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authorized
Vermuyden to start. He widened the River Nene below Horseshoe Sluice, banking the north side of Morton's Leam. Beginning on the south, he set a new sluice, known as Shire Drain, and cut a new channel at the mouth of the Nene through the salt marshes to the sea. Vermuyden was still working in the Great Level as of May 1642, but was by then responding to the
641:, away from Denver. As a result, the area suffered continued flooding, which was not controlled until a project of the early 1960s. Due to the high cost of labour, and the continuing unpopularity of the project among the local inhabitants, the government provided Vermuyden with Scottish and Dutch prisoners of war (after the
598:
to overturn the King's takeover of their project and to gain restoration of all of the 95,000 acres (380 km) first awarded in
January 1630/31. By 29 May 1649, a few months after the King's execution, they had succeeded; an Act of Parliament (later known as "The Pretended Act") restored them to
578:
Charles I appointed
Vermuyden as his agent for the draining on 19 September 1639, but his government did not approve the plan until 5 August. In a precarious position with all three of its kingdoms, the Crown lacked both sufficient funds and attention to pay for the works in the Great Level, but it
537:
had been offered 95,000 acres (380 km) by the Crown as the reward for their work. This settlement was disrupted: first by the riots, which erupted against the enclosures (and that occurred periodically into the 1650s), and second, by the King. He reversed the granting of
Bedford's contract and
545:
for the King (it was not published until 1642). In it, he proposed two innovations to the drainage scheme: washes – areas of land allowed to flood in periods of bad weather to absorb the extra water that cannot drain to the sea – and a catchdrain around the eastern edge of the fen. The
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to shrink greatly, lowering the remaining land below the height of the drainage channels and rivers. This caused the reclaimed farmland to become vulnerable again to flooding. By the end of the 17th century, much of the reclaimed land was regularly flooded. This continued until the development of
380:
fens. This threatened their commons rights and livelihoods, as they depended on the fens for pasturage and for peat for burning as fuel. From 1627, the richer members of the community challenged the project in court by lawsuits, even as large groups of commoners (not necessarily poor people, but
546:
washes were constructed as part of the second phase of drainage in the 1650s, but the catchdrain was not developed until the early 1960s. This catchdrain follows the contours of the western edge of the hilly brecklands where they rise above the fen, commencing in the south at
530:, who was the chief Adventurer and financier. The project created or improved eight other channels. The operation was judged as substantially complete in 1637. It was criticized for its limited goal to provide "summer lands", leaving the land subject to winter flooding.
854:
and the great fire of London in 1666 (some blamed the Dutch for), Cornelius
Vermuyden decided to alter his surname, which over the years was further altered to what is today the surname Youdan, to which his descendants still live in the East Anglian region today.
372:, whose lord had already enclosed part of the commons in the 14th century. He had later signed a legal document giving up all subsequent rights of enclosure within the manor. As with other fen drainage schemes at the time, the locals did not oppose drainage
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enclosed within high embankments, over an aqueduct many feet higher than the catchment drain and surrounding farmland. Thus illustrating many of the anachronistic but brilliant features (in engineering terms), the work of
Vermuyden commenced.
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including some substantial farmers) rioted against the works and the enclosures. Because the legal position of the commoners of
Epworth was unique, the legal debate over the drainage and enclosures lasted into the eighteenth century.
648:
Vermuyden's relationship with the other adventurers was never easy and, by 1655, they had parted company altogether. Several other of his initiatives failed, including a proposal for a treaty between
England and the
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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. It had been inadequately maintained since before the
1034:
712:, where animal-powered pumps, steam pumps and now fossil-fuel pumps are all co-located, at different heights. They demonstrate both the development of technology and the resulting decline in land levels.
602:
Before this time, Vermuyden's activities are not clear; there is some inconclusive evidence that one of his nephews may have acted as a colonel of horse in the parliamentary army, alongside
342:, as well as 13 of the adjacent manors, and he wanted to expand the cultivable area. Vermuyden was to receive one third of the drained land, most of which had previously been
610:
army. But with the beginning of the second phase of
Bedford-led construction, Vermuyden was again appointed as the director of the works in January 1649/50.
