In 1851 (or 1853, depending upon one's source!) the Ordnance Survey (OS) published a map of the Isle of Lewis at a scale of 1:10,560.
It was followed by the First Edition of the One Inch to One Mile (1:63,360) map in 1853.
Lewis was mapped earlier than intended:
Although the plan had been to proceed generally northwards, Sir James Matheson, the proprietor of Lewis, was able to persuade the Survey that areas in Scotland requiring agricultural improvement should be given priority. From 1847-1853, the island of Lewis was mapped, with Matheson paying the extra expenses of being mapped out of sequence, and agreeing to purchase 100 copies of the maps
Ref: http://www.nls.uk/maps/os/6inch/os_info1.html
These people, from the 1851 Census, were at least some of those responsible for these jewels:
STORNOWAY
Matthew Wainwright, 24, Corporal OS, Black Water Sappers Camp, Stornoway, b. Ireland
Thomas Godding, 28, Chainman, b. Ireland
William Johnson, 26, Chainman, b. Ireland
Daniel Tiffew, 30, Chainman, b. Ireland
Miles Carbarie, 30, Civil Assistant, b. Ireland
John Flynn, 30, Camp Keeper, b. Ireland
Stephen Latham, 30, 2nd Corporal Royal Sappers and Miners, Cromwell St, b. England
(Wife and 3 children, 5 month-old b. Stornoway)
Donald Matheson, 21, Clerk OS, Point Street, b. Lochinver, Sutherland
(Angus Macdonald, 43, Grocer Draper General Merchant, b. Lochbroom)
Neil Cameron, 16, Clerk in OS, Son, Point Street, Stornoway, b. Greenock
(Mary Cameron, 38, Lodging House Keeper, b Argyll)
Patrick Connel, 30, Corporal Royal Miners and Sappers OS, Keith St, Stornoway, b. Ireland
Elizabeth Connel, 31, Wife, b. England
Thomas William, 1, b. Stornoway
George Greenslade, 28, Royal Sapper and Miner OS, Keith Street, b. England
James Turnbull, 16, Curlian OS, b. England
William Marrow, 39, Labourer OS, Keith St, b. Ireland
(Wife b. Stornoway)
John Macdonald, 26, Labourer OS, New Street, b. Uig, Ross
(Wife, b. Lochs and Brother , b. Uig)
Philip Smyth, 58, Chelsea Pensioner Labourer OS, Keith Street, b. Ireland
Daniel Harty, 34, Curl Assistant OS, Lodger, Keith St, b. Ireland
(Mrs Smyth and 2 daughters, all b. Ireland)
David E Halley, 29, Draughtsman Royal Sappers and Miners (Private), Kenneth St, b. E Indies
(William Black, 45, Boot and Shoemaker, b. Leith)
Thomas Kennedy, 27, Royal Sappers and Miners, Boarder, b. Ireland
James Batterden, 26, Royal Sappers and Miners, Boarder, Francis Street, b. Ireland
Joseph Brotherton, 24, Royal Sappers and Miners, Boarder, b. Ireland
Peter Callin, 20, Royal Sappers and Miners, Boarder, b. Ireland
(Margaret Rae, 63, House Propriertrix, b. Perthshire)
James Hannon, 44, Chelsea Pensioner Employed as Draughtsman OS, Francis St, b. Ireland
James Hannon, 16, Employed OS, b. Ireland
(5 more children, youngest aged 1 b. Stornoway)
Robert Cook, 53, Pensioner Royal Sappers and Miners OS, Francis Street, b. England
(Wife, b. England and two daughters of 25 and 23, b. Ireland)
Robert Barlow, 39, Sergeant Royal Sappers and Miners, South Beach, b. England
Scott Barlow, 16, Draughtsman Royal Sappers and Miners, Son, b. Ireland
(Wife and 6 more children, 2 year-old b. Stornoway)
Henry Stafford, 26, Employed OS, Lodger, South Beach, b. North Wales
(Willaim Pope, 46, Master Sailmaker, b. Rothsay, Bute)
George Spalding, 30, Corporal Royal Sappers and Miners, South Beach, b. England
(Wife, b. England)
Simon Ross, 34, Clerk Royal Sappers and Miners, Lodger, Enaclete, b. Redcastle, Ross
(Murdo Macdonald, 45, Shoemaker, b. Stornoway)
Richard Burnley, 29, Captain Royal Engineers, College, b. England
(Wife and 2 children, 3 year-old b. Stornoway)
John Nugent, 37, Surveyor OS, Imorsgliach, Lodger, b. Ireland
(Angus Morrison, 30, Master Shoemaker, b. Stornoway)
BARVAS
Bernard Gates, 31, Land Surveyor OS, South Galston, Barvas, b. Ireland
James Crons, 42, Land Surveyor OS, b .Ireland
John Chamrey, 32, Land Surveyor OS, b. Ireland
James Kelley, 24, Labourer OS, b. England
Malcolm Macdonald, 25, Labourer OS, b. Harris
Duncan Whead, 20, Labourer OS, b. Stornoway
(Hugh Macpherson, 42, Farmer of 150 Acres 15 Labourers, b ,Inverness)
Interesting Ref mentioning Galston Farm House: Galston
James Kennedy, 30, Labourer OS, Lodger, North Galston, b. Argyllshire
Robert Mackay, 28, Labourer OS, b. Thurso
(Angus Graham, 39, Small Tenant, b. Barvas)
Ref: North Galston River
Alexander Lands, 31, Private Royal Sappers, Cross, b. Nairn
(Wife and 4 children,
LOCHS
Park Farm Kenmore, Lochs
James Clarke, 32, Common Labourer OS, Kenmore House, Lodger, b. Perthshire
(Roderick Maclean, 32, Shepherd, b. Contin)
Daniel Balfour, 29, Surveyor (OS), (tent), b. Ireland
Mary Balfour, 31, Wife, b. Ireland
James, 10
Mary, 5
UIG
Michael Kayes, 31, 2nd Corporal Royal Sappers and Miners, Eadravil, b. Ireland
Thomas O'farrel, 32, Civil Assistant OS, b. Ireland
John Morrison, 22, Labourer OS, b. Stornoway
Evan Munsey, 18, Labourer OS, b. Stornoway
Brief note on the Royal Engineers and the OS:
Ordnance Survey, began in 1747, was the first of the Royal Engineers 'specialist' activities. Between 1820's-1856 soldiers of the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners assisted officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers in survey duties in the British Isles and elsewhere in the British Empire. Today's Ordnance Survey was developed from the early Royal Engineers survey activities.
Ref: http://www.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/history/default.aspx
There is a phenomenal amount of information lying in these records. The size of the undertaking can be seen both in terms of the number of personnel involved and its duration as indicated from the birthplaces of some of the children. It appears that some participants had been on the isles since at least 1848.
The dominance of Irishmen in the Royal Sappers and Miners is obvious but we also see that many had been serving, and surveying, that country prior to arriving in Scotland.
We owe these men, and women (for several wives clearly travelled around with their husbands), a huge debt of gratitude for providing us with a unique record which today, nearly 160 years later, we can even examine online:
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/index.htm
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