Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency
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1746
Cartographer William Roy is commissioned to map Scotland after the Battle of Culloden demonstrates a military need for small-scale maps
1782
Charles Lennox, the 3rd Duke of Richmond, appointed Master General of the Board of Ordnance
1784
Accurate trigonometrical survey begins in Britain with William Roy’s measurement of Hounslow Heath
Order placed with Jesse Ramsden for 3-Foot theodolite (delivered 1787)
1791
21 June – The Trigonometrical Survey of the Board of Ordnance purchases Jesse Ramsden’s second 3-Foot theodolite. This is the accepted Founding Act of the Ordnance Survey
22 June – Mr Isaac Dalby engaged by the Board of Ordnance for the Trigonometrical Survey
12 July – Major Williams and Lieutenant Mudge appointed to the Trigonometrical Survey
1798
Colonel William Mudge, architect of Ordnance Survey’s first steps towards commercialisation, is appointed Superintendent of Ordnance Survey
1801
1 January – First Ordnance Survey map is published, the 1-inch Map of Kent
Founding of Ordnance Survey engraving department
1802
Second Lieutenant TF Colby appointed to Trigonometrical Survey
1810
The first recorded use of the name ‘Ordnance Survey’ on a map: The Isle of Wight and Part of Hampshire 1-inch sheet 10
1816
Ordnance Survey makes its first public pronouncement on copyright in The Times, declaring that ‘every offender…will be proceeded against’
First use of advertising for Ordnance Survey maps
1820
Captain T F Colby appointed Superintendent
1827
The survey of Ireland at 6-inch scale begins (completed 1846)
Lough Foyle base line measured using Colby’s Compensation bars
1841
21 June - Ordnance Survey Act lists boundaries to be shown and gives rights of access to private property by Ordnance surveyors
Survey Act passed listing boundaries to be shown and giving right of access to private property by Ordnance Surveyors
Fire in the Tower of London. Ordnance Survey moves to a converted cavalry barracks in Southampton
Liverpool chosen as the site of mean sea level, the point against which levels everywhere were to be measured. Initial levelling of Great Britain commenced (completed 1860)
1842
Lithographic printing introduced
1847
Lieutenant Colonel L A Hall RE appointed Superintendent
1854
Major H James appointed Superintendent
1855
Photography introduced into map production at Ordnance Survey by Sir Henry James, who had previously tested the process on a trip to Paris
Abolition of the Board of Ordnance. Direction of Ordnance Survey passes to the new War Office
Zincography begins to replace lithography as the main map production method
1858
Royal Commission recommends map scales of 1-inch for national mapping
1859
Photozincography invented
1866
Revenues decline dramatically on a change of policy to charge only the costs of reproduction – a decision reversed a few years later
1870
Direction of Ordnance Survey passes to the Office of Works
Mapping of England and Wales at 1-inch scale complete
1875
Major General J Cameron appointed Superintendent
1878
Colonel A C Cooke appointed Superintendent, the first to use the title Director General
1883
Colonel R H Stotherd appointed Director General
1886
The principle of revising 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey maps agreed by HM Treasury
Colonel Sir Charles Wilson appointed Director General
1887
Colour map printing introduced to the 1-inch Map
The Jubilee Book presented to Queen Victoria
1888
The statement ‘All rights of reproduction reserved’ included on maps from this date
1890
Direction of Ordnance Survey passes to the Board of Agriculture
1892
The Dorington Committee confirms the production of 1:500, 1:2500, 1:10560 and 1:63360 scales and approves methods of production
1893
Heliozincography invented by Ordnance Survey
1894
Brevet Colonel J Farquharson appointed Director General
1899
Brevet Colonel D A Johnston appointed Director General
1899 – 1902
Ordnance Survey produces maps of South Africa for the Boer War
1902
Female labour first employed, for map mounting and colouring
Electricity installed throughout Southampton HQ
1905
Colonel R C Hellard appointed Director General
1908
Colonel S C N Grant appointed Director General
1911
Colonel C F Close appointed Director General
Crown Copyright Act passed. Administration of Ordnance Survey copyright vested in the Controller of HM Stationery Office. ‘Crown Copyright, reserved’ added to all maps
1912
Mean sea-level at Newlyn accepted as datum for levelling. Second geodetic levelling of England and Wales commenced (completed 1921)
1914
Telephones first installed at Ordnance Survey
1914-1918
Ordnance Survey plays a wartime role, under the direction of the War Office and the Admiralty.
By the end of the First World War, Ordnance Survey had printed some 32 000 000 maps for the war effort
1917
Some 5000 officers and men employed on survey work
1919
9 May - Artist Ellis Martin joins the Department as its first Design Superintendent, engaged to design map covers and publicity material
H P L Jolly appointed as first civilian Scientific Advisor
First map produced using air survey – Air Map of Salisbury 1:5280 scale
1920
First Tourist Map published (Snowdon)
O G S Crawford appointed as first professional Archaeology Officer
1921
Newlyn, Cornwall, replaces Liverpool as the national benchmark for sea level
1922
Responsibility for Northern Ireland transferred to newly-established Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI). Responsibility for the rest of Ireland is handed over to the new Irish Government
Colonel E M Jack appointed Director General
1923
Copper plate engraving of 1-inch mapping replaced by heliozincography
1924
First Ordnance Survey archaeological map published ‘Map of Roman Britain’.
