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John Spilsbury (/I.P.A. spɪlsbəri/ 1739 – 3 April 1769) was a British
John Spilsbury
at the National Portrait Gallery
1739 births 1769 deaths 18th-century engravers British engravers British inventors English cartographers Puzzle designers 18th-century cartographers {{UK-bio-stub
John Spilsbury (/I.P.A. spɪlsbəri/ 1739 – 3 April 1769) was a British cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
and engraver. He is credited as the inventor of the jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture.
In th ...
. Spilsbury created them for educational purposes, and called them "Dissected Maps".
Life and works
John Spilsbury was the second of three sons of Thomas Spilsbury; the engraver Jonathan Spilsbury was his elder brother, and the two have sometimes been confused. He served as an apprentice toThomas Jefferys
Thomas Jefferys (c. 1719 – 1771), "Geographer to King George III", was an English cartographer who was the leading map supplier of his day.Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004. He engraved and printed maps for government and other offi ...
, the Royal Geographer to King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
.
Spilsbury created the first puzzle in 1766 as an educational tool to teach geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
. He affixed a world map
A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes.
Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
to wood and carved each country out to create the first puzzle. Sensing a business opportunity, he created puzzles on eight themes - the World, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.
Spilsbury married Sarah May of Newmarket, Suffolk
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...
in 1761. After his death she ran his business for a period, then married Harry Ashby who had been apprentice to Spilsbury, and who continued to sell puzzles.
References
External links
John Spilsbury
at the National Portrait Gallery
1739 births 1769 deaths 18th-century engravers British engravers British inventors English cartographers Puzzle designers 18th-century cartographers {{UK-bio-stub