Maritime Professional
Thomas Hurd
Other
Background
Biography
Thomas Hannaford Hurd (bapt. 30 January 1747 – 29 April 1823) was an officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of captain. As a surveyor, he is noted for his work in Bermuda and the English Channel. He became the second Hydrographer of the Navy, a Superintendent of Chronometers and a Commissioner on the Board of Longitude. Hurd's Deep in the English Channel and the Antarctic Hurd Peninsula are named after him. His establishment of a corps of specialised surveying officers commanding their own ships led to him being described as "the father of the Hydrographic Service".