George Everest : biography

Colonel Sir George Everest ( 4 July 1790 – 1 December 1866) was a Welsh surveyor, geographer and Surveyor-General of India from 1830 to 1843.

Everest was largely responsible for completing the section of the Great Trigonometric Survey of India along the meridian arc from the south of India extending north to Nepal, a distance of approximately . The survey was started by William Lambton in 1806 and lasted several decades.

In 1865, Mount Everest was named in his honour despite his objections by the Royal Geographical Society. It was surveyed by his successor, Andrew Waugh, in his role of Surveyor-General of India..

Biography

Everest’s grave, St Andrew’s, Hove Everest was born in Gwernvale Manor west of Crickhowell in Powys, in 1790 and baptised at Greenwich.

Commissioned into the Royal Artillery, in 1818, Lt. Everest was appointed as assistant to Colonel William Lambton, who had started the Great Trigonometrical Survey of the sub-continent in 1806. On Lambton’s death in 1823, he succeeded to the post of superintendent of the survey and in 1830 was appointed Surveyor General of India.

Pronunciation of "Everest"

Sir George Everest’s surname is pronounced . (i.e. Eve-rest with "Eve" pronounced as in the woman’s name). The mountain named after him – Mount Everest – is generally pronounced or . (Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006) (i.e. Ever-est with ever as in evermore).

Mussoorie House

He owned a house in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India for some years. Although almost derelict, it still has a roof and there are plans to make it into a museum at some time.

Sir George Everest’s House and Laboratory, also known as the Park Estate, is situated about from Gandhi Chowk / Library Bazaar, (West end of the Mall Road, in Mussoorie). Built in 1832 it was the home and laboratory of Sir George Everest. The house is situated in a picturesque place from where one can catch the panoramic view of Doon Valley on one side and a panoramic view of the Aglar River valley and snow bound Himalayan ranges on the other.

The house is under the jurisdiction of the Archeological Survey of India and has been long neglected. The underground water cisterns can still be seen, outside the house. These underground water tanks are quite deep and lie uncovered, in the front yard, posing danger to humans and animals, especially during snowfall, when the ground is wet and slippery. The interior has been stripped but fireplaces and the door and window frames still remain. The wooden beams that support the ceiling also seem to be in good condition. The floor is littered with bricks, stones and cow dung. The house is also used as shelter from rain and snow, by the cows, goats and horses, from the nearby village. The walls are covered with graffiti, which are mostly declarations of love. The kitchen shows some signs of recent renovation, in the form of ceramic floor tiles, several of which have already broken or chipped. Conservation architects at the Indian National Trust are vying for this project.