1689 / 1694 LEA, Philip – first set of county maps with roads
The four most influential sets of county maps had been
around for between 40 (Jansson and Bleau) and 110 years (Saxton) by the time Philip
Lea acquired Christopher Saxton’s plates some time after 1665. However, none of
the original Saxton, Speed, Jansson or Bleau maps had included roads. Lea had
republished the famous Saxton Wall Map in 1687 and proceeded to market an atlas
of England and Wales (1689 copies at BL and RGS) utilising his recently
acquired county maps. Although Lea obtained most of the Saxton county plates,
Devonshire and Northumberland were missing. Possibly casualties of the Great
Fire, it seems strange that only two plates were lost or damaged. Whatever the
reason, Lea had these two plates replaced by new ones.
The
atlas included county maps of both Cornwall and Devon. Cornwall was Saxton's
map up-dated, and Devon was signed by Francis Lamb and was a copy of Saxton but
with much additional information included from other sources, such as the coats
of arms including that
of William Cavendish, hundreds, markets and Exeter inset which
matched the changes that Lea had carried out to his other
Saxton maps including the inclusion of roads. Other changes were the erasure of
the Royal and Seckford Arms; erasure of decorative details; and reengraving of
titles and scales. If one does not include Morden´s cards (more a curio) then
this was the first attempt to issue a county atlas which included roads.
The plates passed to George Willdey who seems to have been a jack-of-all-trades. While leaving the Lea title oval he added his imprint to the right of the armorial shields: Sold by Geo. Willdey at the Great Toy, Spectacle, China Ware, and Print Shop, the corner of Ludgate Street near St Pauls London. They Saxton plates were finally issued by Thomas Jefferys and Cluer Dicey into the 1770s. Individual maps were also on sale as a separate sheet (CB).
Cornwall as published by Saxton courtesy of Daniel Crouch
Cornwall
Over the years a number of changes were made to the plate map of the county of Cornwall. First issued by Christopher Saxton in 1576, it was the first printed map of the county and acted as a template for Cornwall maps for decades. The original Latin title – Promontorium hoc in mare protectum Cornubia Dicitur - was replaced by the view of Launceston c.1665; the arms of Elizabeth I were replaced by those of Charles I then Charles II; the panel of armorials were added c.1665 by an unknown publisher; the change to the coat of arms from a dragon to a unicorn; Lea changed the title for the second time in 1694; the addition of a large panel of coats of arms on the lower centre right; and Willdey added his address c.1732. The revisions include the additions of the roads surveyed by John Ogilby in 1689, with the addition of marks to denote market towns and borough towns and the re-drawing of the coastline around St. Ives. The final title to Cornwall with Lea´s imprint: Cornwall Described by C Saxton Corrected & many Additions as the Roads &c by P Lea. This occupied the roundel which had borne the dedications. It has been reported that this was the ninth state of this particular map. Surprisingly the pair of compasses bottom left: they contain both reference to Christopher Saxtoan and to the engraver. Leonard Terwoort, from Antwerp in the Netherlands, engraved the copper plate engraving, which he then hand-colored.
Devon
However,
it was not until the second edition of All the Shires of England and Wales that
roads were added in Devon. Three roads are shown into Devon; two to Axminster,
and one to Dulverton. Three roads pass into Cornwall: Launceston from
Hatherley; Tavestoke to Truro; Plymouth to the Lands end. This series of county
maps – the first large maps showing roads - appeared in All the Shires of
England and Wales ... Philip Lea. 1694. (BL).
Lea´s reissues of the Saxton county atlas (1689 and
1694) included the large map of England and Wales which he had originally published
in 1687. The original Lamb copy had the title DEVON=SHIRE Described by C: Saxon (sic).
Other states may exist: in Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries XX(I) 1938 Daphne Drake refers to two issues: 1720-46 with Thomas & John Bowles imprint; and 1763 with imprint of Robert Sayer. Sir H G Fordham in his 1914 Hertfordshire supplement lists a 1733 Thomas Bowles edition. The BL (1749) copy is without title page but another copy has Jefferys title page (Arader Galleries 2024).
Four states of the Francis Lamb version of the Devon
map are known, three with roads. The first as described with Saxon (sic) and no
roads. Then three with Roads, crosses and Exeter’s mitre added.
Three states of Cornwall are known.
DEVON=SHIRE Described by C:
Saxton. Corrected
Amended and many Additions by P: Lea. Signature: Francis Lamb Sculp
(AeOS). Saxton´s name corrected. Roads,
crosses and Exeter’s mitre added. Latin names from Speed, eg ISCA DANMONIOR.
Note Brixham key ye Princ of Orang Land.
Size: 390 mm x 440 mm.
Devon=Shire from a copy of Atlas Anglois courtesy of C A Burden Ltd.
Cornwall Described by C Saxton Corrected & many Additions as the Roads &c by P Lea. Size: 370 mm x 490 mm.
The three Lea states are:
1 The Shires of England and Wales London. Philip Lea. (1694). BL, W.
Atlas Anglois London. Philip Lea. (1694). CB.
2 Imprint;
Sold by Geo: Willdey at ye Great Toy,
Spectacle, China ware, and Print Shop, the Corner of Ludgate Street near St
Pauls London (Ae) below shields.
The Shires of England and Wales London.
George Willdey. (1732). BL,
W.
3 George Willdey’s imprint removed. Cornwall
shows clear signs of erasure.
The Shires Of England and Wales ... Sold By Thomas Jefferys in Red Lyon Street
Near St. John's Gate, London, 1749. BL.
Also in
an atlas without title-page. Possibly sold by Cluer Dicey and Co. who also sold
loose sheets. (London. Dicey & Co. 1772.) W.
Cornwall as revised by Philip Lea and published by George Willdey courtesy of Altea Gallery
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