1930
Brigadier H St J L Winterbotham appointed Director General
1935
Interim report of the Davidson Committee recommends rapid revision of large-scale plans for town planning purposes and tighter control of copyright
Re-triangulation of Great Britain begins (completed 1962)
1938
Final Report of the Davidson Committee recommends a National Grid, ‘overhaul’ of national plans recast on a national projection, continuous revision, measurements in metres and a new national scale at 1:25 000
Continuous revision of national mapping begins. Ordnance Survey’s Major General MacLeod calls it ‘a new charter for the Ordnance Survey’
1940
Blitz of Southampton. Ordnance Survey HQ at London Road extensively damaged
1941
Ordnance Survey dispersed to Nottingham, Derby, Chessington and Maybush in Southampton
1943
First 1:1250 scale survey carried out in Bournemouth
Dispersal of headquarters to Chessington, Surrey
Brigadier G Cheetham appointed Director General
1939-45
Ordnance Survey produces some 342 million maps in support of the war effort
1947
First 1:1250 scale maps produced
1949
Brigadier R Lt Brown appointed Director General
1951
Third geodetic levelling of Great Britain commenced (completed 1958)
1953
Major General J C T Willis appointed Director General
1956
Scribing on glass introduced
1957
1:250 000 scale replaces the ¼ inch scale
Major General L F de Vic Carey appointed Director General
1960
The last chain-surveyed towns complete, Halifax and Huddersfield
1961
Major General A H Dowson appointed Director General
1962
The re-triangulation of Great Britain completed
1965
Major General R C A Edge appointed Director General
Ordnance Survey transfers to the care of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources
1967
Ordnance Survey transfers to the care of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
Metrication of 1:25 000 and larger scale maps agreed
1968
17 June – Completion of new headquarter buildings at Southampton and the start of its occupation by some 3000 staff previously working in Chessington or elsewhere in Southampton
The first officers under a scheme setting up a joint staff of civilian professional survey officers are appointed
1969
15 January – First meeting of the Ordnance Survey Archaeology Advisory Committee including the principal organisations concerned with archaeology in Great Britain and experts in particular fields
March - Ordnance Survey’s proposals for ‘metricating’ its large-scale maps approved by ministers. Heights to be shown in metres on new and revised maps at 1:1250 and 1:2500 scales and on 1:2500 parcels of land given in hectares as well as acres.
1 May – Ordnance Survey’s new Southampton headquarters opened by Her Majesty the Queen. A logo is designed to replace the Royal Arms
July – A gazetteer showing the spelling and location of every feature named on the quarter-inch maps was published. Modern computer methods were used to simplify the task of updating future editions
October – First metric maps published
December – 6-Inch map replaced by 1:10000 scale with metric contours
Major General B St G Irwin appointed Director General
1970
Ordnance Survey transferred to the care of the Department of Environment
1971
Digital mapping is introduced to large-scale map production
1972
Publication of the first Outdoor Leisure Map – The Dark Peak
1973
Production of the first large-scale digital map – ‘an event of the greatest possible importance in mapping’, says Director General Major General B St G Irwin
Supply of Unpublished Survey Information (SUSI) service introduced
1974
First series 1:50 000 published, to replace the 1-inch series
Post of Director General no longer to be filled by a military officer. Major General B St G Irwin continues in post as a civilian
1977
Mr W P Smith appointed Director General
1979
The Serpell (Ordnance Survey Review) Committee report published, recommending Ordnance Survey becomes more ‘market-led’, providing mapping to customers ‘in forms acceptable to them’.
1982
Walker’s Britain, Ordnance Survey’s first co-publication produced with Pan Books, closely followed by a series of atlases with Hamlyn
1983
Last military personnel leave Ordnance Survey. Beating Retreat ceremony held at Southampton by Royal Engineers
1984
Directorate of Overseas Surveys (DOS) merges with Ordnance Survey
1985
Mr P McMaster appointed Director General
1986
The first product from the small-scale digital database – Routeplanner – goes on sale
1987
Digital Field Update System (DFUS) introduced
1990
Ordnance Survey becomes an Executive Agency
Work commences on the National Global Positioning System Network, replacing the triangulation network
1:250 000 digital database produced
1991
21 June – Ordnance Survey celebrates its Bicentenary with a reception in the Tower of London in the presence of HM the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
Ordnance Survey prints over 6 million maps for use by forces in the Gulf
November – Large-scale Superplan launched
1992
October – Options agents network established
ED-Line completed
Coastal Zone map produced by Ordnance Survey and the Hydrographic Office
Land-Line announced as the new family name for Ordnance Survey large scale digital map data products
David Rhind appointed Director General
1993
April – Service level agreement with local authorities
Launch of 1:25 000 Explorer maps produced using desktop publishing software to combine adjacent pathfinder maps into a 20km x 20km format
1:250 000 Travelmaster replaces Routemaster mapping
ADDRESS-POINT is launched
Trials take place in Kent of a ‘real-world feature’ database showing rivers, individual houses etc.
