William Lambton
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel William Lambton, FRS (c. 1753 – January 19, 1823) was a British
soldier
, surveyor, and geographer
.
Lambton was the Superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey
of India
, which he began in 1802. He died and is buried at Hinganghat
in Wardha
district of Maharashtra
. He was succeeded by his assistant George Everest
.
Lambton was born was born at Crosby Grange, near Northallerton
, in North Yorkshire
, the son of a farmer. His skill in mathematics
earned him a place in a grammar school and then, in 1781, an Ensignship in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. He was commissioned in the 33rd Regiment and his ability at surveying led to work on measuring land for settlers in America. He was appointed barrack master in Nova Scotia and he spent many years studying mathematics on his own. With his regiment he took part in the American War of Independence and was taken prisoner at Yorktown
. After his release he was moved to New Brunswick
and was involved in surveying the boundary between Canada
and the United States
. In 1795 the Duke of York ordered that all civilian officers should be struck off from the regiments. Lambton then joined the 33rd at Calcutta after 13 years away from regimental duties. The 33rd Regiment was commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley at Calcutta.
In 1796 he was promoted to Lieutenant and posted with his regiment to India
, under the leadership of Colonel Arthur Wellesley
. He took part in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
in 1799. After the capture of Mysore Lambton proposed that the territory be surveyed, using the new techniques of geodesy
employed by William Roy
in Great Britain
, and this was approved. He began by measuring a base-line from St. Thomas Mount in Madras, from there proceeding by triangulation across the peninsula to Mangalore
. In 1806 he began his latitudinal
measurement 100 miles northwards from Bangalore
, where the British territory ended. He then surveyed southwards to Cape Comorin. Lambton then recommenced the survey northwards until his death. He was succeeded in the post by Valentine Blacker
.
Lambton was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (9 January 1817) and a corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences
in 1817.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, surveyor, and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
.
Lambton was the Superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey
Great 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...
, which he began in 1802. He died and is buried at Hinganghat
Hinganghat
Hinganghat is a town and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Located about twenty-one miles southeast of the city of Wardha, the town is located on the banks of Vena River, a tributary of the Wardha River which joins to the Pranhita River, which ultimately...
in Wardha
Wardha
Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the North, West and South boundaries of district. Founded in 1866, the town is now an...
district of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. He was succeeded by his assistant 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...
.
Lambton was born was born at Crosby Grange, near Northallerton
Northallerton
Northallerton is an affluent market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It has a population of 15,741 according to the 2001 census...
, in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, the son of a farmer. His skill in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
earned him a place in a grammar school and then, in 1781, an Ensignship in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. He was commissioned in the 33rd Regiment and his ability at surveying led to work on measuring land for settlers in America. He was appointed barrack master in Nova Scotia and he spent many years studying mathematics on his own. With his regiment he took part in the American War of Independence and was taken prisoner at Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
. After his release he was moved to New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and was involved in surveying the boundary between Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1795 the Duke of York ordered that all civilian officers should be struck off from the regiments. Lambton then joined the 33rd at Calcutta after 13 years away from regimental duties. The 33rd Regiment was commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley at Calcutta.
In 1796 he was promoted to Lieutenant and posted with his regiment to 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...
, under the leadership of Colonel Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. He took part in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
in 1799. After the capture of Mysore Lambton proposed that the territory be surveyed, using the new techniques of geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
employed by William Roy
William Roy
Major-General William Roy FRS was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Great Britain....
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and this was approved. He began by measuring a base-line from St. Thomas Mount in Madras, from there proceeding by triangulation across the peninsula to Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
. In 1806 he began his latitudinal
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
measurement 100 miles northwards from Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, where the British territory ended. He then surveyed southwards to Cape Comorin. Lambton then recommenced the survey northwards until his death. He was succeeded in the post by Valentine Blacker
Valentine Blacker
Valentine Blacker CB , was a lieutenant colonel in the Honourable East India Company and later Surveyor General of India....
.
Lambton was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (9 January 1817) and a corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
in 1817.
External links
- http://www.thegreatarc.net/lambton.htm