I know this is a long shot but still hopeful!
My ancestor began working for the Ordnance Survey in Ireland in around 1837 and eventually ended up in England. His retirement is listed in Parliamentary Papers after 41 years of service.
The National Archives have staff papers (although I think they are limited). However, doing research from the U.S. without funds to hire a genealogist, I don't have access to them.
Is anyone aware of an online source, free or subscription, that might provide more information on his employment/work history/retirement detail?
Thank you!
Hello xpress4
I am interested in the Ordnance Survey in England who were mapping the countries, basically to be used by the War Office.
If you had to march soldiers from A to B, you wanted to keep them as fresh as possible and march them on the flat, so avoiding hills, valleys and hedged fields and knowing your Roads, flat lands, bridges, water courses and rivers to avoid, the main Inns and Hostelries for resting your soldiers and giving them refreshment (many pubs were issued with the beer allowances), what the War Office would reimburse Public Houses and Inns for each pint of beer or ale issued to Soldiers. Safer than water, due to it being mashed at temperature.
Some early maps only show features, roads, houses in red, water courses and relief (even though it is known from Manor Surveys those places had fields), which is a pity for old field researchers, but the up and down relief was likely enough to tell the Army Officer in charge to avoid it.
You have probably already gathered that is why the Department was called ORDNANCE Survey and originally based in the Tower of London, because they were mapping for the Army.
What is the name of your Surveyor? I managed to get hold of, an out of print book, several items and a number of early Maps.
I feel we'll be struggling to find the messenger in a book, but you never know. But hopeful, with a Surveyor?
The Ordnance Survey lost some of its collection at its Southampton HQ due to the bombing in the WW 2 blitz.
The surviving collection, or that deposited before the blitz is mainly at TNA, Kew, with some items at the British Library, Euston, London, but always check they have the items on site AND YOU CAN PROVE YOUR PHOTO IDENTITY AND ADDRESS/ES OFFICIALLY IN BOTH YOUR HOME COUNTRY AND ALSO WHERE YOU ARE TEMPORARILY STAYING IF VISITING!
I recall a Dutch chap going Ape, he had his Passport, but couldn't prove one of his addresses, so they refused him a Readers Pass.
Sadly and disgracefully, the British Library, like other great institutions, have had collections damaged or pieces stolen, or cut out.
So bonafide researchers are very happy to see a strict stance on identity, to preserve an unreplaceable item.
You are not supposed to even run your finger over the document or item when reading it and I can't understand for the life of me, why Archives are allowing TV companies to film people, doing just that! When paper slips are available!
Mark