The greatly revised and expanded second edition of Maitland's already detailed survey of London, was issued one year before his death. It includes the 'A View of London about the Year 1560', and twenty of the original engravings from the first edition by William Henry Toms (died 1765). The additional engravings are by Benjamin Cole (1697-1783), and although many of them are original some follow pre-existing architect's designs or from those first issued by Robert West and Toms in their 'Perspective Views of all the Ancient Churches, and other Buildings, in the Cities of London, and Westminster, and Parts adjacent, within the Bills of Mortality' (1736-1739). "The subjects of Cole's plates supplemented the traditional views of the Tower, Guildhall and other historic sites and were a new departure in that they featured recently erected buildings, with a pre-ponderance of churches. Plates of no fewer than 79 churches and chapels were added to the three which appeared in the 1739 edition and Cole introduced 26 more of these and eight more public buildings as ornaments on the 17 ward maps" (Adams). The current example includes an engraving of St. Alphage, not called for by Adams.

William Maitland's 'History of London' (c1693-1757), was a huge success when it was first published in 1739, and ran to several editions.