Jan Verbruggen

Jan Verbruggen (1712 – 27 October 1781) was a Dutch master gun-founder in the Netherlands and later at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London. He was also an artist.

Early life and career

He was born in 1712[1] in Enkhuizen in the Netherlands, son of Pieter Verbruggen and Maria Brouwer. In 1734 he married Eva van Schaack, and they had three children.[2][3]

In 1740 he became gun-founder of the Dutch admiralty's foundry in Enkhuizen, and from June 1755 he was master gun-founder in The Hague. After a few years he was suspended, the guns produced being considered unsound; his attempt in 1763 to obtain an appointment at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London was unsuccessful.[2][3]

Artist

V.O.C. yacht approaching the East Indiaman de Vrindschap, by Jan Verbruggen (1766)

Verbruggen, a student of the artist Jan van Call the Younger, was also a painter of seascapes and coastal scenery, such as pictures of yachts and East Indiamen at or near Enkhuizen.[2][3]

At the Royal Arsenal

By 1769 the British government's contracted gun-founders, William Bowers and Richard Gilpin, were due to retire, and Andrew Schalch, the master founder at the Royal Arsenal since 1718, produced few guns; his work had been considered unsatisfactory for several years. In consequence, on 12 January 1770 Jan and his son Pieter (1735–1786) were appointed master founders at the Royal Arsenal.[2][4]

The Royal Brass Foundry at Woolwich; Verbruggen's House is on the left. Engraving by James Fittler.

In May 1770 they moved to England. At the Royal Brass Foundry they introduced a horizontal boring machine, for guns cast solid (instead of vertically reaming guns cast round a core); this system had been adopted at The Hague in the 1750s. They also rebuilt the furnaces and casting pits, and used precast moulds for cascabels.[2]

The first guns made by the Verbruggens passed proof tests in April 1774. Cannons, mortars and howitzers were made at the foundry; the proof record was higher than in earlier years, and the foundry was able to satisfy the requirements of the British services.[2]

Jan Verbruggen died in London on 27 October 1781 and was buried at the Dutch Church, Austin Friars on 2 November. His son Pieter continued as master founder at the Woolwich foundry.[2][3]

Notes and references

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  1. ↑ Baptised 4 March 1712, according to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; born 4 September 1712, according to Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Verbruggen, Jan". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47492. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. 1 2 3 4 De Vries van Doesburgh, VERBRUGGEN (Jan), Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek. Volume 3, page 1282.
  4. ↑ "Schalch, Andrew". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24793. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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