506:, as the monasteries had been chiefly responsible in the region for keeping the channels clear. The initial plan for the drainage was based on a proposal by
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based in South
Yorkshire, and the Vermuyden Concert Band, the most senior Saturday afternoon band at William Appleby Music Centre in Doncaster. His motto
346:, as recompense for his investment. To finance the drainage project, he sold shares in this land to other investors, including some fellow Dutchmen. Some
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Despite the initial success of the reclamation, the engineers did not understand enough about the ecology of the fens. The drying of the land caused the
538:
declared himself as the principal in the project, taking 52,000 acres (210 km) and leaving the other parties with only 40,000 acres (160 km).
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in 1663. He had a total of nine children with Katherine, including Charles, Deborah, Elizabeth, and John. His second wife was Dionysia Stonhouse.
583:, rather than the beleaguered King. Having received perhaps less than £5000, the engineer was continually in arrears for the wages of his workmen.
438:. It required him to deplete most of the land that he had acquired in the Chase. The same year he bought 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) of land in
1073:
Albright Knittl, Margaret (2007). "The design for the initial drainage of the Great Level of the Fens: an historical whodunit in three parts".
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629:. The work did not include his projected "cutoff channel," which was designed to take flood water from the southern rivers, the
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Vermuyden married Katherine Lapps on 16 November, 1623, at St Mary's, Rotherhythe. One son, Cornelius Vermuyden Jr., became an
1057:
A history of the county of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4, City of Ely; Ely. N. and S. Witchford and Wisbech Hundreds
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This second phase included continuing the work of both the first and the King's (1.5 phase). In addition, he dredged the
279:. He trained in the Netherlands as an engineer, learning Dutch techniques for controlling water and draining marshland.
303:. The latter project was financed by Joas Croppenburg, a Dutch haberdasher to whom Vermuyden was related by marriage.
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769:
650:
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75:
590:, the drainage project was halted by the chaos of war. The original financiers – now headed by Bedford's heir
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which he made to Cromwell. In addition, Vermuyden was unable to gain support to drain his areas of Sedgemoor and
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refugees also settled in the area as landowners or tenants. The King intended to enclose one third of the common
57:
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Many sources give his dates as 1595 – 1683, but Harris found a burial record, though no birth record.
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in 1650) and the start of the war with the Dutch respectively) as labourers in this phase of construction.
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steam-powered pumps in the early 19th century. The drop in the land level can be seen at the pumps near
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at a cost of £8,000, by a "little Army of Artificers Venting, contriving and acting outlandish devises"
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By the period of 1621 to 1623, Vermuyden was working in England, where his first projects were on the
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At this time, Vermuyden was recruited to participate in the Great Level, as in 1637 he wrote a
365:, leaving one-third for those local residents who had common rights of pasturage in the fens.
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Contrary to popular belief, Vermuyden was not involved with the draining of the "Great
307:
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to stop tides and flood water from depositing silt into the Great Ouse to the east of
574:
Letter by Vermuyden to the Church Council of the Dutch Reformed Church in London, 1639
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Cornelius was the son of Gillis Vermuyden and Sarah Werkendet. He was born in 1595 in
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Vermuyden was knighted in 1629 for his work, and became a British citizen in 1633.
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The local people were upset by the project, particularly those of the Manor of
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the undertaking and gave their claim to the enclosures the force of law.
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but were outraged about the large enclosures of their common pasture and
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1176:"Civic Heraldry of England and Wales – East Anglia and Essex Area"
880:
754: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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by many miles. It was eventually named the Bedford River (subsequently
510:
in 1604-1605, to construct a new river 21 miles (34 km) long from
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617:(with a large area of wash between it and the Bedford River) and the
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has a large pumping engine in working order, but not actively used.
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He is also the namesake for the Vermuyden Group of South Yorks, a
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835:("Nothing Without Work") was adopted as the official motto of
1220:, Walking Tours through Dutch Landscapes in Europe (in Dutch)
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in July 1644 (Issue 62, British Library Thomason Tracts E.4)
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Vermuyden has several locations named after him, including:
387:
In 1631 he built the Horseshoe Sluice on the tidal river at
1091:
A Parliamentarian "Colonel Vermunden" was mentioned by the
704:
455:
255:, to allow periodic flooding of the area by excess waters.
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who introduced Dutch land reclamation methods to England.
358:
921:"Belgium Roots Archives: The Draining Of Hatfield Chase"
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in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden in 1647 and had a home in
406:
was only partially successful: the straightening of the
326:. The King was Lord of the four principal manors there:
426:. As a result of a lawsuit in 1633, Vermuyden dug the
430:, which provided a direct route from the Don to the
543:
Discourse Touching the Draining of the Great Fennes
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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990:
810:Vermuyden Medical Centre, Thorne, South Yorkshire.
