The Making of Mr George Thomas RN, Admiralty Surveyor for Home Waters from 1810.

George Thomas, the first naval hydrographic surveyor continuously employed in the nineteenth century, was highly regarded by the three Admiralty hydrographers under whom he served until 1846. An earlier account of his humble origins and youthful adventures, based on the recollections of his clerk, is supported only in part by contemporary records. This recent investigation shows how his considerable ability came to be recognized at the Admiralty, and, until 1814, illustrates his sometimes demanding relationships with his crew, with the Hydrographer, Captain Thomas Hurd, and with the Admiralty and Navy Boards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]