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{{Short description|British geographer (1753–1823)}}
{{About||the member of parliament for County Durham|William Lambton (1640–1724)|the member of parliament for City of Durham|William Henry Lambton|the British general|William Lambton (British Army officer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = William Lambton
| honorific_suffix = [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]]
| image = Lambton_RAS.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Lambton in 1822, oil painting by [[William Havell]] in the Royal Asiatic Society
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1753 
| birth_place = Crosby Grange
| death_date = January 1823  (aged 70)
| death_place = [[Hinganghat]]
| signature = William_Lambton_signature.jpg
| other_names =
| occupation = Engineer, surveyor
| known_for = Founding Superintendent of the [[Great Trigonometric Survey]]
}}

Lieutenant-Colonel '''William Lambton''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRS}} ({{circa}} 1753 – 20 or 26<ref name=odnb>{{Cite ODNB|id=15948|title=Lambton, William (1753x69–1823)|first=Elizabeth |last=Baigent}}</ref> January 1823<ref name=markham>{{cite book|author=Markham, Clements R. |year=1871| title= Memoir on the Indian Surveys.|publisher= Trubner & Co. |url=https://archive.org/stream/memoironindiansu00mark#page/44/mode/2up|pages=44–57 }}</ref>) was a British [[soldier]], [[Surveyor (surveying)|surveyor]], and [[geographer]] who began a [[Triangulation (surveying)|triangulation survey]] in 1800-1802 that was later called the [[Great Trigonometrical Survey]] of [[India]]. His initial survey was to measure the length of a degree of an arc of the meridian so as to establish the shape of the Earth and support a larger scale trigonometrical survey across the width of the peninsula of India between [[Madras]] and [[Mangalore]]. After [[Triangulation|triangulating]] across the peninsula, he continued surveys northwards for more than twenty years. He died during the course of the surveys in [[central India]] and is buried at [[Hinganghat]] in [[Wardha]] district of [[Maharashtra]]. He was succeeded by his assistant [[George Everest]].

==Life==
[[File:Ramsden_Great_Theodolite.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Great theodolite|Great Theodolite]] by [[Jesse Ramsden]], similar to the one made by William Cary that was used by Lambton in the early surveys.]]
Lambton was born around 1753 (1756 according to some sources<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.275388/page/n499/mode/1up |title=Mysore Gazetteer. Volume II. Part IV. |year=1930 |editor=Rao, C. Hayavadana |edition=2 |place=Bangalore |chapter=Roll of honour}}</ref>) at Crosby Grange, near [[Northallerton]], in [[North Yorkshire]], the son of a farmer. He was extremely reserved about the details of his family. Even the year of birth is speculated on the basis of an incident he recounted of a dinner in [[Madikeri]] in 1803 hosted by [[Chikka Virarajendra|Veer Rajender Wadeer]], the ruler of the province of [[Coorg]]. The Coorg [[Raja]] made all present declare their age and Lambton is said to have mentioned his as fifty.<ref name=bio /> For many years he spent a substantial portion of his salary to support his parents, from which it has been suggested that he came from humble origins.<ref>Markham notes from his name that he was probably from the county of Durham and it is known that he spent early life at Darlington.</ref> He often mentioned a mathematics teacher at school by the name of Emerson. His skill in [[mathematics]] earned him a place in a [[grammar school]] at Northallerton, and he studied under Dr. [[Charles Hutton]].{{sfn|Chichester|1892}} He also studied at Newcastle-on-Tyne.

