Andrew Scott Waugh
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir
Andrew Scott Waugh (3 February 1810 – 21 February 1878) was a British
army officer
and surveyor
now remembered as the man who named the highest mountain in the world
after Sir George Everest
, his predecessor in the post of Surveyor-General of India.
of India
as a young officer in 1832, two years after Everest had been appointed Surveyor-General. When Everest retired in 1843, Waugh replaced him as Surveyor-General and continued his work from the area he had reached, the Himalayas.
The great height of this area, however, combined with its unpredictable weather, meant that few useful sightings were obtained before 1847. In an era before the electronic computer
, it then took many months for a team of human computers to calculate, analyze and extrapolate the trigonometry
involved. According to accounts of the time, it was 1852 when the team's leader Radhanath Sikdar
came to Waugh to announce that what had been labeled as "Peak XV" was the highest point in the region and most likely in the world. None of the observers involved had suggested the peak might be the highest, although this is understandable as each of the six separate points from which it had been sighted were at least 100 miles (160 kilometres) distant.
In case of error, Waugh did not publish this result until 1856, when he also proposed that the peak be named Mount Everest in honor of his predecessor. This was (and has since been) controversial, as Everest had always used local names for the features he surveyed, a practice Waugh had continued. Waugh claimed, however, that no local name for the mountain could be ascertained and he was unaware of its Tibet
an name, Chomolungma ("Goddess Mother of the World"). Ironically, though Everest himself was one of those who objected at the time, the name "Mount Everest" was officially adopted a few years later.
Plaudits followed soon after Waugh's identification of Mount Everest. In 1857, the Royal Geographic Society awarded him its Patron's Medal and the following year he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. Three years later, in 1861, he attained the rank of Major General.
His second wife was Cecilia Eliza Adelaide, who died 9 February 1884.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Andrew Scott Waugh (3 February 1810 – 21 February 1878) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
army officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
now remembered as the man who named the highest mountain in the world
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
after Sir George Everest
George Everest
Colonel Sir George Everest was a Welsh surveyor, geographer and Surveyor-General of India from 1830 to 1843.Sir George was largely responsible for completing the section of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India along the meridian arc from the south of India extending north to Nepal, a distance...
, his predecessor in the post of Surveyor-General of India.
Career
Waugh began work on the Great Trigonometric SurveyGreat Trigonometric Survey
The Great Trigonometric Survey was a project of the Survey of India throughout most of the 19th century. It was piloted in its initial stages by William Lambton, and later by George Everest. Among the many accomplishments of the Survey were the demarcation of the British territories in India and...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as a young officer in 1832, two years after Everest had been appointed Surveyor-General. When Everest retired in 1843, Waugh replaced him as Surveyor-General and continued his work from the area he had reached, the Himalayas.
The great height of this area, however, combined with its unpredictable weather, meant that few useful sightings were obtained before 1847. In an era before the electronic computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, it then took many months for a team of human computers to calculate, analyze and extrapolate the trigonometry
Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies triangles and the relationships between their sides and the angles between these sides. Trigonometry defines the trigonometric functions, which describe those relationships and have applicability to cyclical phenomena, such as waves...
involved. According to accounts of the time, it was 1852 when the team's leader Radhanath Sikdar
Radhanath Sikdar
Radhanath Sikdar was an Indian mathematician who, among many other things, calculated the height of Peak XV in the Himalaya and showed it to be the tallest mountain above sea level. Peak XV was later named Mount Everest.-Early life:Radhanath was born as youngest child of Tituram, a resident of...
came to Waugh to announce that what had been labeled as "Peak XV" was the highest point in the region and most likely in the world. None of the observers involved had suggested the peak might be the highest, although this is understandable as each of the six separate points from which it had been sighted were at least 100 miles (160 kilometres) distant.
In case of error, Waugh did not publish this result until 1856, when he also proposed that the peak be named Mount Everest in honor of his predecessor. This was (and has since been) controversial, as Everest had always used local names for the features he surveyed, a practice Waugh had continued. Waugh claimed, however, that no local name for the mountain could be ascertained and he was unaware of its Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an name, Chomolungma ("Goddess Mother of the World"). Ironically, though Everest himself was one of those who objected at the time, the name "Mount Everest" was officially adopted a few years later.
Plaudits followed soon after Waugh's identification of Mount Everest. In 1857, the Royal Geographic Society awarded him its Patron's Medal and the following year he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. Three years later, in 1861, he attained the rank of Major General.
Personal life
His first wife, Lady Waugh, died 22 February 1866, aged 42.His second wife was Cecilia Eliza Adelaide, who died 9 February 1884.