Ordnance Survey International works with European counterparts to set up European Terrestrial Reference Framework
1994
OSCAR coverage is completed
1:50 000 is completed
1:10 000 is completed
Completion of initial basic scales digitising programme with 20 commercial companies following a 10-year partnership with the private sector
First CD-ROM product launched – Discover York
1995
March – completion of Land-Line mapping, which produced 230 000 maps since 1973
31 March – First stage of establishing the National Topographic Database completed after 25 years of work
ADDRESS-POINT is completed
Framework document establishes the first formal remit to maintain a historical record of the British landscape
Work commences scanning all historical maps
Meridian dataset established
Nine new county atlases launched
July – Ordnance Survey International hosts the first ever conference of national mapping agencies in Cambridge with 78 countries
November – Ordnance Survey website launched
Ordnance Survey announces plans to create the British National Geospatial Database (NGD)
Work is completed creating a seamless version of 230 000 digital maps covering the whole of Great Britain
1996
October – Land-Form PROFILE contours is launched
Service level agreement with utility sector negotiated with NJUG
1997/98
National cover completed for Land-Form PROFILE
Revamped Travelmaster map series launched
National Geospatial Data Framework scheme (NGDF) launched
PRISM scheme makes Britain the first country in the world to computerise the entire map-making and updating process
Net-Map launched – the first Ordnance Survey product designed for the Internet
Street gazetteers launched, created to comply with the BC 7666 standard
1998
March – Siteplan launched
Superscale Motoring Atlas launched
Landplan launched (1:10 000 scale)
22 September – Little Explorers Nursery opens on head office site
October NIMSA deal signed, to be introduced April 1999
All field surveyors now using hand-held pen computers to record field measurements and transfer the results back to head office
November – Ordnance Survey became an Investor in People
Geoff Robinson appointed Director General
1999
1 April – Ordnance Survey established as a Trading Fund
Siteplan made available nationally
First central government SLA established (CGSLA) involving nine departments and agencies
National Street Gazetteer – in conjunction with over 200 highway authorities throughout England, Scotland and Wales goes live
Development commences on a new National GPS Network of receiver stations
CODES system introduced
Positional Accuracy Programme commences
Get-a-map is introduced
Explorer maps and Landplan mapping are awarded Millennium Product status by the Design Council
Edina Digimap is launched
2000
August – work commenced on building £1.5million business centre
October – Landplan coverage of England completed, nation-wide by Feb 2001
Ordnance Survey National Buildings Dataset (NBDS) comes into use in autumn 2000 – a digital index of all Britain’s buildings and the first dataset liked to the DNF
November – Gaelic Names policy announced to use them on our Scottish maps and data
National GPS Network website launched August 2000 as a free online resource for surveyors, civil engineers and other professionals needing to know the precise relative locations of landscape features
First 5-year cycle of rural revision programme completed 2000
Virtual Research Unit created September 2000 to develop partnerships with the academic community, other national mapping agencies, industrial partners and research departments in commercial organisations
Vanessa Lawrence appointed Director General and Chief Executive
2001
March – Ordnance Survey enters a joint venture; Point X; with two partners
Internet Street Mapping – 1:10000 scale product derived from Landplan database specifically designed for online use joins our business geographics range
Project to restructure the entire NTD database completed to form OS MasterMap – an object-based approach to storing, retrieving and updating data
New series of eight regional road maps launched at 1:250 000 scale
Public consultation begins in Wales on Ordnance Survey’s proposed Welsh language policy
1:625 000 Routeplanner map of Great Britain released
Roman Britain map launched
Successful pilot of an MSc programme offering student sponsorship
30 November – OS MasterMap launched
Mapping for Emergencies established and supplies maps in response to Foot and Mouth
Partner programme launched
2002
March – Free Maps for 11-year-olds launched
Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show launched
April – OS-Select Landranger launched
May – Pilot Pan-government agreement with central government departments
August – Co-ordinate transformation service on GPS website and new geoid model released
September – OS MasterMap Address Layer launched
Developer programme launched
Outdoor Leisure maps merged into OS Explorer series
Ordnance Survey Options launched through retail and business outlets
2003
March – Imagery and ITN Layers launched
OS Archive launched – streamlined service giving online access to our historical mapping
2004
Ordnance Survey trading revenue for the year tops £100 million for the first time
September - Ordnance Survey begins showing areas of access land on OS Explorer Maps as new legislation is introduced.
2005
The number of free maps given to 11-year-olds reaches 2 million
Land-Form PROFILE Plus launched
International Collection transferred to The National Archives, The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, The National Film and Television Archive, The Royal Geographical Society, The University of Portsmouth, Cambridge University Library and the University of Oxford
Landplan data launched