John Pigott-Smith (1798-1861) trained as a land surveyor and valuer, and produced several parish surveys after starting his own business. His first major survey was his plan of Brighton (the present work), which he carried out between 1824 and 1825. The plan shows the town at the height of its popularity during the Regency period - with Brighton Pavilion, The Chain Pier, and Brighton Park clearly marked. To the upper left are views of 'Brighton from the Albion Hotel' showing part of the pavilion, and a view of the sea front with the Chain Pier. To the right of the plan is Kemp Town (Kemptown) marked 'Now Erecting'. The new development was the brainchild of politician and property developer Thomas Kemp, who would later flee England, in 1837, in order to escape his creditors.

The years 1824 and 1825 were clearly a busy time for Pigott-Smith as he also completed a survey of the Birmingham, although not published until 1828. Pigott-Smith would later move to Birmingham, where he was elected as the Borough Surveyor - and oversaw the transition of the city streets from cobbles to macadam (ie tarmac). His advice on the process was even solicited by the municipality of Paris after one too many riots where cobbles were used as missiles. Pigott Smith was appointed Surveyor to the Commissioners of the Birmingham Improvement Acts and then Borough Surveyor in 1851, holding the office until his retirement in 1857.

The plan is engraved by the little known mapseller and engraver William Robert Gardener. In 1829, Gardener became infamous, when he was accused of massive financial fraud, with which he was funding his lavish life style. He was reputed to have stolen over £10,000, a huge sum in its day. Gardener managed to escape, along with his eight year old son, to New York before the authorities caught up with him. He left behind a wife and three other children, who all pleaded ignorant of his crimes.

Scale: 20 inches to 1 statute mile.