This is a lovely example of the ‘Chorographia Britannia’ in full early wash colour. First published in 1742 this is an example of the last edition bearing a revised imprint. The share of the atlas owned by John Clark had come into the hands of William Johnston before December 1748 when Johnston placed an advert in the ‘General Evening Post’ for it. Clark died in April 1746 and his business was continued by his wife Anne. It appears Johnston acquired the business premises of the Golden Ball as well as much of the stock from his widow. However not everything, she retained her interest in the ‘London Magazine’. The exact date of issue is not known. Hodson states that William Toms was still in Holborn in December 1748 and was at the present address by July 1750. By May of 1755 he had moved again. Hodson speculates therefore a date early in this period as Johnston would have been eager to get an edition published. Two similar atlases were being published at the time, the ‘Geographia Magnae Britanniae’ by Thomas Osborne, 1748, and the ‘Small English Atlas’ by Thomas Kitchin and Thomas Jefferys. This is the first pocket size English county atlas published in the eighteenth century. It is surprising it took so long for one to appear considering the runaway success of the ‘Britannia Depicta’ of 1720. Provenance: manuscript ownership inscription of James Spagg on verso of title page; private English collection. Chubb 174; Hodson I no. 193; Shirley BL T.Bad 1e.