By arguably the most famous English cartographer, John Speed (1552-1629). Published in the ‘Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain’, 1612. It was the first atlas of the whole British Isles. He was a tailor by trade and had a fascination for history. He used numerous sources for the counties and had the plates engraved by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam. A second edition appeared c.1614-16 in which the text was reset by Thomas Snodham. This map of Dorset is from that edition. His maps are noted for being the first to include the boundaries of the hundreds, and for introducing town plans on the maps. With a fine detailed plan of Dorchester upper left. Beaton pp. 18-20; Shirley BL T.Spe 1c; Skelton 7 & 10.