THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE. The map is derived from a two-sheet one by George Lily (c.1510-59) printed in Rome in 1546. It is the first separately published map of the British Isles and recognised as the first modern map. Its sources were numerous with many up-to-date, the big improvement was in the depiction of Scotland. Lily was a son of the famous grammarian, or linguist, William Lily and was under the patronage of Reginald Pole, with whom he returned from Italy in 1556. He was a noted historian and Catholic exile in Rome. Unfortunately that map is of remarkable rarity with just 14 examples currently recorded, only two of which are in private hands.

Of the original highly influential map there were more than a dozen later derivatives. In 1549 two woodcut maps were published in Antwerp both of which survive in just one known example. Similarly one by Matteo Pagano in Venice also a woodcut is known in just one example. The first copperplate version was published in Rome which is unsigned and bears the newly formed Jesuit Society insignia ‘IHS’ lower right by which it is usually known. In the similarly cartographically active city of Venice Ferrando Bertelli published a version in 1562 followed by Giovanni Camocio in the following year. The Camocio was thought to exist in two states, this is a previously unrecorded fourth and remains the only known example. A simple title in a scroll appears upper right which is finished with the imprint. In the lower right of the title are the initials ‘MR’, their identity remains unknown. Degrees of longitude and latitude are marked by the scale of miles is omitted. All four cardinals are named, those of north and south are now placed outside the border. All Cathedral cities are noted as before. There are only two known examples of this state.

A second state was published c.1568 which included the imprint of Ferrandi Bertelli, only the one example at the British Library survives. A third state has Camocio’s name removed and the date altered to 1585, this to is known in just one example. This fourth state bears the imprint of Donato Bertelli and the date 1589, it is similarly the only known example. Provenance: private English collection. Karrow (1993) pp. 226 & 270; Lynam (1934); Shirley 153a; Taylor (1968) I p. 16; not in Tooley (1939); Tooley (1999-2004).