a daughter. He was knighted in 1918, in recognition of the Ordnance Survey's efforts during World War I during which over 30 million maps were produced. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1919. Upon retirement in 1922 he became secretary of the International Geographical Congress. Close was also a long-serving Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and in 1927 was awarded their Victoria Gold Medal and elected President (1927–30). Close changed his surname to Arden-Close by deed poll in August 1938. He died in Winchester registration district of Hampshire on 19 December 1952, aged 87. The Charles Close Society for the Study of Ordnance Survey Maps was founded in 1980. References Further reading Matthew, H.C.G. and Harrison, B. (eds), 2004, Oxford dictionary of national biography (vol 12), Oxford: OUP. The Charles Close Society Retrieved 26 November 2005. Close, Charles, 1905, Text Book of Topographical and Geographical Surveying, London: HMSO. Close, Charles, 1926, The early years of the Ordnance Survey, Chatham: Institute of Royal Engineers. Seymour W.A., (ed), 1980, A History of the Ordnance Survey, Folkestone: Dawson, . Owen, Tim, and Pilbeam, Elaine, 1992, Ordnance Survey, map makers to Britain since 1791, Southampton: Ordnance Survey (HMSO), (HMSO). Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Presidents of the International Geographical Union Presidents of the Royal Geographical Society 1865 births 1952 deaths Honours recipients from Jersey Royal Engineers officers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath Victoria Medal recipients