Person    | Male  Born 4/5/1726  Died 1/7/1790

Major-General William Roy

Categories: Armed Forces, Engineering, History, Science

Countries: Scotland

Military engineer, surveyor, antiquary. Born South Lanarkshire. Founder of the Ordnance Survey.

1749-55, one of a team that produced "The Duke of Cumberland's Map", commissioned by George II as an aid to subjugating the Scots. Showing Roy's interest in history the map plots many Roman remains. He was promoted up to to major-general, always involved in land surveying, and became a member of the Royal Society.

1784, to assess the relative positions of the French Royal Observatory (Paris) and the British Royal Observatory (Greenwich) he measured a base-line from  King's Arbour (Heathrow) to Hampton Poor House. This was the basis for all subsequent surveys of Britain, using the triangulation technique.

Never married. No pictures seems to exist but we found some of his hand-writing.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Major-General William Roy

Commemorated ati

General Roy's cannon - south

The cannon was installed in 1791 by Mudge. The plaque came later in 1926. Fr...

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Major-General William Roy

Greater London Council Major-General William Roy, 1726 - 1790, founder of th...

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Other Subjects

G. Wright

G. Wright

R.A.F. Fought but did not die in WW1

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
C. F. G. W. Copeland

C. F. G. W. Copeland

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
H. Woods, Jnr.

H. Woods, Jnr.

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
W. J. Kingsley

W. J. Kingsley

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2. The J. Lyons memorial has a photo attached to the list of names. As you see, it's not clear to which name it is attached but Kingsley seems the...

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
J. Tollafield

J. Tollafield

Resident of Willesden who volunteered and died in the Anglo Boer War, 1899-1900.

Person, Armed Forces, South Africa

War dead, Other war
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Huguenot fan makers

Huguenot fan makers

EC1, Fann Street, 70, Jewin Welsh Church

This plaque may correctly show where fan makers settled but their Hall was some distance away - see the blue plaque.

2 subjects commemorated
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee fountain - Blackheath

Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee fountain - Blackheath

SE3, Tranquil Vale

The rear of the fountain has a little door with a keyhole, presumably to provide access to the water-delivering mechanism - so long unused.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator