Colonel William Lambton

William Lambton was born in 1753. He served under General Harris in the war of Tippoo. During the war of Tippoo, the need for a systematic survey of the country was felt and a plan was mooted. Col. Mackenzie in 1800 commenced the topographical survey in Mysore and Kanara. Lambton started the trignometrical survey. The actual work of trignometrical survey was commenced on 10th April 1802 by measurement of base line near Madras Lambton was also assisted by Lt. Kater. The series of triangles up to Malabar Coast was completed in 1806. He later extended the series towards Cape Comorin and a new base line was measured in Coimbatore in 1806, at Tanjore in 1808, at Tinnavelly in 1809 and the primary triangles were extended then to sea shore at Pernnal, located 12 kms. north-east of Cape Comorin. The arc series was then completed from Cape Comorin to Bangalore.

After completing the arc series from Cape Comorin to Bangalore in 1811, Lambton started the northward measurement. A base was measured at Gooty with triangles connecting it with that near Bangalore and other extending to Thungabhadra, thus forming a foundation of a series of triangles across the peninsula connecting Masulipatnam with Goa. In 1815, Lambton measured another baseline as a part of the Great Arc series in the vicinity of Bidar at a station called Dumargidala. Till this time, Lambton's survey was variously referred to as his general, geographical, geodetic or astronomical survey. Only in 1818, 16 years after the beginning of survey, the Government named it as "Great Trignometrical Survey" (GTS).

In 1818, Sir George Everest joined Col. Lambton. In 1822, Lambton continued the survey from Hyderabad towards Nagpur. But he died on the road at Hinjunghat on 20th January, 1823.

Lambton's contribution is significant. He measured the arc of the meridian near to Equator and his measurement was used to deriving the ellipsoid of the earth. But his work did not receive the attention it deserved from the scientific community till the fag end of his career. The French recognised his work earlier than British. In 1817, Major Lambton became a corresponding member of the French Institute. In 1818, the Royal Society of London made him a member. After this recognition, the Governor General took the trigonometric survey under his control and named it "The Great Trigonometric Survey of India" and Col. Lambton was made the first Superintendent of the GTS. He completed the triangulation of 165,342 sq. miles in the peninsula.

Lambton's idea was to have a mathematical and geographical survey that would cover the whole sub-continent with a network of triangulation and in doing so have a meridian arc right up the centre of India from the southern tip as far as the foothills of the Himalayas. It was indeed capable of extension in any direction and in fact at once stage it was suggested that the chain of triangulation should go over the Himalayas but that was not achieved. After the death of Col. Lambton, Everest assumed the control of the Great Trigonometrical Survey.