Upon the death of his farmer father in 1853, Andrew and his mother move to the village of Brampton.  He records his daily activities as he apprentices as a surveyor, listing his tools and making irreverent comments on his boredom and busyness. He travels great distances daily throughout the County of Peel and beyond surveying the land for various clients.  He may be working on the Tremaine Map of Peel County with the lithographer J. Ellis of Toronto. In April 1858, he qualifies as a Professional Land Surveyor.