Quartermaster William Young.—This rank was conferred upon Mr. Young in April, 1853, as a reward for his talents and pre-eminently useful services. He joined the corps from the Hibernian school in July, 1825, and soon, by study and application, became a well-informed mathematician. In 1830 Captain Henderson confided to him the calculations of the secondary and minor triangulation and trigonometrical altitudes of one of the districts in Ireland, in which, from his quickness, mental vigour, and extraordinary power of memory with reference to the logarithms of numbers, and the results of various calculations, his services were found, even at this early period, to be exceedingly advantageous. Promotion, however, being slow, it was not until 1838 he became a full non-commissioned officer; and soon afterwards, he succeeded a civil gentleman of experience and ability in conducting, under the direction of his officers, the computing department for the survey of Ireland. In that country his duties were always onerous and responsible; and the care, rapidity, and correctness with which they were executed, marked him out for higher employment in England. At Southampton he was intrusted with duties never before performed by a non-commissioned officer. Next to his officers he held the most important post on the survey, and fulfilled its requirements with no common ardour, integrity, and accuracy. For fifteen years he superintended a large force of computers and others, employed in carrying out the various calculations for the principal, secondary, and minor triangulation, the preparation of diagrams, the calculations of latitudes, longitudes, and meridional bearings, also the computation of distances and positions for the hydrographical office to enable the Admiralty to project the nautical surveys of the coast of the United Kingdom. With these scientific duties was connected the computation of trigonometrical and meridional and parallel distances for the surveys and large plans of towns. In 1844, when the Admiralty sanctioned Mr. Airy’s project for the chronometrical measurement of an arc of parallel between Greenwich and Valentia Island, the professor was requested to alter his formulæ, to enable the calculations to be carried out more correctly. He accordingly supplied new formulæ, which being submitted to the most rigid tests, it was found that not only “none of the approximate processes given by the various writers on geodesy were sufficiently exact to reproduce the original assumed latitude, longitude, and bearing, on carrying the calculations to the point at which they commenced,” but that those of the royal astronomer’s also failed to accomplish the object, “until it was found that the normal, or radius of curvature perpendicular to the meridian for the latitude of the given station, must be used in that of the determination of the second station, and the normal for the latitude of the second in the determination of that of the third, and so on, instead of using any approximate radius.” This was ascertained by sergeant-major Young, “after repeated attempts had been made, without success, to alter or modify the various approximate processes which had been tried, so as to cause them to reproduce the assumed data, on continuing the computations to the original point; and it was then also discovered by him, that in addition to obtaining accurate results, the calculations might be materially abridged by using the normal, as it then became unnecessary to convert the difference of longitude on the assumed or fictitious sphere used in the calculations, to the corresponding difference on the spheroid.”^[235] The reversal of the steps of these improved formulæ also gave the means of finding accurately, when the latitudes and longitudes of any two points are known, the distances between them and their reciprocal bearings.^[236] In publishing the work called ‘Lough Foyle Base,’ Captain Yolland acknowledged the services rendered in its progress by sergeant-major Young, “in charge of the computing branch” at Southampton, “for various improvements in the calculations, and for the rigid manner in which they were performed.” It was moreover added, that to his “quickness, accuracy, and skill in mathematical calculations, the survey is much indebted.”^[237] He also afforded material aid, being Captain Yolland’s principal assistant, in the reduction and preparation for publication, of the astronomical observations with the zenith sector for the determination of the latitudes of twenty-six different trigonometrical stations used in the Ordnance Survey. The published work comprises 1,009 quarto pages of closely printed tabulated matter, displaying an array of results that must have cost both chief and assistant a great sacrifice of mental energy and unwearied application to make the necessary calculations and deductions. For some years Mr. Young superintended, under an officer of engineers, the compilation and calculations for the publication of the grand triangulation of the United Kingdom, and the arcs of the meridian connected with it. In addition to these scientific duties, he had charge of an official correspondence, and the management of large public accounts, the magnitude of which may be judged by the fact that in four years alone more than 100,000l. passed through his hands—50,000l. at least in personal payments, and the remainder in issues through him, to other persons rendering their accounts to him for examination. This brief abstract affords sufficient evidence of the extent and responsibility of his duties, which, Colonel Hall reported, “could only have been performed, in the highly-efficient manner in which they had been, by the possession on his part of great mathematical knowledge and aptitude for applied sciences.” In some respects to compensate him for his services, he had, when a non-commissioned officer, been awarded the highest military rewards and allowances that the regulations permitted: viz., 4s. a day and an annuity of 10l. a year and a silver medal. These, with his sergeant-major’s pay, made his annual allowances reach about 170l. a year, exclusive of his regimental advantages of excellent quarters, fuel, and clothing. Even this, the ultimate stretch of military reward, was wholly incommensurate with his acquirements and deserts; and to retain his services in the department, it became necessary that a special course should be taken to better his station in the corps. This was successful; and by the cordial and generous advocacy of Sir John Burgoyne, a commission was obtained for him to the rank of Quartermaster, by which he is placed, in a pecuniary view, in a position above the chief civil gentlemen on the survey, and on a par nearly with the lieutenants of engineers employed on it. Throughout his career, it is not a little curious to add, that he was the first non-commissioned officer on all occasions selected to receive the advantage of all the additional honours and rewards conferred on the survey companies, for he was the first who received the 4s. a day survey pay, the first appointed sergeant-major, the first medallist, the first annuitant, and the first quartermaster.

Of the general merits and services of the survey companies, both General Colby and Colonel Hall, R.E., have spoken in high terms. In September, 1846, the former officer, who for twenty-two years had commanded them, called attention to their peculiar habits of order, intelligence, integrity, and zeal for the public service. Had it not been for these qualifications, the great reduction in the number of officers from forty-five to nine must have been ruinous to the survey. “In fact,” adds the General, “the royal sappers and miners on the survey are intrusted with the charge of difficult and important works without the advantage which other soldiers have, of being under the control of officers who have ample time to direct them in all cases requiring knowledge and consideration.” Colonel Hall’s testimony is an echo of the General’s matured opinion. He speaks of the non-commissioned officers particularly, as being men of very superior attainments, and highly valuable to the Ordnance Survey, and that when discharged, they constantly receive employments in situations of considerable trust and importance at high salaries, which they fill with credit and success. In August, 1854, Colonel Hall ceased his connection with the survey, and was succeeded by Major, now Lieutenant-Colonel James, R.E. In his parting address he warmly eulogized, in general terms, both civil and military, for the services they had rendered to the national survey, and alluded with modest pride to a few of the advantages he had obtained for those who had so faithfully served under him. “For the military,” he wrote, “I have had the pleasure of procuring three important appointments: viz., a quartermaster with a high rate of working pay in addition to his regimental pay; a permanent sergeant-major, and a permanent quartermaster sergeant. These are prizes two years ago unknown in the survey companies; which, whilst tending to raise the tone of the sappers generally, should act as inducements to young men to strive to distinguish themselves for early promotion, and for meriting further indulgences.”