June 20, 2025
Cornelius Vermuyden and the Reclamation of Canvey Island – 1623
In the early 17th century, Canvey Island in Essex was under increasing threat from tidal flooding by the Thames and the North Sea. Despite this, the local landowners had done little to address the problem. A turning point came when Sir Henry Appleton, a principal landowner, was persuaded by Joas Croppenburg, a wealthy Dutch-born London haberdasher, of the urgent need...