On 28 March 1781, Lambton was appointed [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] in [[Lord Fauconberg]]'s regiment of foot, and transferred to the [[33rd Regiment of Foot]] under [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]] to the Cape in 1796 and later to Bengal and Madras (1798). His ability at surveying led to work on measuring land for settlers in America. He spent most of his earning to support his parents. With his regiment he took part in the [[American War of Independence]] and was taken prisoner at [[Siege of Yorktown|Yorktown]]. Observing a [[solar eclipse]] through the telescope of a [[theodolite]] without darkened glasses led to the burning of the retina of his left eye. After this accident he obtained with the help of his friends, especially Sir Brook Watson, an appointment as barrack-master in [[New Brunswick]] with a salary of 400 pounds per year. He had considerable leisure during which he was able to lay, in his words, "''...the foundation of that knowledge, which was one day to bring him to the notice of the world''." He was appointed barrack master in [[Nova Scotia]] and he spent many years studying mathematics on his own.<ref name=markham/> 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, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]] at Calcutta.<ref name=markham/>[[File:Lambton_Everest_C_India.jpg|thumb|left|Triangulation map in [[central India]] signed by Lambton and Everest]]
In 1796, Lambton was promoted to Lieutenant and posted with his regiment to [[India]], under the command of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Colonel Arthur Wellesley]]. He took part in the [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]] in 1799. He was a [[brigade major]] during the [[Battle of Seringapatam|Siege of Seringapatam]] where he led the left column after the fall of his superiors. He was also able to demonstrate his skills in navigating by the stars during the campaign and had prevented a critical error when General [[Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet|Baird]] was headed in the wrong direction while attempting to get around Tipu's camp at night.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Life of General, The Right Honourable Sir David Baird, Bart. Volume 1| year=1832| publisher=Richard Bentley| place=London|url=https://archive.org/stream/lifegeneralrigh00hookgoog#page/n212/mode/2up|pages=189–190}}</ref> After the capture of [[Mysore]], Lambton proposed to Wellesley that the territory be surveyed, using the new techniques of [[geodesy]] employed by [[William Roy]] in [[Great Britain]]. Lambton's proposal to conduct the survey was nearly blocked by Major [[James Rennell|James Rennel]], who declared that it was not needed since Colonel [[Colin Mackenzie]] was already undertaking a similar survey.

[[File:GTS_1892.jpg|thumb|Lambton's area of work]]
Lambton's proposal was however examined by [[Nevil Maskelyne]], [[Astronomer Royal]] and a relative of [[Robert Clive|Lord Clive]]. Maskelyne saw the scientific value of the survey and pointed out to Rennel that he had been misinformed and gave his support to the project.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Anonymous|title=Colonel Lambton's Survey of India|page=312| journal=The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australasia|volume=5| year=1831}}</ref> Just around the time that Lambton got his survey approved by Lord Clive, he happened to hear of some instruments being carried back from [[China]] by astronomer Dr. [[James Dinwiddie (astronomer)|James Dinwiddie]]. A set of instruments had been sent to China along with Dr. Dinwiddie but the [[Chinese emperor|Chinese Emperor]] had not shown interest and the equipment was returned. Lambton was able to examine the instruments when Dinwiddie broke journey at [[Fort William, India|Fort William]]. The instruments included a [[zenith sector]] (an upward pointing telescope with measuring instruments) of {{Convert|5|ft|m}} radius, a [[Chain (unit)#Engineer's chain (Ramsden's chain)|Ramsden chain]], [[Level (instrument)|leveling instrument]], and a [[Chronometer watch|chronometer]]. Lambton also ordered an altitude and azimuth circle with a theodolite. The equipment arrived in 1801. Although a baseline was measured in [[Bangalore]] between October and December 1800,<ref name="bangalore" /> this appears to have been rejected (it was not connected to the triangulations<ref name="earthshape" />) and another baseline was made in 1804 (using better equipment and on better terrain) to compare with the [[Madras]] baseline, whose measurement began on 10 April 1802 from [[St. Thomas Mount]] and was completed with {{Convert|7.5|mi|km}} measured by 22 May 1802. They then triangulated their way to Bangalore where the 1804 baseline was measured by [[Jean Baptiste François Joseph de Warren|John Warren]] to check the survey accuracy (also examining the errors introduced by [[refraction]]<ref>{{cite journal|author=Warren, John|year=1809|title=An account of the experiments made in the Mysore Country in the war of 1804 to investigate the effects of Terrestrial Refraction|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29572617|journal=Transactions of the Asiatic Society|volume=9|pages=1–23}}</ref>).<ref name="bio">{{Cite journal|author=Warren, John|journal=Gleanings in Science| volume=15| year=1830| title=Biographical Sketch of the late Col. Lambton, Superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey of India.|pages=73–82|url=https://archive.org/stream/GleaningsInScience2/Gleanings_in_Science%202#page/n105/mode/1up}}</ref> The triangulation extended west to end at Mangalore. In 1806 he began his [[latitude|latitudinal]] measurement {{Convert|100|mi|km}} 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 died at [[Hinganghat]], and the exact date of death is not known but is either 20th as recorded by most contemporary newspapers or 26 January 1823.{{sfn|Chichester|1892}}<ref name="odnb" /> A memorial was erected by the Resident of [[Nagpur]], [[Richard Jenkins (MP)|Richard Jenkins]].<ref name="markham" />

