D. L. Moody

Francis Beaufort

Francis Beaufort was born in 1774, in County Meath, Ireland. He was the son of the Reverend Daniel Augustus Beaufort, the rector of Navan. His father was well respected in the fields of geography and topography. He published one of the earliest detailed maps of Ireland.

When Francis was 13, he began his nautical career as a cabin boy in the British Navy. While at sea for a couple of years, he recognized the value of being weather wise. Beaufort began keeping a meteorological journal on general weather scene. When he was 22, Beaufort rose to the rank of a lieutenant. He got to serve aboard H.M.S. Phaeton. He was in the service until 1812.

At the age of 55, Beaufort was appointed hydrographer to the Royal Navy. While in office, he commissioned voyages to survey and chart areas of the world. Beaufort became very interested in weather while in the service. He Created the “Beaufort Scale” in 1806. Francis Beaufort