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Mr. Philip D. Burden
P.O. Box 863,
Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks HP6 9HD,
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0) 1494 76 33 13
Email: enquiries@caburden.com
This is the sixth and last Latin edition of William Camden’s ‘Britannia’ first published in 1586. It is the last to be published in his lifetime and the first to be illustrated with county maps although this had been contemplated since at least 1589. In that year Abraham Ortelius advised Camden to use the services of a Dutch firm of engravers such as the brothers Doetecum. Camden (1551-1623) was an antiquary and historian. An academic by profession he would become the headmaster of Westminster School in 1593. He spent much of his time travelling and collecting material for his highly respected Britannia. The ‘Britannia’ is a noble piece of literature carefully composed over many years and is the fruit of deep and diligent research. It was the first great history of the Islands and was first published in 1586. An instant success it would go on to many editions over the ensuing two centuries.
Forty one of the maps are derived from those of Christopher Saxton, six from John Norden. The balance can be attributed to other sources including William Smith. Of the maps twenty one are signed by William Hole as engraver, thirty four to William Kip; two bear no engraver’s name. The general maps are all derived from Mercator as published in 1595. Those maps of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Westmoreland, the Yorkshire Ridings and many of the Welsh counties are the first separate maps of the counties.
The publisher George Bishop (fl. 1562-1611) was one of the first English born booksellers to be significant in the import market. He married Mary Cawood daughter of the Queen’s printer John Cawood, was five times Master of the Stationers’ Company and an Alderman of the City of London. John Norton dominated the trade and published the undated miniature Ortelius, c.1601. In 1604 he acquired a patent for ‘all charts and maps’. Provenance: ‘Bibliotec Ste. Nicolai de Arenij, et usum Placidi Scammacea à Catena’. Chubb 18; Shirley BL T.Camd 1a; Skelton 5; STC 4508; Taylor ‘Late Tudor and Early Stuart Geography’ pp. 9- 13.
Forty one of the maps are derived from those of Christopher Saxton, six from John Norden. The balance can be attributed to other sources including William Smith. Of the maps twenty one are signed by William Hole as engraver, thirty four to William Kip; two bear no engraver’s name. The general maps are all derived from Mercator as published in 1595. Those maps of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumberland, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Westmoreland, the Yorkshire Ridings and many of the Welsh counties are the first separate maps of the counties.
The publisher George Bishop (fl. 1562-1611) was one of the first English born booksellers to be significant in the import market. He married Mary Cawood daughter of the Queen’s printer John Cawood, was five times Master of the Stationers’ Company and an Alderman of the City of London. John Norton dominated the trade and published the undated miniature Ortelius, c.1601. In 1604 he acquired a patent for ‘all charts and maps’. Provenance: ‘Bibliotec Ste. Nicolai de Arenij, et usum Placidi Scammacea à Catena’. Chubb 18; Shirley BL T.Camd 1a; Skelton 5; STC 4508; Taylor ‘Late Tudor and Early Stuart Geography’ pp. 9- 13.
CAMDEN, William
Britannia, sive florentissimorum regnorum angliae, scotiae, hiberniae, et insularum adiacentium ex intima antiquitate chorographica descriptio ...
George Bishop and John Norton, London, 1607
FIRST EDITION. Folio (315 x 220 mm.), eighteenth century marbled calf, gilt ruled, with ornate central design to both boards. Rebacked with ribbed spine, gilt ruled and ornately decorated compartments and red calf title label. Engraved title page by William Hole with central map of the British Isles copied from that in the 1600 edition, flanked by figures of Neptune and Ceres, verso blank, dedication to King James, verso blank, typographic title page, verso blank, Lectori pp. 4, Latin verses pp. 4, Alphabetum verso blank, text paginated 1-860 with 57 engraved maps and 8 plates of coins (5 being modified from the edition of 1600), illustrations and initials in the text, mostly woodcut, one or two engraved including one of Stonehenge, Corrigenda and indexes pp. 24. Complete in pp. (16), 860, (24) with two blank leaves. With 58 engraved maps in total by William Kip and William Hole after John Norden and Christopher Saxton, three of which are single page including the title. Four shaved to one margin, Ireland with short tear repaired at centre, ink annotations to some margins, ink spots to 2 leaves.
Stock number: 5015
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