Who was Jan Verbruggen?
Jan Verbruggen was a master gun-founder in the Dutch Republic and later at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London. He was also a painter of seascapes and coastal scenery, and he lived from 1712 to 1781.
Questions about Jan Verbruggen
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was Jan Verbruggen appointed master founder at the Royal Arsenal?
Jan Verbruggen was appointed master founder at the Royal Arsenal on the 12th of January 1770, alongside his son Pieter. The two men moved to England the following May to take up the roles.
What technology did Jan Verbruggen introduce at the Royal Arsenal?
Jan Verbruggen introduced a horizontal boring machine that bored guns cast solid instead of reaming them around a cast core. It was the first industrial size lathe installed in England, and he had already tested the same system in The Hague during the 1750s.
Who trained Jan Verbruggen as a painter?
Jan Verbruggen was trained as a painter by Jan van Call the Younger. He painted seascapes and coastal scenes, including yachts and East Indiamen near Enkhuizen.
Who apprenticed under Jan Verbruggen at the Woolwich foundry?
Henry Maudslay, who later invented many improvements to the lathe, worked as an apprentice in Jan Verbruggen's workshop at Woolwich.
When and where did Jan Verbruggen die?
Jan Verbruggen died in London on the 27th of October 1781. He was buried on the 2nd of November at the Dutch Church, Austin Friars, and his son Pieter continued as master founder at Woolwich.