This is a rare separately published and updated version of Thomas Jeffery’s famous four-sheet map of New England first published in 1765. Bowles improved upon the Jeffery’s and through the six states of this map it was continually improved. This is the last and one of the rarest of editions. Being in wonderful early wash colour it is also one of the most desirable. The fine inset plan of Boston was first inserted in to the fourth state and incorporated information of the military situation during the American Revolution. Jeffery’s original map never included such knowledge. The major area of improvement by Bowles over Jefferys was the new material in the north, namely New Hampshire and Vermont. Indeed the latter is named as a state very early in its life as it was admitted to the Union in 1791.

In about 1780 Carington Bowles first published “Bowles’s Universal Atlas”. An example of this edition appears to be in the Library of Congress. It was quite possibly intended to be a smaller and more manageable version of Kitchin’s “General Atlas” first published in 1773. Those maps were often multi sheet and folding making their use difficult. In the Bowles atlas the majority of the maps are single sheet. Bowles appears to have re-issued the atlas with revisions just prior to his death in 1793. He was succeeded by his son Henry Carington Bowles (1763-1852) who shortly after formed a partnership with Samuel Carver. The firm was renamed Bowles and Carver and continued trading at No. 69 St. Pauls Churchyard. Most publications by this firm are rare and “Bowles’s Universal Atlas” is no exception. Undated as before, the atlas is usually ascribed the date of 1798 or thereafter based on internal evidence. Refer Shirley Atlases in the British Library T.Bowl 2a; Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers; Stevens & Tree 32f; McCorkle, B.B. (New England) 765.1 st. 4.