage system was inadequate.
What was the purpose of the verdure Vermuyden project?
Vermuyden was to receive one third of the drained land, most of which had previously been commons, as recompense for his investment. To finance the drainage project, he sold shares in this land to other investors, including some fellow Dutchmen.
Who financed John Vermuyden’s work?
The latter project was financed by Joas Croppenburg, a Dutch haberdasher to whom Vermuyden was related by marriage. This, or perhaps work at Windsor, brought him to the notice of Charles I, who commissioned him in 1626 to drain Hatfield Chase in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire.
