William Heather (1764-1812) started business in 1793, as a publisher and dealer in charts and nautical instruments. He had learnt is trade from the chart publisher and teacher of navigation John Hamilton Moore, with whom he resided for five years. Heather's premises were based on the same street as the East India Company, at 157 Leadenhall Street, under the sign of the 'Little Midshipman', later known as the 'Navigation Warehouse'. In 1796, he joined in partnership with his neighbour, book and printseller, Thomas Williams, with the business being known as 'Heather and Williams', or Heather & Co.; the partnership would last until 1800. During this time John Norie – another pupil of John Hamilton Moore – joined the firm, as a draftsman of charts and teacher of navigation. Norie would later take over the business following Heather's death in 1812, and turn it into the leading independent chart publisher's of the nineteenth century. The business would later be immortalised by Charles Dickens, in Dombey & Sons.

'The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot…', was first advertised by William in 1801, containing "34 charts covering the whole of the world, which Heather was able to claim was, ' the only publication of its kind in England'. This presumably sold well as it was continued by his successor [John Norie] but the firm always remained the only publishers to attempt to cover the world in one unnwieldy volume". (Fisher). A William Norie catalogue of March, 1817, lists the pilot - bound in full calf, at a price of £11 11s - the most expensive single work in his inventory. The work also appeared in Warden's important bibliography of works relating to America: 'Bibliotheca Americana' of 1840, No. 969.

The charts within the pilot range in date from 1793 to 1808, and cover the whole world:

1: World
2,3: Atlantic
4,5: East Coast South America
6-19 Great Britain and Ireland
20: Norway and and White Sea
21-23: England east coast trade
24-30: Holland, Germany, and the Baltic Sea
31-34: France, Spain, Med.
35-38: Verde Islands, Madeira, and Azores, Bermuda
39: Indian and Pacific Ocean
40: Africa Cape
41: Indian Ocean
42: China Seas
43-49: Caribbean and Carolinas

Rare we are only able to trace four institutional examples: Harvard, dated 1801, 34 charts; Earl Gregg Swem Library, Williamsburg, 1804, 49 charts; National Maritime Museum, 1808, 55 charts; and The Dibner Library, Simthonian Institute, 1826, 40 charts.

List of charts

1. HEATHER, William. John A New Chart of the World on Mercator's Projection By William Heather 1803. To the Merchants and Underwriters frequenting Lloyd's This Chart is Respectfully Dedicated By Their Obliged and Grateful Servant William Heather. London, William Heather 1802. [2 sheets].

2. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Atlantic or Western Ocean Improved by W. Heather. Second Edition with improvements 1807. London, William Heather, 1797 [but] 1807. Drawn by John Norie [2 sheets].

3. HEATHER, William. [The Southern Atlantic Ocean] London, William Heather, 1799. Drawn by John Norie. [2 sheets]

4. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Coast of Brazil from St Ann's Island to St. Sebastian Drawn from The Best Surveys By William Heather. 1803. London, William Heather, 1808. Inset charts of Villa Grande and Rio de Janeiro. Engraved by Stephenson.

5. HEATHER, William. Heather's Survey of the River Plate, Presented to the King of Spain By Don Juan de Langara. 1806. London, William Heather, 1806. Inset charts of Montevideo harbour and Maldonado harbour. Engraved by Stephenson.

6. HEATHER, William. To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens & Elder Brethren of the Trinity House. This Chart of the English Channel Is By Permission Most Respectfully Dedicated By Their Obedient and Grateful Servant William Heather. London, William Heather, 1805. Inset charts of Downs to Margate, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Falmouth, Torbay, Portsmouth, and Cork Harbour. [3 sheets].

7. HEATHER, William. To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens & Elder Brethren of the Trinity House. This Chart of the Downs and Margate Roads Is Most Respectfully Dedicated By William Heather 1797. London, William Heather, 1797. Drawn by John Norie.

8. HEATHER, William. To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens & Elder Brethren of the Trinity House. This Chart of Spithead, Is most Respectfully Dedicated by their Obedient Servant William Heather. London, Heather & Willliams, 1797.

9. HEATHER, William. [3 Charts on one mapsheet]
a) To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens & Elder Brethren of the Trinity House;
b) This Chart of Plymouth Sound...; A New Chart of the Race of Portland with the Roads of Portland and Weymouth...;
c) A New Chart of the Entrances to Falmouth and Helford Drawn from the Latest Surveys &c. London, Heather & Williams, 1798.

