Thomas Rudd facts for kids

Thomas Rudd (born around 1583, died 1656) was an English expert in military engineering and mathematics. He helped design and build important forts and castles.

Early Life and Career

Thomas Rudd was born in Higham Ferrers, a town in Northamptonshire, England, around 1583 or 1584. When he was younger, he worked as a military engineer in the Low Countries (which is now Belgium and the Netherlands). This job involved designing and building defenses for armies.

In 1627, King Charles I chose him to be the main engineer for all castles and forts in Wales. He earned a good salary for this important role. Later, he became the King's chief engineer for all fortifications.

Building and Fixing Forts

Thomas Rudd traveled a lot for his work. In 1635, he visited Portsmouth to help sort out a problem. Some navy buildings were in the way of new forts that needed to be built. He helped decide how to move them.

In 1638, the governors of Guernsey and Jersey asked him to visit these islands. He checked their castles and reported back to the government about what repairs were needed.

Rudd also worked on defenses in Dover. He helped fix the harbor and a fort called Archcliffe bulwark. He even suggested that money from the harbor should be used to keep these important works in good condition.

English Civil War

During the First English Civil War, a big conflict in England, Thomas Rudd was the chief engineer for the Royalist side. This meant he supported King Charles I. Because he sided with the King, he faced punishment after the war. In 1655, his property was taxed heavily as a penalty.

Thomas Rudd passed away in 1656 when he was about 72 years old. He was buried in the church at Higham Ferrers.

His Writings

Thomas Rudd wrote two books about geometry, which is a type of mathematics dealing with shapes and sizes.

• Practical Geometry, in two parts (published in London, 1650)
• An edition of Euclid's Elements (published in London, 1651). Euclid was a famous ancient Greek mathematician.

Rudd also added a section to another book called The Compleat Body of the Art Military. This part explained things like the duties of officers, how troops should march, and how to use cannons.

Family Life

Thomas Rudd was married three times:

• First, to Elizabeth Castle.
• Second, to Margaret Doyley.
• Third, to Sarah Rolt.

He had one daughter named Judith with his third wife. Judith later married twice and passed away in 1680.