Thomas Yeakell and William Gardner first published their map in four sheets between 1778 and 1783, on a scale of two inches to the mile. The map drew on the massive advance in surveying techniques being made at this time which would be utilised in the first Ordnance Survey maps of the early nineteenth century. It proved a landmark map of the county and of large scale mapping in this country in general.

Yeakell and Gardner were originally employed by Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, on his Goodwood estate. In 1782 the Duke was appointed Master General of the Ordnance and brought Gardner with him, who became Chief Surveying Draughtsman. In 1791 Gardner produced a revised version of the map of Sussex at one inch to the mile, using data collected from the triangulated surveys of the OS, with the help of Thomas Gream, Yeakell having died in 1787. Appearing six years before the first official Ordnance Survey map, of Kent, this edition was the first ever map to be published based on their surveys.

The present example is the second state, although the first was probably never offered for sale. Kingsley observes that the first state was a proof with no title, dedication or scale.