Alexander Strange facts for kids

Alexander Strange (born April 27, 1818 – died March 9, 1876) was a British army officer. He played an important role in India, helping with a huge mapping project called the Great Trigonometrical Survey. After leaving the army, he moved back to Britain. There, he oversaw the creation of special scientific tools used for surveying and supported new scientific discoveries.

Early Life and Army Days

Alexander Strange was born in London, England, on April 27, 1818. His father was Sir Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange. Alexander went to Harrow School. When he was 16, he left school and went to India. He joined the 7th Madras light cavalry in 1834. He became a lieutenant in 1837.

Mapping India: The Great Trigonometrical Survey

In India, Alexander Strange quickly showed he was good with machines and inventing things. After studying at an observatory, he joined the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in 1847. This was a massive project to accurately map the entire country.

He worked on a long survey line from Sironj in Central India all the way to Karachi. This path crossed the Thar Desert. It was very challenging because they had to find materials to build platforms and feed about 200 men. Strange became the main leader of this part of the survey.

They finished mapping this section on April 22, 1853. This part of the survey was about 668 kilometers (415 miles) long. It included 173 main triangles and covered a huge area of 20,323 square kilometers (7,847 square miles).

After this, Strange helped measure a special base-line near Attock. He was then called an "astronomical assistant." In 1856, he took charge of mapping the area from Kolkata (Calcutta) south to Chennai (Madras) along the east coast. In 1859, he became a major and retired from the survey. The government of India thanked him specially for his hard work.

Improving Scientific Tools for India

Alexander Strange returned to England in 1861 and left the army. He convinced the Indian government to create a new department. This department would check and approve scientific tools made for use in India. Strange was chosen to set up this department and became its inspector in 1862.

Before Strange, the government just copied old designs for instruments. This meant no new improvements were made. Strange changed this. He encouraged new inventions and made sure different makers competed on price. He also made sure all instruments were carefully checked. Soon, the tools became much better designed and made.

He even designed some very large and accurate instruments himself for the survey. These included a huge theodolite (a tool for measuring angles) and zenith sectors (for measuring stars directly overhead). These new tools were a big step forward from older designs.

Involvement in Scientific Societies

Strange was elected a member of important scientific groups. He joined the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society in 1861. In 1864, he became a member of the famous Royal Society. He was very active in these groups.

He believed that the government should support scientific research, especially discoveries that help everyone but don't make money for the inventor. Because of his strong belief, a special group was set up in 1870. This group, the Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction, looked into how science was taught and supported. Many of Strange's ideas were used.

Family Life and Later Years

Alexander Strange married Adelaide Davies in India on October 17, 1848. They had three daughters and a son named Alexander Burroughs Strange. His son later became a civil engineer in Madras, India.

Alexander Strange passed away in London on March 9, 1876.