Johan Sems
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Johan Sems (1572 – January 1635), sometimes known as Johan Semp, was a Dutch cartographer, engineer and land surveyor. He specialized in land reclamation and the building of dikes and fortifications.
Johan Sems was born in 1572 in Franeker, in the province of Friesland, the son of Sem IJsbrandts and Claesgen Adriaens.[1] His surname, "Sems", is a patronym derived from his father's given name.[1]
During his childhood the family lived in Leiden, where his father registered as a student at Leiden University.[1] In 1584, when Sems was about twelve years old, his father died by suicide.[1]
Unlike his father, Sems did not attend university. Instead, he appears to have acquired his knowledge of surveying, mathematics and engineering through practical training. This practical education later formed the basis of his work as a land surveyor and engineer in the northern Netherlands.[1][2]
