A VERY RARE MAP by Robert Walton (1618-88) who was one of the more active London dealers in maps and prints although he is more known for the latter. His career began following the English Civil War. His maps are rarely issued in any formal book, where they might be preserved and therefore are very rare and desirable. This is the second of three maps by Robert Walton on England. The first map from 1654 was included in Thomas Porter’s ‘A New Booke of Mapps’ in 1655. That map was issued following the end of the English Civil War in 1651 to meet the increasing demand of travellers. The first issue of this map is dated 1668 and states that the ‘Roads or highways are plainly layd forth … by T P’ in the title. These represent the same Thomas Porter about whom little is known. An apprentice in the Stationer’s Company in 1630 he is described as a scrivener in Holborn in 1650.

This second map was first issued in 1668 and it is one of the very first maps of England to show roads. There are only three known examples of the first state surviving; the British Library, Sutherland Collection at the Bodleian Library, Oxford and a third at an unidentified location. Of this second state, only two examples are known. The first was advertised for sale in ‘The Map Collector’ by the Regent Gallery in March 1980 (ill. p.37), this is the only other known example. A third state has been identified with the much later imprint of John Bowles & Son, issued c.1753 it exists in just the one known example in a private collection.

The map is modelled on one by Peter Stent first issued in 1662, likewise extremely rare. Its cartography is modelled on that of John Speed’s map of England and Wales. The Stent’s third state issued in 1665, just prior to the great Fire of London, introduced roads to the map. To replace Speed’s costumed figures and to reflect the travel element of the map, both Stent and Walton are notable for their inclusion of numerous town views. The Stent contains 29, the Walton one notable extra displaying ‘London on Fire Sepbr: II 1666’. The order of the towns is altered. The layout on the Stent appeared to favour as system where those in the west of the country are displayed on the left side, those in the east on the right side with the notable exception of those top right including Carlisle, Chester and Lichfield. In this Walton they are in no apparent order.

A similarly decorated scale appears to the left and tables to the right. One details the Kings of England with details of their reign, the other a list of the 52 Shires of England and Wales. For each it lists the quantities of Cities, Bishoprickes, Market towns, Castles, Parish Churches, Rivers, Bridges, Chases, Forests and Parks. Interestingly it counts 25 cities, 642 market towns, 186 castles, 9,725 parish churches and 956 bridges. A further reference to the left of the Royal Arms advertises ‘Theare is a map of greate Brittaine that hath as may towns in it as those formerly dun though twice as large sould at the same place as this is And also the best mapps of the World either With or Withot it discription’. This most likely refers to Walton’s first map of 1654. An exceedingly rare item. Provenance: private English collection. Shirley (1988) Walton 2 state 2; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).