Charles William Wilson
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles William Wilson (14 Mar 1836 to 25 Oct 1905) K.C.B., K.C.M.G., F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., M.E.
was a British military officer and geographer.
and was educated at the Liverpool Collegiate Institution
and Cheltenham College
. He attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Engineers
in 1855.
In 1864, Wilson volunteered to work for the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem, which produced a topographical map of the city and carried out other surveying related to its water supply; there, he rediscovered the Wilson's Arch
, which was named after him. While Wilson was in Palestine, the Palestine Exploration Fund
was founded; he was recruited to study the feasibility of a survey of western Palestine and select sites for future exploration. In November 1865, Wilson and his group landed in Beirut
and surveyed their way south into Palestine
. From January to April 1866, Wilson carried out further survey work in Palestine, noting archaeological and religious sites.
Wilson was appointed to the Ordnance Survey of Scotland and, in 1867, acted as Assistant Commissioner on the Borough Boundary Commission.
In 1867, he became a member of the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. In 1868, he volunteered to take part in the Ordnance Survey of Sinai, along with H. S. Palmer. For his work on this, he was awarded the Diploma of the International Geographical Congress in 1871, and in 1872, he was elected to the Council of the Society of British Archaeology. In 1874, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society
.
On returning to Britain, he became Director of the Topographical Department at the War Office and Assistant Quartermaster‑General in the Intelligence Department. In 1876, he received a C.B.
for the organisation of the Department. He then headed the Ordnance Survey of Ireland and also served on the Royal Commission for the Registration of Deeds and Insurances for Ireland in 1878. He was appointed British Commissioner on the Serbian Boundary Commission later that year.
From 1879 to 1882, he served as Consul‑General in Anatolia
. In the summer of 1882, he took part in Sir Garnet Wolseley's expedition to Egypt to suppress the rebellion of Colonel Arabi. In 1884, Wilson was Chief of the Intelligence Department on Wolseley's expedition to relieve Gordon at Khartoum.
On his return to Britain, Wilson was appointed Director of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland and was Director‑General of the Ordnance Survey from 1886 to 1894. From 1895 until his retirement in 1898, he was Director‑General of Military Education. He served as chairman of the Palestine Exploration Fund from 1901 to 1906.
Master of Engineering
A Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
was a British military officer and geographer.
Biography
Charles Wilson was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and was educated at the Liverpool Collegiate Institution
Liverpool Collegiate Institution
The Liverpool Collegiate Institution is a former school in Liverpool, England.It opened its doors to pupils on 6 January 1843. The Institution was a day school for boys, sons of middle class Liverpudlians, and aimed to provide them with a suitable education encompassing instruction in the...
and Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
. He attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in 1855.
In 1864, Wilson volunteered to work for the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem, which produced a topographical map of the city and carried out other surveying related to its water supply; there, he rediscovered the Wilson's Arch
Wilson's Arch (Jerusalem)
Wilson's Arch is the modern name for the ancient stone arch whose top is still visible today, where it is supported against the Northeast corner of Jerusalem's Western Wall, so that it appears on the left to visitors facing the Wall...
, which was named after him. While Wilson was in Palestine, the Palestine Exploration Fund
Palestine Exploration Fund
The Palestine Exploration Fund is a British society often simply known as the PEF. It was founded in 1865 and is still functioning today. Its initial object was to carry out surveys of the topography and ethnography of Ottoman Palestine with a remit that fell somewhere between an expeditionary...
was founded; he was recruited to study the feasibility of a survey of western Palestine and select sites for future exploration. In November 1865, Wilson and his group landed in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and surveyed their way south into Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. From January to April 1866, Wilson carried out further survey work in Palestine, noting archaeological and religious sites.
Wilson was appointed to the Ordnance Survey of Scotland and, in 1867, acted as Assistant Commissioner on the Borough Boundary Commission.
In 1867, he became a member of the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. In 1868, he volunteered to take part in the Ordnance Survey of Sinai, along with H. S. Palmer. For his work on this, he was awarded the Diploma of the International Geographical Congress in 1871, and in 1872, he was elected to the Council of the Society of British Archaeology. In 1874, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
.
On returning to Britain, he became Director of the Topographical Department at the War Office and Assistant Quartermaster‑General in the Intelligence Department. In 1876, he received a C.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
for the organisation of the Department. He then headed the Ordnance Survey of Ireland and also served on the Royal Commission for the Registration of Deeds and Insurances for Ireland in 1878. He was appointed British Commissioner on the Serbian Boundary Commission later that year.
From 1879 to 1882, he served as Consul‑General in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. In the summer of 1882, he took part in Sir Garnet Wolseley's expedition to Egypt to suppress the rebellion of Colonel Arabi. In 1884, Wilson was Chief of the Intelligence Department on Wolseley's expedition to relieve Gordon at Khartoum.
On his return to Britain, Wilson was appointed Director of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland and was Director‑General of the Ordnance Survey from 1886 to 1894. From 1895 until his retirement in 1898, he was Director‑General of Military Education. He served as chairman of the Palestine Exploration Fund from 1901 to 1906.