Ferdinand_verbiest

Father Ferdinand Verbiest (October 9 1623 – January 28 1688) was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China. He is known as Nan Huairen (南懷仁) in Chinese.

Around 1670 Verbiest, so it is claimed, developed what may have been the first ever automobile.

Background

Born at Pittem near Kortrijk, Belgium, Verbiest studied in Leuven, Mechelen, Sevilla and Rome. He entered the Society of Jesus on September 2 1641. In 1658 he accompanied Father Martino Martini to China and reached Macao in 1659. He led the mission in Shanxi until 1660, when he was called to assist, and later replace, Father Adam Schall von Bell in Beijing in his work in astronomy. He would assist the Kangxi Emperor in various ways, including creating star charts for him in order to tell the time at night.Spence, 15–16.

Verbiest died in Beijing shortly after receiving a wound from falling off a bolting horse.Spence, 12. He was succeeded as the chief mathematician and astronomer of the Chinese empire by another Belgian Jesuit, Antoine Thomas (1644-1709). His remains were buried near those of another famous Jesuit Matteo Ricci on March 11, 1688. Verbiest was the only Westerner in Chinese history to ever receive the honour of a posthumous name by the Emperor.

Verbiest\'s \'car\'

Beside his work in astronomy, Verbiest also experimented with steam. Around 1670 he developed - as a toy for the Chinese Emperor - a 61cm long steam propelled trolley which was, quite possibly, the first steam powered vehicle (\'auto-mobile\').^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of Belgians
• Religion in China
• Christianity in China
• Jesuit China missions
• Roman Catholicism in China
• Steam car

Notes

References

• Brucker, Joseph. The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912, Robert Appleton Company.
• Spence, Jonathan D. (1988). Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K\'ang-hsi. New York: Vintage Books, a Division of Random House. ISBN 0-679-72074-X
• Williams, Guy R. The World Of Model Cars, 1976, Rainbird Reference Books Limited

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia article
• Ferdinand Verbiest, a Jesuit scientist in China (Fairfield University)
• Replica of the mechanical vehicle built by Verbiest (scroll down)

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