Martin Beckman facts for kids
Sir Martin Beckman (1634/35–1702) was a very skilled Swedish-English engineer, artist, and military leader. He became the chief engineer and master gunner for England, playing a big part in designing forts and using new weapons.
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Early Life and Royal Service
Martin Beckman was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Around 1645, he moved to England to serve King Charles I during the English Civil War. After the war, in 1653, he joined other royal supporters in Middelburg.
When King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, Beckman asked to become a royal engineer. He mentioned that he had been hurt in an accident while preparing fireworks for the king. Because of his skills, especially with fireworks, he was hired as an engineer. In 1661, he was made "firemaster" for an important sea trip.
Adventures in Tangier
Beckman sailed with the fleet in 1661. They first went to fight pirates in Algiers, but that didn't work out. Then, they went to Tangiers, a city that became part of England as a gift to the king.
In Tangier, Beckman drew maps and designed many forts. He sent a map of Tangier back to England. Samuel Pepys, a famous diarist, wrote in his diary in 1662 about showing this "fine map of Tangiers" to the Duke of York (who later became King James II). This map is now in the British Museum.
In 1663, the new governor of Tangier wanted Beckman to design even more forts. However, the governor soon fired Beckman without proper pay. Beckman was very upset. He briefly thought about helping Spain take Tangier, but he quickly realized this would harm his friends. He returned to England to tell the king what had happened. He was briefly held in the Tower of London, but was soon released.
Return to England and New Roles
After his release, Beckman left England for a short time. In 1667, after the Dutch fleet attacked England, he offered his skills to the king. He was called back to England to help build defenses at Sheerness to protect the Medway river. In 1670, he became the third engineer of Great Britain.
In 1671, a man named Thomas Blood tried to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London. Beckman, who lived in the Tower, heard the alarm. After a struggle, he helped capture Blood. For his bravery, Beckman was given £100.
Beckman continued his important work. In 1672, he visited Carlisle and Clifford's Fort to check on their defenses. He made beautiful water-colour drawings of these places, which are now in the British Museum. In 1673, he was an engineer in the war against Holland. He took part in several naval battles.
By 1678, King Charles II wanted to increase Beckman's salary. He was also asked to help strengthen the forts at Portsmouth and Gosport. Soon after, he was promoted to major in the army.
Chief Engineer of Great Britain
In 1681, Beckman became the second engineer of Great Britain. He went to Hull to work on defenses there. He also checked on forts at Holy Island and Berwick-on-Tweed.
In 1683, he returned to Tangier as the chief engineer for an expedition. The goal was to destroy the city's defenses and leave the area. Beckman successfully planned the destruction of the mole (a large pier) and other defenses. He then went to Gibraltar and drew a detailed map of the Rock of Gibraltar.
After returning to England, he was sent to Scotland to design defenses for Stirling. He also reported on the condition of many other castles and forts across England, including Carlisle Castle, The Castle, Newcastle, and Scarborough Castle.
Shortly after James II became king, Martin Beckman was made a knight in 1686. He also became a captain in the Royal Fusiliers, a special army regiment. In December 1685, he became the chief engineer of Great Britain, the most important engineering role in the country.
In 1688, Beckman designed a huge fireworks display for the queen. He was also put in charge of all fireworks for both war and celebrations. This made him the first head of the royal laboratory at Woolwich, where military supplies were made.
Quick facts for kids Naturalization of Sir Martin Beckman Act 1691 |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for naturalizing Sir Martin Beckman and others. |
| Citation | 3 Will. & Mar. c. 4 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 December 1691 |
Later Campaigns and Legacy
In 1691, Sir Martin Beckman went to Ireland and helped in important battles like the Siege of Athlone and the Battle of Aghrim. He was a colonel commanding the ordnance train, which was the group that managed cannons and other heavy weapons.
In 1692, he led a group of soldiers and weapons for an attack on the French coast. They landed in Ostend and captured some towns, which Beckman then strengthened with new defenses.
In 1694, he commanded bomb-vessels, which were ships that could fire powerful bombs. His bomb-vessels destroyed parts of French towns like Dieppe and Le Havre. This caused a lot of fear along the French coast. He also helped attack Dunkirk and Calais.
After these campaigns, he visited the Channel Islands and reported on the defenses of Guernsey. His plans and sketches of places like Castle Cornet are also in the British Museum.
In 1695 and 1696, Beckman continued to command bomb-vessels in expeditions against the French coast. His attacks were so effective that the French had to build many new batteries and keep a large army ready to defend their coast.
Beckman also designed a huge fireworks display in St. James's Square, London, in 1697, to celebrate peace. He even took painting lessons from a Dutch artist named Jan Wyck.
Sir Martin Beckman died in London on June 24, 1702. The military leaders at the time said his death was a "very great loss." His important role as chief engineer remained empty for nine years after he passed away.
Images for kids
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Castle Cornet, a fortress in Guernsey that Sir Martin Beckman surveyed.
