William Lambton

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Lieutenant-Colonel William Lambton, FRS (c.1756 – January 19, 1823) was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer.

Lambton was the Superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey of India, which he began in 1802. He died and is buried at Hinganghat in Wardha district of Maharashtra. He was succeeded by his assistant George Everest.

Lambton was born in North Yorkshire, the son of a farmer. His skill in mathematics earned him a place in a grammar school and then, in 1781, an Ensignship in the 33rd Regiment of Foot. With his regiment he took part in the American War of Independence and was taken prisoner at Yorktown. After his release he was moved to New Brunswick and was involved in surveying the boundary between Canada and the United States.

In 1796 he was promoted to Lieutenant and posted with his regiment to India, under the leadership of Colonel Arthur Wesley. He took part in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799. After the capture of Mysore Lambton proposed that the territory be surveyed, using the new techniques of geodesy employed by William Roy in Great Britain, and this was approved. He began by measuring a base-line from St. Thomas Mount in Madras, from there proceeding by triangulation across the peninsula to Mangalore. In 1806 he began his latitudinal measurement 100 miles 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 was succeeded in the post by Valentine Blacker.