Robert Morden’s Map of Shropshire

Robert Morden’s Map of Shropshire.

Hand coloured map of Shropshire as published in Camden’s ‘Britannia’ in 1695 by Edmund Gibson, Bishop of Lincoln. Ornamental cartouche above a comprehensive map, with scale bars, depicting towns, villages, churches, woodlands, parks, rivers and hundreds, etc. It also shows a scale of ‘Computer Miles’ and a scale of ‘Measured Miles’, each different.

Sold by Abel Swale, Awnsham and John Churchill. Shows anomalies that appeared on the 1695 edition that were rectified in the next edition of 1722, such as Roundatton for Round Acton. Robert Morden (c. 1650 - 1703) was an English bookseller, publisher and one of the first successful commercial makers of maps and globes.

Mounted in a Hogarth frame.

English, circa 1695.

W. 24 ¼” (61.5cm).
H. 12 ¼” (54cm).

Stock No. 1557.

Edmund Gibson, in his preface to the Britannia publication and reference to the maps wrote, ‘…to render them as complete and accurate as might be, this whole business was committed to Mr Robert Morden, as person of known abilities in these matters, who took care to revise them, to see the slips of the Engraver mended, and the corrections, returned out of the several Counties duly inserted.

Upon the whole, we need not scruple to affirm, that they are much the fairest and most correct of any that have yet appeared.’ Subsequent editions were published in 1715, 1722, 1753 and 1772 and remained unchanged from the first edition.

Robert Morden worked under the sign of the Atlas at premises in Cornhill and then New Cheapside in London, where his output was large and varied. His best known maps are those of both South and North Wales and the English Counties. These latter maps were based on information supplied by gentlemen of each county.

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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