Beaufort, Francis

1774-1857. Irish hydrographer and Royal Naval officer. During his naval career in the Napoleonic Wars during which he rose to captain, he surveyed when he could. In 1829 he was given the appointment of Hydrographer of the Navy and oversaw the creation of a Hydrographic Department which made Admiralty Charts the standard to which other chartmakers aspired. He is still remembered for his creation in 1805 of the Beaufort Scale to measure wind and sea conditions.