For the purpose of the extensive transfer of land to which the commonwealth government was committed, Benjamin Worsley, shortly after the date of his appointment in 1652 as surveyor general in Ireland, began to make a rough estimate of the land available. The slowness and inaccuracy of this survey caused a clamour among the soldiers and the adventurers. Large arrears of pay were due to the former, while many of the latter had, as early as 1642, advanced considerable sums of money for the purposes of the war in Ireland. Both classes wanted their estates with as little delay as possible. William Petty, then recently appointed as physician general to the forces in Ireland, became the severest critic of Worsley's proceedings. The upshot of the agitation was that the plan of survey was modified and Petty appointed on 11 December 1654 to map the forfeited lands set apart for the soldiers in 22 counties.