Henry Edward Landor Thuillier facts for kids
Sir Henry Edward Landor Thuillier (born July 10, 1813 – died May 6, 1906) was a very important person in India. He was the Surveyor General of India, which means he was in charge of mapping the land. Under his leadership, an amazing 796,928 square miles of India were mapped. This included difficult areas like mountains, thick forests, and sandy deserts, many of which had never been mapped before. He also played a key role in printing the first postage stamps for all of India in 1854. For his great work, he was made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1869 and received a knighthood in 1879.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Henry Thuillier was born in Bath, England, on July 10, 1813. He was the youngest of eleven children. His family had a interesting history, as they were Huguenots, who were French Protestants who had to leave France a long time ago. Henry went to a special military academy called Addiscombe Military Seminary, which was run by the East India Company. This company was very powerful and helped govern India at the time.
Family Life
Henry Thuillier married twice and had a large family. His first wife was Susanne Elizabeth, and they had a son named Henry Ravenshaw Thuillier, who also became a Surveyor General of India later on. After Susanne passed away, Henry married Annie Charlotte. Together, they had six sons and two daughters. Many of his sons also became officers in the Indian army, following in their father's footsteps.
Mapping India: His Career
Henry Thuillier started his career in the Bengal artillery in 1832. But soon, in 1836, he moved to the survey department. This was where his true talent shone! He first worked in areas like Ganjam and Orissa. Later, he was in charge of mapping land for taxes in different parts of Bengal, such as Cachar and Cuttack.
In 1847, he became the deputy surveyor-general. He held this important job for seventeen years. During this time, he made many improvements to how surveys were done. He also made the maps and survey results easier for everyone to use. He even helped write a book called The Manual of Surveying in India, which was a guide for surveyors. He also helped make the spelling of Indian place names official, which was a big help for maps.
In 1861, Henry Thuillier became the main Surveyor General of India. This was a huge responsibility. By this time, many of the easier parts of India had already been mapped. So, Henry and his teams had to survey very tough areas. They worked in high mountains, dense forests, and vast deserts. Often, these places had never been explored by Europeans before!
Henry was very good at organizing and managing these big projects. He even moved the process of creating the Atlas of India from England to Calcutta (now Kolkata). He hired local engravers and encouraged new printing methods, like photo-zincography. Thanks to his hard work, over 796,000 square miles of India were mapped under his watch. This was more than half of the entire country!
India's First Postage Stamps
One of Henry Thuillier's most interesting contributions was to the postal service. In 1854, while he was a captain in the survey department's Lithographic Office, he was in charge of printing the first postage stamps for all of India.
Before this, there were some local stamps, like the Scinde Dawk stamps used in the Scinde Province. But Henry's work led to the first stamps that could be used across the entire country. These stamps were printed right there in India. This happened because the East India Company couldn't get the stamps printed reliably in England, so they decided to try printing them in India instead. Henry Thuillier made sure this important task was successful.
Later Life and Legacy
Henry Thuillier retired in 1878 after 41 years of amazing service. The government praised his hard work and dedication. He continued to be involved in important groups, like the Royal Geographical Society, which studies geography and exploration. He was seen as a very respected figure from the East India Company's service.
Sir Henry Edward Landor Thuillier passed away on May 6, 1906, in Richmond, England, where he was also buried. He is remembered for his incredible work in mapping India and for his role in creating the country's first postage stamps. His efforts helped us understand the geography of India much better.
Images for kids
-
Henry Edward Landor Thuillier
-
A four annas stamp of 1854 from the first issue of India.
-
Richmond Old Cemetery
