Directors of the Ordnance Survey
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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] |
| 2015–2018 | Nigel Clifford |
| 2018–2019 | Neil Ackroyd |
| 2019–2021 | Steve Blair |
| 2021– | Stephen Lake |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ 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.