Thomas Frederick Colby
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frederick Colby a British
major-general and director of the Ordnance Survey (OS)
, was born at St. Margaret's, Rochester, Kent, England
, as a member of a South Wales family. Entering the Royal Engineers
he overcame the loss of one hand in a shooting accident to begin in 1802 a lifelong connection with the Ordnance Survey. His most important work was the Survey of Ireland
. He began planning this enormous enterprise in 1824 and directed it until 1846, in which year the final maps made by the survey were almost ready for issue. By that stage he had become a major-general and, according to the rules of the service, had to vacate his survey appointment and retire. He was the inventor of the "Colby Bar" (a compensation bar), an apparatus used in base-measurements.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
and many other professional organisations, Colby was one of the leading geographers of his time. He died at New Brighton
.
Colby House, the headquarters of the OS N. Ireland
, is named in his honour.
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
major-general and director of the Ordnance Survey (OS)
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...
, was born at St. Margaret's, Rochester, Kent, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as a member of a South Wales family. Entering 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....
he overcame the loss of one hand in a shooting accident to begin in 1802 a lifelong connection with the Ordnance Survey. His most important work was the Survey of Ireland
Ordnance Survey Ireland
Ordnance Survey Ireland is the national mapping agency of the Republic of Ireland and, together with the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland , succeeded, after 1922, the Irish operations of the United Kingdom Ordnance Survey. It is part of the Public service of the Republic of Ireland...
. He began planning this enormous enterprise in 1824 and directed it until 1846, in which year the final maps made by the survey were almost ready for issue. By that stage he had become a major-general and, according to the rules of the service, had to vacate his survey appointment and retire. He was the inventor of the "Colby Bar" (a compensation bar), an apparatus used in base-measurements.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
and many other professional organisations, Colby was one of the leading geographers of his time. He died at New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
.
Colby House, the headquarters of the OS N. Ireland
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland was the official mapping agency of Northern Ireland. The agency ceased to exist separately on 1 April 2008 when it became part of Land and Property Services Northern Ireland, an executive agency of the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel, along...
, is named in his honour.