Philip Chauncy trains as a surveyor
He took the advice of his doctor to pursue an outdoor career
In 1877 my third great grandfather Philip Lamothe Snell Chauncy (1816 – 1880) wrote an autobiographical memoir which he dedicated to his oldest son, William Snell Chauncy (1853 – 1903). A copy of the memoir is held by the State Library of Victoria.
The memoir begins with an account of Philip’s father then describes his early education.
When he was about sixteen years old Philip developed scrofula. He was treated for a year in Margate by the well-respected the Welsh physician Dr David Price. Philip was cured but Price recommended he pursue an outdoor career, suggesting the profession of surveyor.
Philip started his training in 1834, three months before his eighteenth birthday. This continued for four years, until 1839.
How I came to be a surveyor
My Father had long desired to fix upon a suitable profession for me, and as Dr Price of Margate had expressed his opinion that I would never be fit for a sedentary life and had recommended the profession of a Land Surveyor for me, my Father wrote to his solicitors Messrs James Western and sons 7 Great James Street, Bedford Row, London, for advice in the matter.
Mr. Western introduced us to Mr. Joseph Jackson, Land Surveyor, of March in Cambridgeshire. My Father soon came to terms with him and with my concurrence articled me to him for five years and paid him £300 premium in advance. £450 of my share having been sold out for the purpose.
Accordingly on the 7th March 1834 my Father and I arrived at March and proceeded to Eglantine Villa the beautiful country seat of Mr. Jackson situated on the left side of the river Nene about a mile above March, in the Isle of Ely. My Father, being nervous and unwell, did not remain long after dinner but returned to March & the next day back to Ipswich.
I spent a pleasant evening in the social family circle – It was the first time in my life I had been in society without my friends although I was then nearly 18 years old. And considering the strict manner in which I was brought up it is not surprising that I was greatly shocked when they they asked me to play at cards, and so strong were my conscientious objections that I determined on breaking off the agreement and returning home, & the next morning I wrote the full particulars to my Father and requested his consent to my leaving Mr. Jackson’s.
By return post I received his reply consenting, if I still desired it. But in the mean time Mr Jackson had got me to walk through extensive shrubberies and gardens with him and had put the matter to me in so favourable a light that I wrote to my Father expressing my desire to remain.
The Articles binding me to Mr. Jackson for five years were accordingly drawn by Messrs Weston and Mr. Edward Western brought them with him to a meeting of the proprietors of the Parish of Wistow, the “open” portions of which were being enclosed under the powers conferred by the Enclosure Act – Messrs Western being the Solicitor & Mr. Jackson the Surveyor . The articles were then duly signed by all parties concerned & the premium of £300 of my money paid to Mr. Jackson.
I soon began to like the Jacksons, and their pretty place. – He was a fine specimen of a jolly Yorkshire Gentleman and was a tory to the backbone.
He had four brothers and six sisters & the aggregate heights of the eleven was sixty six feet or equal in length to a surveyor’s chain. Mr. Jos. Jackson stood 6 feet 3 inches and was stout in proportion. His family consisted of Mrs. Jackson. and five children – Kate, twenty one years old, her sisters Rebecca, Emma and Fanny, and Alex. Antonio a boy of seven.
Mr. Jackson’s business consisted chiefly of Enclosure surveying under acts of Parliament, for which he usually £3.3/- a day for field work or £2.2/- in the office. He was in the habit of travelling in his gig and on the 26th March I accompanied him and to a Wistows enclosure meeting at the same place in which my articles had been signed and thence we had an exceedingly pleasant drive the next day to St Ives in Huntingdonshire. — I had a fellow pupil Mr. William Arden, my senior by two or three years, who was the son of a wealthy Lincolnshire gentleman.
