Malcolm MacLeod (scientist)
Encyclopedia
Major-General Malcolm Neynoe MacLeod (23 May 1882–1 August 1969) was Director General of the Ordnance Survey
from 1935 to 1943.
In 1935 he started the retriangulation of Great Britain
, an immense task which involved erecting concrete triangulation pillars (trig points)
on prominent (often inaccessible) hilltops throughout Britain. As well as being an immense physical task, it was also an extremely complex mathematical undertaking. MacLeod can fairly be said to be the creator of the Ordnance Survey in its modern form.
MacLeod was commissioned in the Royal Engineers
in 1900, serving in India
from 1902 until 1914. During World War I
he commanded the 4th Field Survey Battalion. He became Chief Instructor at the School of Artillery, Larkhill in 1920, serving until 1923 when he moved to the Ordnance Survey. He was Director-General of the Ordnance Survey in 1935, retiring in 1943.
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
from 1935 to 1943.
In 1935 he started the retriangulation of Great Britain
Retriangulation of Great Britain
The retriangulation of Great Britain was a triangulation project which involved erecting concrete pillars on prominent hilltops throughout Great Britain...
, an immense task which involved erecting concrete triangulation pillars (trig points)
Triangulation station
A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity...
on prominent (often inaccessible) hilltops throughout Britain. As well as being an immense physical task, it was also an extremely complex mathematical undertaking. MacLeod can fairly be said to be the creator of the Ordnance Survey in its modern form.
MacLeod was commissioned 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 1900, serving in 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...
from 1902 until 1914. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he commanded the 4th Field Survey Battalion. He became Chief Instructor at the School of Artillery, Larkhill in 1920, serving until 1923 when he moved to the Ordnance Survey. He was Director-General of the Ordnance Survey in 1935, retiring in 1943.