Lambton had three acknowledged children through an Indian mistress named Kumerboo. One of them was also named William Lambton while another possibly died in infancy. He had another daughter and son through another woman Frances, possibly a Franco-Indian or [[Anglo-Indian people|Anglo-Indian]]. A William Lambton junior joined the Survey in 1815.<ref>Keay:68-70.</ref>

==Surveys==
[[File:GTS_Peninsula_Asiatic_Researches.jpg|thumb|left|The first triangulations across the peninsula|587x587px]]
Around the time that Lambton proposed a triangulation survey of the peninsula of India, Colonel Colin Mackenzie had already begun a [[Topographical surveys|topographical survey]] of the Mysore region. Mackenzie was later designated as the [[Surveyor general|Surveyor General]]. Lambton, with his support from Lord Clive, however, did not have to report to Mackenzie and it has been suggested that Mackenzie felt undermined. Their correspondence however showed cordial relations being maintained.<ref>{{cite book|pages=159–160| title=Mapping an Empire: The Geographical Construction of British India, 1765-1843| author=Edney, Matthew H.| year=2009| publisher=University of Chicago Press}}</ref> The triangulation survey was officially given the name of Great Trigonometrical Survey only in 1818.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.dli.gov.in/data_copy/upload/INSA/INSA_1/20005b5b_22.pdf| author=Roy, Rama Deb| title= The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in a historical perspective | journal=Indian Journal of History of Science| volume=21| issue=1| year=1986| pages=22–32}}</ref> Lambton essentially followed a system established in [[England]] by General Roy for the [[Principal Triangulation of Great Britain]]. Lambton's initial aim was to measure the [[Meridian arc|arc of a meridian]] so as to establish the [[shape of the Earth]]. Lambton did not wish to assume any specific theoretical shape and preferred to make exact measurements. In the earliest surveys conducted in Bangalore he noted:<ref name=bangalore>{{cite journal|journal=Asiatic Researches|volume=7|year=1803|pages=312–335 | title=An account of a method for extending a geographical survey across the peninsula of India| author=Lambton, Brigade Major|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29423815}}</ref><ref name=peninsula>{{cite journal|title= An account of the Trigonometrical Operations in crossing the peninsula of India, and connecting Fort St. George with Mangalore| author=Lambton, William| pages=290–384|url=https://archive.org/stream/asiaticresearche10asia#page/n307/mode/2up| journal=Asiatic Researches; or Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal for Inquiring into the History and Antiquities|year=1811}}</ref>
{{blockquote|But should the earth prove to be neither an ellipsoid, nor a figure generated by any particular curve, of known properties, but a figure whose meridional section is bounded by no law of curvature, then we can obtain nothing until we have an actual measurement, to be applied as has been already mentioned.}}
[[File:Ramsden_zenith_sector.jpg|thumb|Ramsden's [[Zenith sector|Zenith Sector]] used for determining latitude|259x259px]]
The Bangalore baseline of 1800 made use of a chain laid in long [[coffer]]s supported on pickets and the heads were aligned using a telescope. The ground chosen was not appropriate and this early baseline measurement had to be dropped.<ref name=bio /> The equipment needed for careful survey arrived only in 1801. The subsequent baselines including were made more carefully with the use of a [[Ramsden surveying instruments#Chains and rods|Ramsden's chain]] specially calibrated for tropical temperatures, consisting of 40 links of {{Convert|2.5|ft|m}} each and measuring {{Convert|100|ft|m}} at {{Convert|62|F|C}}, and a boning telescope (a small, low-magnification telescope used for aligning the tops of survey poles).<ref>{{cite magazine |author=|date=1870 |title= The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India|volume=3|magazine= Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine|location= New York|publisher= [[David Van Nostrand]]|page=300}}</ref><ref>{{Cite OED|bone, v.3}}</ref> He took special precautions to account for the expansion of the chain under the Indian weather; and repeated measurements with rotations of the telescope of the Zenith sector so as to account for [[collimation]] errors in determining the latitude (the elevation of the pole star directly provides the latitude but owing to errors related to determining the horizon and from refraction, the preferred method in surveying was to use well known stars located closer to the zenith, such as [[Aldebaran]] for India, whose declination from the [[Pole star|pole-star]] had been pre-established). Lambton's assistant [[Jean Baptiste François Joseph de Warren|John Warren]] investigated the effect of refraction on errors in calculating the latitudes.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Warren, John| title=An account of experiments made in the Mysore country, in the year 1804, to investigate the effects of terrestrial refraction| url=https://archive.org/stream/asiaticresearche09asia#page/n11/mode/2up|pages=1–15| year=1809| journal=Asiatic Researches|volume=9}}</ref><ref name=bangalore />