Our first surveying expedition was to Great Brickhill, in Buckinghamshire, my native county; and we were followed by a luggage cart on the 21st April 1834. The first night we slept at the market town of St. Neots and the next day arrived at Gt. Brickhill and there I first saw a Surveyor’s chain thrown out. – Mr. Jackson set me to lead the chain – I was eager and in high spirits but not understanding exactly what was to be done I ran like a young colt first one way and them another until at length I steadied down and dragged the Chain about three miles until arriving at a river, the banks of which were overflowed, I walked manfully into the shallow water, but not knowing that there was a deep channel suddenly plunged into the water greatly to the amusement of the others who then beheld my ardour cool down.
On the 20th April 1834 I began to keep a diary and have continued it without a day’s omission to the present time – 8th April 1877.
On Sunday the 27th April Arden and I walked from Great Brickhill to Woburn to church and thence to Leighton Burgard where we went to Church again.
We were out surveying daily for 12 to 14 hours until the 31st May. when I went home to London on leave. My Father and family then resided at Kentish town. I visited the British Museum, Zoological gardens, Astleys & on the 17th June went with Mr. Curtis [his step-uncle] to his Fête Champêtre at Cremorne House & gardens, in aid of the fund of the dispensary for diseases of the ear. On the 18th I returned to March where I was generally engaged in plan drawing and other office work until the 5th Oct.
During this period I spent a very pleasant time at Mr Jackson’s on such occasions as the 21st anniversary of Miss Jackson birthday, Mr. J’s birthday &c.
In the evenings we had music and dancing, or backgammon chess &c. I must also record – as a faithful chronicler – that at this time Miss Jackson and I used to flirt a good deal, although some how or other I never seriously fell in love with her.
On the 1st Sept. Mr. J. and I went out partridge shooting in sportsman like style.
From the 6th Oct. to the 8th Dec. Arden and I lodged at Elm near Wisbech, where we assisted Mr. Jackson in carrying on the survey for enclosure of the commons of that parish.
We frequently spent our evenings at the houses of the neighbouring gentry & occasionally in Wisbech until the end of the year.
Mr. Jackson did not teach me any of the higher branches of Surveying, nor did he even use any instrument for measuring angles such as a theodolite or circumferentor.
For the enclosure of the “open fields” of Elm and other parishes special acts of Parliament were obtained, the general Inclosure Act being insufficient to meet the special requirements. Mr. J. was appointed Surveyor by the Elm Enclosure Act and was deputed also as sole Commissioner. The costs amounted to over £6000 of which he recd. a large share.
Philip’s training as a surveyor continued until 1839. I will resume his account of his training in a future post.
Related posts and further reading
1877 Memoir by Philip Chauncy
Holmes, E. (2019, December 12). A few technical items: Questions about 18th century surveying instruments answered (Part I). American Philosophical Society. https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/few-technical-items-questions-about-18th-century-surveying-instruments-answered-part-i
Holmes, E. (2019, December 17). A few technical items: Questions about 18th century surveying instruments answered (Part II). American Philosophical Society. https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/few-technical-items-questions-about-18th-century-surveying-instruments-answered-part-ii
A short history of the land surveyor. (2024, July 21). John Martin of Evershot. https://johnmartinofevershot.org/the-surveyor/
The perfect survey. (2021, May 13). John Martin of Evershot. https://johnmartinofevershot.org/the-perfect-survey/
Wikitree:
Philip Lamothe Snell Chauncy (1816 – 1880)
Joseph Jackson (1785 – 1853)
William Arden (1816 – 1878)
This post first published at https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2025/01/25/philip-chauncy-trains-as-a-surveyor/
I especially enjoyed this because one of the 2nd GGF, Miley B. Wesson, was an American surveyor in the mid-late 1800s. He was employed by a railroad and moved back and forth several times between Springfield, Missouri, and Fort Worth, Texas. His family was also well off for the times and we have early photos and daggeurotypes of him. A studio photo of him decked out in hand-made, fringed leather pants, jacket and hat is, or was at one time, displayed in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History - next to the displayed suit! I was excited to see the photo of the actual chain. Thanks for sharing it.