Field examiner instructions

1. When the first maps were surveyed by field examiners how did they know what to do?  2. Was there an instruction manual before the 1905 edition?  3. If yes can I see a copy please?4. If no how was the task achieved?'

Thank you for your clarifying e-mail dated 26th March 2010.We are pleased to provide you with the following information in relation to your request:   

1. Early surveys conducted during the 19th Century by Ordnance Survey under the auspices of successively the Board of Ordnance, the War Department and the Board of Agriculture as Ordnance Survey's sponsoring departments were conducted primarily by surveyors and officers of the Royal Engineers who would have worked to contemporary specifications, methods, instructions and orders of the day.  Ordnance Survey retained little of this information but some records may be available from The National Archives (TNA).

2. We do not hold any 'manuals' prior to 1905. Any manuals are likely to be held by The National Archives (TNA), although we do hold a publication entitled 'Methods and Processes adopted for the Production of maps of the Ordnance Survey 1875' which does have a section on Field Surveying.  You may be able to obtain a copy of this from the British Library.

3. If you would like to view the above and are unable to obtain a copy from the British Library, then we could loan it to the British Library for you to inspect, as we no longer have facilities for viewing at our current head quarters.

4. Please see the above responses.

Reference number: FOI1052/March 2010