A later issue WITH THE LORD’S PROPRIETORS MAP. “John Ogilby was a man who had held many varied professions in his life. He was born 17 November 1600 in Kellemeune, about ten miles north of Dundee, Scotland. His father moved the family to London following the succession of James VI to the English throne as James I … John advanced initially through the world of dance, having his own school in the 1620s and 1630s. So accomplished was he that he even performed before the King, making valuable contacts. An accident whilst dancing left him lame, and he pursued a career as a dancing master, composer of interludes and choreographer. Eventually he became founder, manager and director of the first theatre in Dublin. The coming Civil Wars signalled worse times ahead, the world of frivolous activities was frowned upon under Oliver Cromwell.

“He turned remarkably successfully to a career translating the classics, Virgil, Homer and Aesop being some of them. He took care in the work, translating them accurately, and liberally using marginalia to enhance their respectability. He began utilising patronage and lotteries to advance his career with some success. But his initial love of the ‘stage’, the visual image, still manifested itself. All but the first of his works were illustrated with numerous engravings. He used the finest of papers, utilised wide margins, and employed clear typefaces. Ogilby contributed in a major way to the emerging art of book-making in England, which at the time lagged considerably behind the continent. The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 encouraged him to show loyalties, which were well rewarded. It began an age of science and exploration which inspired Ogilby to write travel books. These enabled him to regale fabulous tales of far-flung places to the people of England. A setback for him was the Great Fire of London, which left him with a capital of just £5. He recovered again to write major volumes of Africa, America, Asia, China and Japan. He finished his full life with the magnificent Britannia in 1675, just a year before his death on 4 September 1676.

“The America was intended to be largely a translation of Montanus’ De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld. Ogilby first advertised the work as early as November 1670 as now in good forwardness. But the Montanus was not published until sometime in 1671. Ogilby must have acquired an example quickly as he was able to advertise in November 1671 that it was available ‘after much cost and pains’. It was Ogilby’s finest foreign work; over 150 authors are credited although it is notable that Montanus is lacking. When it came to North America, particularly, he abandoned Montanus entirely for his own closer sources. His work used superior type and larger and finer paper than Montanus. It improved on the Dutch issue by adding a Table of Contents. In comparison to his Asia and Africa, the America was written with a freshness and realism that the others could not elicit. For example, his descriptions of the fascinating new creatures: ‘A deep Furr’d beast, not much unlike a badger, having a Tail like a Fox, as good a Meat as a Lamb … In a Moon-shine they go to feed on Clams at a low Tide, by the Sea side, where the English hunt them with their Dogs’ (Raccoon). ‘One of the wonders of the Countrey, being no bigger than a Hornet, yet hath all the Dimensions of a Bird … For Colour, she is as glorious as the Rain-bow’ (‘Humbird’). ‘Many that are bitten will fall scratching, whereupon their Faces and Hands swell’ (The ‘Musketor’).

“Clearly some form of at least tacit agreement existed between Montanus and Ogilby as he acquired the same plates to illustrate his work. This is itself unusual as Ogilby was renowned for providing his own ‘sculptures’. The reasons may lie in the fact that the project clearly was already an expensive one, and that the work had been promised for some time and further delay was undesirable. The first map in the book, of the whole of America, was one of five plates provided by Ogilby himself. We may speculate that this was because Montanus did not actually own the Schagen plate, or that Ogilby wished to insert more English nomenclature” (Burden). The cartouche upper left bears a dedication to Anthony Ashley, Baron of Wimburne, a Proprietor of Carolina and a tireless promoter.

Further new maps include that of Maryland. “For this section of his book Ogilby clearly worked closely with Cecil Calvert, the Lord Baltimore, the proprietor of the Maryland colony. It was the first extensive account of Maryland, with some nine pages of text devoted to the area. This was material that did not appear in either the Dutch or German editions of the book … At first glance this map appears to be a direct copy of the Lord Baltimore’s map of 1635. Its engraver is unknown. Close examination reveals advances in cartography, and a unique depiction of the peninsula not found anywhere else in print. The settlements of Harvington, Calverton and Herrington are inserted. The definition of the islands in Chesapeake Bay is improved. The 40th parallel, the source of so much dispute in the future, is placed further north. Indeed, this parallel would have taken in the future site of Philadelphia. The Susquehanna River is named, as is the recent colony of New Jersey. Ten Counties are named in the colony. Indeed the map is so advanced that even Cecil County is identified, some three years before its creation! An indication that the Lord Baltimore most probably provided the map. His coat of arms is given prominence top right, the Royal Arms are removed” (Burden).

The most significant map in the book is the very rare Carolina entitled ‘A New Discription of Carolina’ c.1673. “John Ogilby’s America was used as a promotional tool for two colonies in North America. For each of these he was provided with material that enabled him to include a new map. The one of Maryland described earlier was available from the outset. That of Carolina, however, was not ready. The architects behind its inclusion were the Lords Proprietors. The region of Carolina was granted to them by King Charles II, following his restoration to the throne in 1660, in settlement of political debts.

“In 1670 Ogilby began working on his America and approached Peter Colleton, one of the Lords Proprietors, who wrote the following to Locke. ‘Mr. Ogilby who is printing a relation of the West Indies hath been often with mee to gett a map of Carolina wherefore I humbly desire you to gett of my lord [Ashley] those mapps of Cape feare & Albemarle that he hath & I will draw them into one w[i]th that of port Royall & waite upon my lord for the nominations of the rivers, & c. & if you would do us the favour to draw a discourse to be added to this map in ye nature of a description such as might invite people w[i]th out seeming to come from us it would very much conduce to the speed of settlemt’. It was an opportunity to promote the fledgling colony that was not missed by Lord Ashley and John Locke. Until this map was available to Ogilby he used the Montanus map of the region to illustrate his book” (Burden). New maps of Jamaica and Barbados are also added, the latter is not found listed in the index at the back as expected but is pencilled in.

The Ogilby-Moxon map of Carolina as it is known is only found in a very few examples of the book. Indeed the last recorded example was offered at auction at Sotheby’s London in 2006 where it sold for £40,800 ($75,900). Prior to that Christies New York in 1997. Provenance: Zisska & Kissner 22.4.93 lot 3569. Borba de Moraes [1983], p. 626; Burden 416, 417 & 435; Eerde (1976); ESTC R16958; Hyde (1980); Papenfuse and Coale, “Atlas of Historical Maps of Maryland”, 1608-1908, p. 11; Sabin 50089; Shirley (2004) T.Ogil-2a; Sotheby’s London 9 May 2006 lot 65; Tyacke (1978) no. 10.