243:In the 1650s, he directed major projects to drain
228:Vermuyden was commissioned by the Crown to drain
1225:
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1202:
1218:The Fens: "CANALS, TIGERS & FERTILE LAND"
251:, introducing the innovation of constructing
454:; he also entered into a partnership in the
1027:"Records of the Hatfield Chase Corporation"
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787:Cornelius Vermuyden School and Arts College
258:
1054:
770:Learn how and when to remove this message
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1108:
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314:, who commissioned him in 1626 to drain
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843:and it appears in a memorial window in
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221:; 1595 – 11 October 1677) was a Dutch
1178:. civicheraldry.co.uk. Archived from
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837:South Cambridgeshire District Council
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691:Vermuyden died on 11 October 1677 in
361:in his right of "improvement" as the
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752:adding citations to reliable sources
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562:flows westwards off the brecks from
528:Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
13:
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218:[kɔrˈneːlijəsfərˈmœydə(n)]
14:
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1254:Emigrants from the Dutch Republic
1211:
827:Long Distance Walkers Association
651:States-General of the Netherlands
465:, which he drained by means of a
989:Lindley, Keith (22 March 1982).
871:Harris, Lawrence Ernest (1953).
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23:
1207:. London: Williams and Norgate.
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1113:Darby, Henry Clifford (1956) .
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739:needs additional citations for
518:, shortening the length of the
310:, brought him to the notice of
34:needs additional citations for
1162:"Vermuyden (South Yorks) LDWA"
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500:Dissolution of the Monasteries
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875:. London: Clever-Hume Press.
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847:, installed in their honour.
1249:17th-century Dutch engineers
946:Reclamation of Canvey Island
558:. At the latter village the
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1203:Korthals-Altes, J. (1925).
1075:Agricultural History Review
1033:. 1626–1973. Archived from
839:. The motto was adopted by
481:The Fens in eastern England
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10:
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1123:Cambridge University Press
1059:. Victoria County History.
291:, repairing a sea wall at
16:Dutch engineer (1595-1677)
1137:"Sir Cornelius Vermuyden"
799:The Vermuyden Tea Rooms,
594:– began to seek an
306:This, or perhaps work at
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1117:The Draining of the Fens
1031:University of Nottingham
970:University of Nottingham
794:East Riding of Yorkshire
792:Vermuyden Hotel, Goole,
259:Early life and education
1205:Sir Cornelius Vermuyden
789:, Canvey Island, Essex.
295:and working to reclaim
210:Sir Cornelius Vermuyden
955:, Castle Point website
873:Vermuyden and the Fens
852:Second Anglo-Dutch War
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575:
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1259:Immigrants to England
896:"Cornelius Vermuyden"
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58:"Cornelius Vermuyden"
748:improve this article
535:Merchant Adventurers
410:and outlet into the
214:Dutch pronunciation:
43:improve this article
699:Reclamation results
608:Eastern Association
552:Hockwold cum Wilton
504:English Reformation
502:in 1537 during the
414:caused flooding in
125:Cornelius Vermuyden
1244:People from Tholen
1055:anonymous (2002).
951:2011-06-13 at the
900:www.britannica.com
821:, South Yorkshire.
720:Legacy and honours
714:Prickwillow Museum
686:North Lincolnshire
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1182:on 28 August 2009
1097:Mercurius Civicus
1012:978-0-435-32535-0
832:Niet Zonder Arbyt
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621:. He established
615:New Bedford River
596:Act of Parliament
560:River Little Ouse
524:Old Bedford River
363:Lord of the Manor
283:Career in England
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1234:1590s births
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1184:. Retrieved
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1239:1677 deaths
1146:8 September
1081:(1): 23–50.
1001:. pp.
850:Due to the
635:Little Ouse
586:During the
428:Dutch River
393:Isle of Ely
249:East Anglia
203:(1633–1677)
193:Citizenship
162:Netherlands
144:Haestinge,
1228:Categories
1186:8 November
1041:2010-06-19
975:2010-06-19
931:8 November
905:11 January
881:B0000CILLT
859:References
676:Vermuyden
548:Mildenhall
463:Wirksworth
432:River Ouse
355:Protestant
69:newspapers
819:Doncaster
588:Civil War
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408:river Don
340:Misterton
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265:Haestinge
1093:newsbook
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550:through
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223:engineer
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669:of the
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