Madras was one of the first outposts of British East India Company.
Colonel William Lambton, superintendent of the great Trigonometrical
Survey of India, started his journey of triangulating India from St.
Thomas Mount. The city was founded in 1639 when the company was
granted land to build a trading settlement by the local Indian
administrators. The British built Fort St. George (today the
legislative and administrative seat of the state). George Town then
developed becoming the modern city of Madras, absorbing several nearby
boroughs. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles is associated with
Chennai. He is said to have come to India as an evangelist and died in
what is now Chennai. Two suburbs, Santhome and St. Thomas Mount, are
named in his memory.

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