1679 ADAMS, John 

This is the first published reduction of Adam’s own wall map (see previous entry) which was advertised in the ‘London Gazette’ in July 1679. It stated ‘Mr. Adams of the Inner-Temple, having formerly published a new large Map of England … hath now contracted the same into two Imperial sheets of paper’. The map is a faithful reduction with four ornamental cartouches, one surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms. The descriptive panels either side contain alphabetical tables listing the major towns and markets with their grid references, latitude and longitude positions and distances from London. The whole is surrounded by a wide ornamental border. A two sheet version of Adams earlier map with two alphabetical tables, showing the cities and main market towns with their co-ordinates and distance from London.

 Angliae Totius Tabula cum Distantijs notioribus in Itinerantium usum accomodata. (BL, Newberry, BnF illustrated). Size 695 mm x 985 mm.

State 1 was dedicated to Charles II (below the royal arms)

Serenissimo ac Potentissimo Principi D.no Carolo II. Dei Gratia Magnae Britanniae, Franciae et Hiberniae Regi, Fidei Defensori etc. ; Hanc Tabulam Regiarum viarum indicem Humillime consecrat Ioh. Adams

State 2 was dedicated to James II and dated 1688. (BL lacks title and Zierleiste).

State 3 was dedicated to William III of Orange-Nassau with Philip Lea's imprint. Printed by Philip Lea in London in 1699, in the lower left corner: Globs Mapps Mathematical Books and Instruments Made and Sold by Phil: Lea. at ye Atlas & Hercules in Cheapside London. (B, NLS, C, Adm).

 A previously unrecorded state was advertised by C A Burden maps:

State 4 dedicated to George II by Thomas and John Bowles (P).

Philip Lea’s widow Anne Lea sold much of her stock to Thomas Bowles c.1720. John Bowles was apprenticed to his brother Thomas from 1717-23. This example is dedicated to George II who attained the throne in 1727. An Advertisement lower right on the map refers to an edition of Herman Moll’s ‘Atlas Minor’ which was first published by Bowles in c.1732. It is feasible that the imprint of John Bowles was added and that George II had originally been George I in a previous state. Therefore this example dates from 1723 to 1752 when Carington Bowles joined his father John in the business. Adams would go on to approach the Royal Society in 1681 with plans for a complete triangulated survey of the country which came to nothing. The map was copied in 1693 by Christopher Browne (qv).

The large number of reprints and pirated copies that appeared up to the end of the 18th century suggests that Adams' map was extremely popular. Heawood listed a total of 16 versions by the cartographers Overton, Berry, Brown, Bowles, Moll, Kircher, Sayer and Evans. Shirley extended the list to a total of 36 versions.

 

Wikipedia - BnF version state 1

Detail from a copy with Lea imprint: courtesy of Götzfried Antique Maps, Tettnang Germany. 

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1679  WALTON, Robert

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