The early life of Cornelius Vermuyden.

Cornelius Vermuyden (1590–1677)

• Birthplace: Sint-Maartensdijk on the island of Tholen, in the south-western Netherlands.
• Background:
  • The region where he was born had a strong tradition of hydraulic engineering due to frequent flooding and opportunities for land reclamation.
  • Hydraulic engineers in this era were mostly self-taught or trained on the job, often within families.

Family and Training:

• Father: Gillis Vermuyden – a yeoman farmer and alderman; not involved in drainage.
• Grandfather: Bartel Vermuyden – a bookkeeper for a drainage company and member of a board that re-embanked Noord-Beveland in 1598.
• Maternal Lineage:
  • Mother: Sara Werckendet – daughter of Cornelius Werckendet, a famous drainage expert.
  • Uncle: Lieven Werckendet – also a renowned engineer.
  • Cousin: Johan Liens – a drainage expert; worked with Vermuyden in both the Netherlands and England.
  • These relatives belonged to prominent engineering dynasties and helped pass on technical knowledge and professional connections.

Career Development:

• Gained practical experience during the Twelve Years Truce (1609–1621), a period of intense drainage activity in the Netherlands.
• Likely trained by his cousin Johan Liens and possibly his grandfather.
• In 1621, with war resuming, local drainage projects halted; Vermuyden worked briefly as a tax collector.
• Move to England (1621):
  • Cousin Joachim Liens was the Dutch ambassador

Van Cruyningen, Piet. “Dutch investors and the drainage of Hatfield Chase, 1626 to 1656.” Agricultural History Review, vol. 64, no. 1, June 2016, pp. 17-37