22 Robert Morden 1701

Robert Morden possibly engraved this series of maps in 1693 for inclusion in the Britannia but rejected them as too small. The greater inaccuracy when compared with his later map (21) is one reason for assuming this map was produced earlier.¹ The 1708 edition was intended as a road book (with A table of the Roads) with maps revised by Moll (25, including his upside-down directions).

Also in 1708 John Nicholson started to compile a new compleat system of geography, the Atlas Geographicus but decided with John Morphew to publish Britain separately as Magna Britannia et Hibernia. Published in 92 parts starting in 1714, Devon appeared in Sept/Nov 1716 in Nos 11 & 12. Thomas Cox, publisher, acquired the publication in 1724 and completed the work in 1731. Individual counties could be bound separately (sometimes lacking title page).² From advertisements in newspapers it seems that Rev. Anthony Hall (1679-1723) of Queen’s College, Oxford, was the compiler, basing the text on Camden but supplementing it with local information and including Norden’s mileage table as used by Jenner (after Simons). Counties were sold separately, possibly to clear stocks, but each usually with a new title page: eg A Compleat History of Devonshire ... Printed by E & R Nutt and sold by T Cox Cornhill MDCCXXX.

Cox sold the entire work to Caesar Ward and Richard Chandler who corrected the title, omitting the reference to Ireland. Variants were issued by Ward and Chandler (eg BL and E copies below) with differing title pages as late as 1745. Individual counties were sold with the old title page with a pasted slip over the Cox imprint³; Chandler died in 1744 and Ward became bankrupt in 1745.

Size 175 x 215 mm.                                                                                       A Scale of 10 Miles - Great, Midle and Smal (30, 28 & 27 mm).

 DEVON SHIRE by Robt Morden. No compass.