Here i< an example of a Three Pound Bronze Verbruggen Battalion Gun. Each Company of Infantry would have two of the<e Gun< attached for <upport. “H” Coy i< currently in the proce<< of building thi< <ame Gun with a few adju<tment< made to detail< of the carriage you <ee in the photo<. 444444444444444444666666666666666666 Jan & Pieter Verbruggen The original Verbruggen cannons were manufactured by Jan Verbruggen, Master Founder & his son Pieter at the Woolwich Arsenal, (just outside of London) for the Royal Artillery. Jan Verbruggen, a Dutchman, had been the Master Military Founder in Holland but left over a controversy & was brought to the Woolwich Arsenal shortly before the American Revolution. He was joined there by Pieter. The controversy was part of an extensive lawsuit in 1770 between Mr. De Creuznach, Major-General in the Dutch army & Verbruggen, who supplied the Dutch army with cannons. During a meeting of the commissioners of the 'Raad van State' (Council of State) of the Dutch Republic, entrusted with military affairs. This meeting At the basis of their 'disagreements' was the fact that De Creuznach was an Orangist, disposed to the Prince, whereas Verbruggen was a patriot. During a period of absence due to illness by De Creuznach, Verbruggen rebuilt & re-organized his cannon foundry. This was the provocation De Creuznach had been waiting for, & when he was recovered & back in duty, he consequently rejected every cannon, founded by Verbruggen, stating that they all had major defects & were malfunctioning. Verbruggen tried to fight him in court but it became a lingering process in which Verbruggen, whose cannons were fine, but whose political inclination differed from his opponent, finally made the best of a bad bargain and moved to England. England he and his son were employed as master-founders of the Royal Brass Foundry at Woolwich from 1770 till 1786. In England this was the only foundry (in contrary to the situation in the Netherlands where every province had its own foundry) & Verbruggen & son were held in high regards. In England the Verbruggens could prove that their cannons were of very good quality, which proof found its ultimate confirmation in the fact that their cannons were used in the American War for Independence, by both sides! The Woolwich foundry was in poor condition before the Verbruggens arrived. In response, the foundry was expanded and refurbished by the father and son, who added a furnace, re-lined the older ones, and stabilized the foundations of the pit the molds rested in. They also introduced to Britain the technique of casting cannon solid then drilling them with horizontal boring machines. With their foundry expansion & improvements in quality, Woolwich produced the vast majority of the army's needs, especially during the American Revolution, when they produced well over 500 pieces, including new & innovative lighter guns. The Verbruggen Gra<<hopper
3 Pound Verbruggen
The “Irish Carry”
Side
Front
Front Top
Axle & Cheekpiece
Cap Squares
Trail
Powder Magazine
Fecerunt Anno 1776
Anno 1776
J & P Verbruggen
Iron Section Brace
Hub
Wheel Iron Detail
Axle
Hub Detail
Hub Key & Pull
Verbruggen-8.JPG
Verbruggen-9.JPG
Verbruggen.10.JPG
“H” Coy’s new wheels