John Spilsbury (cartographer)

John Spilsbury
John Spilsbury
Born	1739
Died	April 3, 1769 (aged 29–30)
Nationality	British
Occupation	Cartographer
Known for	Inventor of the jigsaw puzzle

John Spilsbury (/I.P.A. spɪlsbəri/ 1739 – 3 April 1769)[1] was a British cartographer and engraver. He is credited as the inventor of the jigsaw puzzle. Spilsbury created them for educational purposes, and called them “Dissected Maps”.[2][3]

"Europe divided into its kingdoms, etc." (1766) Believed to be the first purpose-made jigsaw puzzle

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.[4] He served as an apprentice to Thomas Jefferys, the Royal Geographer to King George III.

Spilsbury created the first puzzle in 1766 as an educational tool to teach geography. He affixed a world map 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 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.[4]

gollark: Well, if it doesn't take 100% CPU and the HNode™ works I'll run it.

gollark: I show matt and crab around the apiary and the bees there, d6.

gollark: ... sure?

gollark: Televisual devices are seemingly quite standard, so yes.

gollark: Well, it serves as my house too, and it contains experimental bees.

References

Hannas, Linda. The English jigsaw puzzle, 1760-1890. Wayland, 1972, p. 20 (preview, p. 20, at Google Books)
"The Time of the Jigsaws". BBC. 15 November 2016.
"Top 10 facts about jigsaw puzzles". Daily Express. 15 November 2016.
Sloman, Susan. "Spilsbury, Jonathan". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26154. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links

John Spilsbury at the National Portrait Gallery
Jigsaw puzzle, 1766

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[1] Hannas, Linda. The English jigsaw puzzle, 1760-1890. Wayland, 1972, p. 20 (preview, p. 20, at Google Books)

[2] "The Time of the Jigsaws". BBC. 15 November 2016.

[3] "Top 10 facts about jigsaw puzzles". Daily Express. 15 November 2016.

[ODNB-4] Sloman, Susan. "Spilsbury, Jonathan". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26154. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)