General William Roy, 1726-1790

Father of the Ordnance Survey
The first biography of William Roy, exploring his life, career and legacy
The first biography of William Roy, exploring his life, career and legacy

• Considers the influences on William Roy and his work by examining the people in his circle, including some of the most famous scientists and explorers of the day
• Reviews the importance of the Military Survey of Scotland to the history of cartography
• Considers the significance of his experiments in measuring heights by barometric pressure
• Re-assesses – for the first time since 1917 - his important contribution to British archaeology

Born in Clydesdale, William Roy was a polymath and a visionary. His work established the path that would lead to the formation of the Ordnance Survey and to all of the paper-based and digital mapping products that we use today. His story – very much one of the Enlightenment – demonstrates how one man’s curiosity and diligence enabled him to excel across a diverse range of topics: military reconnaissance and intelligence; the lessons that could be learned from the past about the tactical use of landscape; the science of determining the height of mountains; and the development of a meticulous methodology to achieve an unprecedented accuracy in topographical measurement. In this biography, Humphrey Welfare uncovers the career and activities of this important figure, and in doing so paints a vivid picture of the inner complexities of 18th-century Britain.

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