Van der Aa's map of Devon - Entry 013 state 4

At a recent auction I was able to obtain a copy of the exceedingly rare version of Van den Keere's map of 1648 but issued much later by Van der Aa in 1729. At the time I wrote the Printed Maps I was only aware of one copy of La Galérie Agréable Du Monde (at the British Library) and was unable to obtain an image. I have now discovered that the National Library of France has a copy and the complete atlas is available on-line. 

The map has an added frame: but note the lack of symmetry. The right hand side does not match the left. It is as though the printer had various blocks for framing and added two at random.

Francis Bennett

 In Memoriam

At the end of the 1980s as a budding map collector I contacted a dealer who had some maps of Devon for sale. Unfortunately the maps had already been sold to “another Devon collector”. I asked that my name and address be forwarded to said buyer and some months later received a message from Francis Bennett. At the time I had naively set out to compile a “Stanley Gibbons” of Devon maps and had used my PC skills to produce a mock-up including information (gleaned from other’s work) on roughly 80 maps of Devon.

The letter from Francis was business-like but not exactly encouraging. Nevertheless I persevered and forced a meeting on the poor man. When I showed him what I had produced so far he was immediately supportive and from that moment I had a friend as well as a contact. Although I visited Newton Ferrers too infrequently I was warmly welcomed and I had many hours when I was able to enjoy his company.

His picture is pinned to the wall above my desk in my map room; Francis interviewed by the Evening Herald after the publication of the first of our two books on Devon maps. In many ways this is how I will always remember him; sat in his study surrounded by maps and books, eyes alert but friendly, and wearing the omnipresent baggy pullover.

The books and the two websites Printed Maps and Victorian Maps would not have been possible without Francis’ tireless legwork. While I sat in front of my PC (in the beginning an old Amstrad!), Francis would visit all the institutions in Great Britain searching for maps of Devon. However, he soon taught himself computer skills, bought a PC and we would exchange 3 ¼” disks through the post. He was the methodical, analytical brain and I was the fast and furious text writer; consequently errors would appear – all of my making.

Nevertheless, I am sure that Francis was immensely proud of our two books, as he rightly should have been. They still represent the only county bibliography covering the complete period from 1575 to 1901 which is fully illustrated. He then proceeded to write two books of his own that he might never have attempted without this impetus.

Illustration copyright Evening Herald - April 2nd 1996.

NEW WEBSITE - MAPS FOR SALE

After completing six books / monographs on Devon mapping I am beginning to sell off my collection. If you see any map or atlas with "KB" as the source (extreme right of listing) then I have this in my collection. If you are interested in buying, let me know!

In addition I have a new site where I will list maps from my collection for sale. 

Go to 

 www.Maps-For-Sale.com

for a short list of maps currently on sale. If you can see from my two web sites - Printed Maps of Devon and Victorian Maps of Devon that I may have a map of interest to you, feel free to send me an enquiry or to make me an offer.