Tag: Charles I

February 5, 2026

1626 Agreement between Charles I and Cornelius Vermuyden to Drain the Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase

The full agreement may be read here After the James I, commission of 1622, Vermuyden obviously investigated the feasibility of draining the Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase and declared himself prepared to undertake the drainage. However, in 1625, James I died and Charles I succeeded to the throne. On 24th May 1626, the second year of Charles’ reign, an...

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February 27, 2025

24th May 1626

On May 24th, 1626, Cornelius Vermuyden, a Dutch engineer, entered into a contract with King Charles I to drain the vast wetlands of Hatfield Chase and the Isle of Axholme, areas in northern England prone to frequent flooding. Vermuyden was tasked with reclaiming these lands for agricultural use by creating a network of drainage channels and improving the local waterways....

Contract with Charles I