Henry Winstanley
| Henry Winstanley | |
|---|---|
Self portrait
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| Born | 31 March 1644 Saffron Walden, Essex, England |
| Died | 27 November 1703 (age 59) Eddystone Rock, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Engineer |
Henry Winstanley (31 March 1644 – 27 November 1703) was an English painter and engineer who constructed the first Eddystone lighthouse after losing two ships on the Eddystone rocks. He died while working on the project during the Great Storm of 1703.
He was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, and baptised there on 31 March 1644. His father Henry became land steward to the Earl of Suffolk, owner of Audley End House, in 1652, and young Henry also worked at Audley End, first as a porter and then as a secretary. In 1666 Audley End House was bought by Charles II for use as a base when attending Newmarket races, and it became effectively a royal palace.
Winstanley developed an interest in engraving after a grand tour of Europe between 1669 and 1674, where he was impressed by Continental architecture and the engravings in which it was portrayed. On his return he is believed to have studied engraving with Wenceslas Hollar, and was employed at Audley End House as assistant to the Clerk of Works. In 1676 he embarked on a detailed set of architectural engravings of Audley End House which took him ten years to complete and which survive as an important early record of English manor house architecture. He also designed a set of playing cards which became very popular and sold well. He was appointed Clerk of Works at Audley End in 1679 on the death of his predecessor, and held the post until 1701.
Winstanley was well known in Essex for his fascination with gadgets both mechanical and hydraulic. He had a house built for him at Littlebury which he filled with whimsical mechanisms of his own design and construction, and the "Essex House of Wonders" became a local landmark popular with visitors. In the 1690s he opened a Mathematical Water Theatre known as "Winstanley's Water-works" in London's Piccadilly. This was a commercial visitor attraction which combined fireworks, perpetual fountains, automata and ingenious mechanisms of all kinds, including "The Wonderful Barrel" of 1696 which served visitors with hot and cold drinks from the same piece of equipment. It was a successful and profitable venture and continued to operate for some years after its creator’s death.
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