oct 3, 1864 - Idea: Explore Jerusalem

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In 1865 when Angela Burdett Coutts, a British baroness, visited Jerusalem and returned with the idea to establish a Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF), enlisting the help of Queen Victoria.

In 1864, she financed the ORDNANCE SURVEY OF JERUSALEM; the primary goal was to find better drinking water for those living in the city. During this work (1864–1865), the group, led by Charles William Wilson, was able to produce the most accurate and comprehensive map of Jerusalem but was unable to find a new source of water. The Jerusalem Post commented that "Charles Wilson’s work on the Jerusalem Ordnance Survey served as the basis for all future Jerusalem research". The 1st survey spawned subsequent explorations to find water for Jerusalem, to be led by Charles Warren.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Burdett-Coutts,_1st_Baroness_Burdett-Coutts

The Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem of 1864–65 was the first scientific mapping of Jerusalem. A team of six Royal Engineers began their work on 3 October 1864, completed on 16 June 1865, and their report published 29 March 1866.

The survey provided the foundation and impetus for the creation of the Palestine Exploration Fund. The first PEF meeting of the Fund took place on 22 June 1865, less than a week after the completion of the Ordnance Survey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey_of_Jerusalem

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