This is the second edition of a work first published by Richard Phillips (1767-1840) under the same title in 1808. Born in London to a Leicestershire family he founded the Leicester Herald in 1792. He was sentenced to 18 months in gaol for selling Thomas Paine’s ‘Rights of Man’ the following year. In 1795, his premised burnt to the ground and with the insurance money he returned to London where he founded ‘The Antiquarians’ Magazine and Monthly Magazine’. He became Sheriff of London and Middlesex in 1807 and was knighted in 1808. In the same year, he published the ‘Topographical Dictionary’ and to accompany this he employed Henry Cooper (fl.1804-19) to engrave a series of plates. They are loosely drawn on those of Cary. Wales is described in the list of maps as consisting of two plates when in fact it is just one. Phillips was bankrupted in 1811 and clearly sold the rights in the book to the new publishers Longman, Hurst, Rees and Co. Ownership would change hands again to George Whittaker for later editions. Carroll (1996) no. 64; Chubb (1927) 328; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).