This is one of several road books of the period with complicated bibliographical histories which with contributions from various researchers, was finally understood during the 1980s and 1990s. It is now known that the first publication of this series of road strips was by Thomas Kitchin in 1771 and entitled Ogilby’s Survey Improved or Kitchin’s New and Instructive Travellers’ Companion. The plates are smaller than those in his re-issue of John Senex’s plates issued in 1767 as the Post-Chaise Companion. They are drawn on a smaller scale and lack compass points. Any titles and notes are placed top and bottom. The intention was to produce an even more comfortable pocket-sized work.

Kitchin effectively retired to St. Albans about 1777 and at some point this work was acquired by Carington Bowles. It would seem Bowles was keen to issue the work on acquisition as updates appeared quite rapidly. Two early versions are known, the initial format contained the original 95 plates but was re-titled Bowles’s Post Chaise Companion. Although undated on the title it is given a date of c.1781, only one example is recorded. A ‘Second edition’ was issued for which 2 extra plates were engraved and placed at the end of the second volume and numbered to 194. The last plate in each volume bears the date 4 June 1781. Another ‘Second Edition’ was issued dated 1782 and this offered here, is the most common of the editions with new plates taking the total to 100 which are numbered to 200. It was for sale most likely for several years. The text to this work features an ‘Index to the Roads from London and five pages of text entitled Circuits of the Judges in the first volume. The second ends with a large index to the ‘Fairs in England and Wales’. Provenance: private English collection. Bennett (1996) pp. 67 & 79-80.