10. HEATHER, William. The Islands of Guernsey, Jersey &c. with the adjacent Coast of France By W. Heather 1808. London, William Heather, 1808. Inset plan of Cherbourg.

11. HEATHER, William. Heather's New and Improved Chart of the Isles of Scilly Drawn from the Most Approved Surveys, 1803. London, William Heather, 1803.

12. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Bristol Channel Reduced from the Best Authorities By W. Heather. London, William Heather, 1803. Inset charts of Padstow, Carmarthen, and Kings Road.

13. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the South Coast of Ireland, Drawn from the Latest Surveys, By Wm. Heather, 1807. London, William Heather, 1807. Inset chart of Cork Harbour.

14. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the North Coast of Ireland from Sligo Bay to Rachlin Isle drawn from the Latest Surveys By W. Heather. 1807. London, William Heather, 1807. Inset chart of Loch Foyle.

15. HEATHER, William. A New and Correct Chart of St George's Channel, Dawn from the Latest Surveys & Observations, with Considerable Improvements, By W. Heather. 1804. London, William Heather, 1804. Inset chart of the Bristol Channel, Entrance to Liverpool, and the River Cyde. [3 sheets].

16. HEATHER, William. A New and Improved Chart of the Hebrides or Lewis Islands, and Adjacent Coasts of Scotland, From the Mull of Cantire to Cape Wrath. drawn from the Latest Surveys by Wm. Heather. London, William Heather, 1804. [2 sheets].

17. HEATHER, William. Heather's New and Improved Chart of the Orkney Isles Drawn from the Most Approved Surveys. London, William Heather, 1804.

18. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of England, Ireland and Scotland Including the Islands of Orkney, Shetland, and Lewis, Reduced from the Best Authorities by W. Heather. London, William Heather, 1793. [3 sheets].

19. HEATHER, William. A New and Improved Chart of the North Sea or the German Ocean Constructed on Mercator's Projection By William Heather. 1807. London, William Heather, 1801 [but] 1807. [2 sheets].

20. HEATHER, William. A New and Accurate Chart of the Coast of Norway including the White Sea. By William Heather. 1801. London, William Heather, 1801. Inset chart of the White Sea. [2 sheets].

21. HEATHER, William. To the Right Honourable the Master, Wardens & Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, This Chart of the Entrances to the River Thames. Is Most Respectfully Dedicated by Their Obliged Humble Servant William Heather. London, W. Heather, 1801. Inset chart of the River Thames.

22. HEATHER, William. To the Merchants, and Masters of Vessels, Employed in the Coasting Trade &c. This Chart of the East Coast of England Is most respectfully dedicated by Their Obliged and Humble Servant Wm. Heather. 1802. London, William Heather, 1802.

23. HEATHER, William. To the Merchants, and Masters of Vessels, Employed in the Coasting Trade &c. This Chart of the East Coast of England and Scotland From the Humber to Aberdeen. Is Most Respectfully Dedicated by Their Obliged Humble Servant William Heather. London, William Heather, 1798. Inset charts of the Rivers Tyne, Humber, Holy Island, and Aberdeen Road.

24. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of Holland with the Entrances to the Scheld & c. Drawn from the latest Authorities by W. Heather. 1802. London, W. Heather, 1802.

25. HEATHER William. Heather's New Chart of the Coasts of England and Holland from the Latest Surveys. 1805. London, W. Heather, 1805. Inset charts of Texel and Vile, and the River Scheldt. [2 sheets].

26. HEATHER, William. A New and Improved Chart of the Rivers Elbe and Weser to Hamburg and Bremen, Reduced from the Late Surveys of J.T. Reinke, J.A. Long, and other experienced Navigators by W. Heather. London, W. Heather, 1795. Inset chart of Helegoland.

27. HEATHER, William. Lous's Chart of the Cattegat Improved by W. Heather. London, W. Heather, 1801. Inset chart of The Sound.

28. HEATHER, William. To Evan Nepean Esqr. M.P. and Secretary to the Admiralty of Great Britain. This Chart of the Sound and Grounds Is humbly dedicated by his most obedt. Servt. Wm. Heather. London, W. Heather, 1801.

29. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Cattecat and Baltic or East Sea by William Heather. 1801. London, William Heather, 1801. Inset charts of Gothenberg, Stockholm, Revel, Rogerwyck, Stettin, and Riga. [2 sheets].

30. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Gulf of Finland. Surveyed by Order of the Emperor of Russia and King of Sweden with Additions and Improvements By William Heather. 1802. London, William Heather, 1802. Inset charts of Hango Road, Lovisa, Cronstadt, Fredrichshamn, and Wyburg. [2 sheets]

31. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Coast of France with the Harbours of L'Orient, Brest, Havre, Mortair, & St. Malo, By William Heather. London, W. Heather, 1796. Inset charts of Havre, St Malo, Morlaix, Brest, L'Orient. [2 sheets].

32. HEATHER, William. Heather's New Chart of the Bay of Biscay. Reduced from a Late Survey Made by Order of Buonaparte, Chief Consul, 1802. London, W. Heather, 1802.

33. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Coast of Portugal, By William Heather. London, Heather and Williams, 1800. Inset charts of Ferrol, Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon and St. Ubes, Gibraltar, Palos, St. Lucar, and Cadiz. [2 sheets].

34. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Mediterranean Sea. To the Right Honourable Horatio Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk, Rear Admiral of the Blue and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. This Chart is Most respectfully Dedicated by his grateful much obliged humble Servant, William Heather. London, W. Heather, 1802. Inset charts of Leghorn, Marseilles, Genoa, Zaffarina Isles, Tetuan, and Smyrna. [3 sheets].

35. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Azores or Western Isles, drawn by Wm. Heather. 1803. London, William Heather, 1803. Inset charts of Villa Franche, Angra Bay, Fayal & Pico, and Fayal.

36. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Madeira and Canary Islands By Wm. Heather, 1801. London, William Heather, 1801. Inset chart of Funchal.

37. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Cape Verd Islands. From the Latest Authorities, By William Heather. London, William Heather, 1805. Inset of Port Praya. [Full page].

38. HEATHER, William. Heather's Improved Chart of the Bermudas, drawn from the Best Surveys. London, William Heather, 1805. [Full page].

39. HEATHER, William. To The Honourable the Court of Directors of the United Company of Merchants, Trading to the East Indies. This Chart of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Is Most Respectfully Dedicated By Their Obliged & Grateful Servant William Heather. London, William Heather, 1806. [3 sheets].

40. HEATHER, William. A New and Improved Chart of the The Cape of Good Hope, the Mozambique Passage &c. Taken from the Latest & Best Authorities By W. Heather. London, W. Heather, 1796. Inset charts of Delagoa Bay, False Bay, Saldanha Bay, Table Bay, St. Augustine's Bay, and Port North West. [2 sheets].

41. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Indian Ocean Improved by W. Heather. London, Heather and Williams, 1799. Inset hart of Brava. [2 sheets].

42. HEATHER, William. To The Honourable the Court of Directors of the United Company of Merchants, Trading to the East Indies. This Chart of the China Seas Is most humbly Dedicated by their Obliged and Grateful Servant William Heather. 1799. London, William Heather, 1799. [2 sheets].

43. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of Guyana with the Colonies of Cayenne, Surinam, & Trinidad, W. Heather. Inset charts of Chaguaramas, Essequebo, Berbice River, River Surinam, and Cayenne.

44. HEATHER, William. [The Island of Trinidad]. London, William Heather, 1802.

45. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the Virgin Isles shewing the various channels between Porto Rico & St. Kitts by W. Heather. 1808. London, William Heather, 1808.

46. HEATHER, William. A New and Improved Chart of the West India or Carribbee Islands drawn from the best Authorities by William Heather. 1795. London, W. Heather, 1795.

47. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of the West Indies Including the Florida Gulf and Steam. Drawn from the latest Authorities by William Heather. London, w. Heather, 1797. [3 sheets].

48. HEATHER, William. A New and Correct General Chart of the West Indies including the Gulf of Mexico & Bay of Honduras &c. Collected from the Journals, Surveys and Astronomical Observations, of the most celebrated Navigators. By William Heather, 1801. London, William Heather, 1801. [2 sheets].

49. HEATHER, William. A New Chart of America with the Harbors of Port Royal Savannah &c. Drawn from the latest Authorities by W. Heather. 1799. London, Heather and Williams, 1799. Inset charts of Savannah River, Port Royal, Charleston, and Cape Fear River. [2 sheets].