Thomas Hurd

Thomas Hannaford Hurd was a Royal Navy officer, surveyor and hydrographer who became the second Hydrographer of the Navy in 1808. Before taking charge of the Admiralty’s Hydrographic Office, he had carried out demanding surveys in North America, Bermuda and the approaches to Brest, experience that convinced him of the operational value of accurate coastal intelligence.

As Hydrographer, Hurd expanded the distribution of charts and helped establish a permanent cadre of specialist naval surveyors. His work during the later Napoleonic Wars shifted hydrography from the collection of existing charts towards an organised service capable of commissioning and supporting surveys for fleet operations.