A fine set of Greenwood's large-scale county maps
By GREENWOOD, Christopher , 1818
Sold

[Collection of Greenwood's Large Scale County Maps].

British Isles English Counties
  • Author: GREENWOOD, Christopher
  • Publication place: London,
  • Publisher: Christopher & John Greenwood,
  • Publication date: 1818-1831.
  • Physical description: A collection of 30 large scale maps, dissected and mounted on linen, all with fine original full-wash colour, a few maps with off-setting, all edged in green silk, each housed within green morocco pull-off slipcases, gilt, spines gilt, and lettered in gilt.
  • Inventory reference: 1160

Notes

A fine set of Greenwood's large-scale county maps all housed in full green morocco slipcases.

The maps by Christopher and John Greenwood set new standards for large-scale surveys. Although they were unsuccessful in their stated aim to map all the counties of England and Wales, it is probably no coincidence that, those that they missed (Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Oxfordshire) were all mapped by Andrew Bryant in a similar style and at the same period (excepting Cambridgeshire). From a technical point of view, the Greenwoods' productions exceeded the high standards set in the previous century, though without the decoration and charming title-pieces that typified large scale maps of that period.

The Greenwoods started with Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1817, and, by 1831, they had covered 34 counties. Their maps were masterpieces of surveying and engraving techniques, and, in view of the speed at which they were completed, their accuracy is remarkable. They mark the boundaries of the counties, hundreds and parishes, churches and chapels, castles and quarries, farmhouses and gentlemen's seats, heaths and common land, woods, parliamentary representatives, and distances between towns. The price of 3 guineas each compares with the the first edition Ordnance Survey sheets of 7s 6d, though the latter did not relate to complete counties.


List of Maps

1) Lancashire... 1818
2) Chestershire... 1819
3) Middlesex... 1819
4) Wiltshire... 1820
5) Staffordshire... 1820
6) Kent... 1821
7)Somersetshire... 1822
8) Worcestershire... 1822
9) Warwickshire... 1822
10) Surrey... 1823
11) Gloucestershire... 1824
12) Berkshire... 1824
13) Suffolk... 1825
14) Derbyshire... 1825
15) Sussex... 1825
16) Essex... 1825
17)Nottinghamshire... 1826
18) Hampshire... 1826
19) Bedfordshire... 1826
20) Leicester... 1826
21) Dorsetshire... 1826
22) Northamptonshire... 1826
23) Rutland... 1826
24) Dorsetshire... 1826
25) Cornwall... 1827
26) Shropshire... 1827
27) Devonshire... 1827
28) London... 1827
29) South East Circuit of Wales... 1828
30) Lincolnshire... 1830
31) Huntingdonshire... 1831

Bibliography

  1. Roger, E.M., The Large Scale County Maps of the British Isles 1596-1850. Oxford 1970.

Image gallery

/