Directors of the Ordnance Survey
The following is a list of those in charge of the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain from its inauguration in 1791 to present. The title of the post was originally Superintendent of the Ordnance Survey (under the Board of Ordnance) but it evolved during the tenure of Henry James. He was appointed in 1854 as Superintendent[1] but he had made himself Director by 1863[2] and then Director-General by 1874.[3] More recently, between 1985 and 1991, the title became Director-General and Chief Executive.
1791–1798 Colonel Edward Williams 1798–1820 Major General William Mudge 1820–1847 Major General Thomas Frederick Colby 1847–1854 Colonel Lewis Alexander Hall 1854–1875 Lieutenant General Sir Henry James 1875–1878 Lieutenant General John Cameron 1878 Colonel Alexander Ross Clarke[4] 1878–1883 Major General Anthony C. Cooke 1883–1886 Colonel Richard H. Stotherd 1886–1894 Colonel Sir Charles William Wilson 1894–1899 Colonel John Farquharson 1899–1905 Colonel Sir Duncan A. Johnston 1905–1908 Colonel R.C. Hellard 1908–1911 Colonel Samuel Charles Norton Grant 1911–1922 Colonel Sir Charles Frederick Close 1922–1930 Brigadier Evan MacLean Jack 1930–1934 Brigadier Harold St John Loyd Winterbotham 1935–1943 Major-General Malcolm Neynoe MacLeod 1943–1949 Major-General Geoffrey Cheetham 1949–1953 Major–General Reginald Llewelyn Brown 1953–1957 Major-General John Christopher Temple Willis 1957–1961 Major-General L.F. de Vic Carey 1961–1965 Major-General A.H. Dowson 1965–1969 Major-General R.C.A. Edge 1969–1977 Major-General Brian St-G. Irwin[5] 1977–1985 Walter P. Smith 1985–1991 Peter McMaster 1992–1998 Professor David Rhind 1998–1999 Geoffrey Robinson 1999–2000 David Willey[6] 2000–2014 Vanessa Lawrence[7] 2014–2015 Neil Ackroyd[8] 2015– Nigel Clifford
See also
Notes
- ^ James is Superintendent on the title page of the Account of the Principal Triangulation
- ^ James is Director on the title page in of the Extension of the Triangulation . . . to Belgium.
- ^ James is Director-General on the title page of the Notes on the parallel roads of Lochaber (1874)
- ^ Clarke was acting head for a short period in 1878 following Cameron’s unexpected death.
- ^ Irwin’s appointment was originally a military one, but it was changed to a civil one in 1974. Since then the post has been a civil appointment.
- ^ Willey was Acting Director-General following Robinson’s resignation.
- ^ Lawrence stepped down from DG role in April 2014 to become Chair at Ordnance Survey International. She then left the civil service at the end of 2014 .[1]
- ^ Ackroyd became Acting Director General in April 2014 after Lawrence stepped down.