page_title: Stefan von Haschenperg
section_title: Works
hierarchical_section_title: Stefan von Haschenperg / Works
caption_attribution_description: Carlisle Castle
context_page_description: Stefan von Haschenperg was a military engineer employed by Henry VIII of England in the 1540s.
context_section_description: Calais Marshes, November 1540.
  Camber Castle, 1539–1540.
  Sandgate Castle, 1539–1540
  The Downs bulwarks between Sandown and Walmer Castles; Great turf bulwark; Little turf bulwark; Great White bulwark; Walmer bulwark.
  Carlisle Citadel, replaced medieval Botcher's gate with twin round bastions and blockhouse.
  Carlisle Castle, lowered the Keep; new battery in front of the gatehouse.
  At Camber, Stefan appears in the accounts for the second phase of work in 1539 and 1540 as a frequent visitor; "Master Stevyn the devysour". There was accommodation for him on site in the "Devisour's Chamber". In these works Haschenperg used flammable pitch to seal basement floors and even some of the roofs. His additions were quickly altered by subsequent works. Martin Biddle characterised his work as, "horrifyingly over-complex in its internal circulation, the result presumably of a wish to divide the castle into self-contained sectors in the event of enemy penetration", and added that Camber phase II and Sandgate are naive in comparison with Walmer, Sandown, and Deal Castles. Haschenperg constructed the earthen gun emplacements on the Downs between the latter castles.
  Stefan worked at Sandgate Castle at the same time as Camber, and signed the accounts, though he was not always present. Haschenperg disagreed with other officials over the roofing materials. Stefan preferred tar and pitch for roofing rather than the more obvious choice of less flammable lead.
  In November 1540 Stefan was sent to help site artillery emplacements in the Calais marshes. As a foreigner he was not wholly trusted and his colleagues were asked not to let him view the secrets of the town. Stefan produced a map and subsequently six bulwarks were built as part of a larger project devised by Henry VIII. They were called; Hooke's, Crabbar's, Bootes, Ballingham, and Andren bulwarks.
  
  Stefan joined the work at Carlisle on 4 June 1541 in joint authority with Thomas Gower. He immediately complained to the Privy Council about the mismanagement of the works and the behaviour of Sir Thomas Wentworth, Captain of the Castle. The Council found for Stefan, and Gower was sent to Berwick. Over the next year and a half, £5000 was spent. Stefan lowered and strengthened the old castle keep to make it an artillery platform. New work included the half-moon battery which covered the inner bailey, and two small bulwarks or caponiers in the outer moat. Then the medieval Botcher gate in the town wall was replaced by the fortress called Carlisle Citadel. On 1 December 1542, Stefan was called to London and asked to bring the plans of next year's works. At the same time, Thomas Wharton and the Bishop of Carlisle were asked to view and report on his proceedings at Carlisle. With accusations of mismanagement, before the works were completed, on 17 July 1543, the Privy Council recalled his promise to recompense the king for any wasted resources and asked him to make sureties for payment;
  "Steven, Allemaigne, having hadde charge long tyme off certeyne off the Kinges Highnes' buyldinges and fortifications, for as muche as itt appered he hadde lewedlye behaved himselff in the sayde charge, and hadde spent the King a great tresour, and all to no purpose, ... was this day called before the Cownsell."
   By 17 November 1543, the Privy council ordered that Stefan was to be replaced by John Rogers and a new Clerk of works. His English career was over.
  Stefan's design for the citadel at Carlisle was criticised by Francis Knollys in June 1569. He thought its three artillery platforms were vulnerable to attack because "it flanketh not itselffe very well, ... and the cownter skarffe serveth to cover the approach of the enemies." The platforms for mounting the guns were made of timber and decayed, so Knollys suggested filling the masonry walls with earth. He estimated the scrap value of the lead recovered from the platform would leave a profit of £200.
caption: Carlisle Castle Haschenperg lowered the medieval keep to form a gun emplacement of a type known as a Cavalier
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