The main survey instrument from 1802 for the primary triangles was a [[Great theodolite|Great Theodolite]] made by [[William Cary (instrument maker)|William Cary]]. This was very similar to the instruments used in France and Britain for previous trigonometrical surveys. It had a horizontal circle that was {{Convert|36|in|cm}} and the readings were taken using a microscope. The vertical graduated circle was {{Convert|18|in|cm}} in diameter.<ref name=earthshape>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/ahistorydetermi00buttgoog#page/n124/mode/2up|pages=112–120| title=A history of the determination of the figure of the earth from Arc measurements| author=Butterfield, Arthur D. | year=1906| publisher=The Davis Press}}</ref> It weighed about half a ton and needed twelve men to carry it. Lambton measured all three angles of triangles in several cases to establish the [[spherical excess]] (angles of triangles on a sphere sum up greater than 180°). When the survey was carried out from Madras to Bangalore, Lambton was able to compare the Bangalore baseline of 1804 with the calculated measurements and the difference was about {{Convert|3.5|in|cm}}.<ref name=peninsula />

==Honours==
Lambton was made a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] (9 January 1817)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=1727 | title=Lists of Royal Society Fellows |access-date=15 December 2006}}</ref> and a corresponding member of the [[French Academy of Sciences]] in 1817. A narrow ridge above the Bhavani valley along the [[Nilgiris]] is named after him, as Lambton's Peak Range.<ref>{{cite book|title=Madras District Gazetteers. The Nilgiris| year=1908| publisher=Government Press|place=Madras| author=Francis, W.|page=5| url =https://archive.org/stream/NilgirisFrancis/Untitled#page/n15/mode/2up/}}</ref> A commemorative bust was placed at St. Thomas Mount, [[Chennai]], India in 2003.<ref>[https://www.geospatialworld.net/news/remembering-a-master-cartographer-lambton/ Extract from ''The Hindu''. 18 September 2003]</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* John Keay. 2000. ''The Great Arc''. London: HarperCollins. {{ISBN|0-00-257062-9}}.
*{{cite DNB|wstitle=Lambton, William |first=Henry Manners|last= Chichester|volume=32}}

==External links ==
* [http://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/33130 Trigonometrical survey of India (Expenses and summary report to House of Commons)]
* [https://warper.wmflabs.org/mosaics/13 Overlay of Lambton's triangulations in peninsular India]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambton, William}}

[[Category:1750s births]]
[[Category:1823 deaths]]
[[Category:Scientists from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:33rd Regiment of Foot officers]]
[[Category:British surveyors]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]]
[[Category:English geographers]]
[[Category:Members of the French Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:People from Northallerton]]
[[Category:British fellows of the Royal Society]]

William Lambton - Revision history

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