Clive A. Burden LTD. Rare Maps, Antique Atlases, Books and Decorative Prints

The Mapping of North America

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The FIRST EDITION of John Harrison’s ‘Maps of the English Counties’, this example is side bound. For many years, this series of English County maps was first thought to have been published in the ‘Maps of the English Counties’ in 1791. Then in 1974 Hodson identified an advertisement in ‘The Morning Herald’ for 2 May 1787 which stated ‘This day are published, by J. Harrison … Specimens of Maps of the Counties of England and Wales’. Hodson believed that they may have been published in Harrison’s edition of ‘The History of England’ by Paul Rapin de Thoyras although he was unable to locate an example. Three examples have since been identified but all are without the full compliment of maps, none are dated beyond July 1790. The last few maps were issued after the event, those of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire were dated 1 February 1791 and Sussex 1 March 1791. That of North and South Wales is dated 26 February 1791. This made up the full complement of 38 maps.

There were curiously no general maps of England and Wales, Scotland or Ireland despite all being in Harrison’s stock. Early copies note the price on the title pages as 3l. 9s. 6d. Clearly it struggled to sell, this example, that in the British Library and Cambridge University Library examples all have an altered price of 3l. 3s. The price came down further for the second edition the following year at 2l. 2s. Apart from the county descriptions there are eight folio pages of tables to be found at the beginning.

Noting the endpaper notations on brick and the inscription on the title, it is worth mentioning that an Edward Oakley (d. in or before 1765) was an architect and builder in London who wrote ‘Every Man a Compleat Builder’, first published in 1766. This might posssibly a descendant carrying on the same profession. Provenance: ‘P. Oakley London 1793’ inscribed on the title page; Clive A. Burden Ltd.; private collection. Chubb (1927) 291; Carroll (1996) 52, n. 5; ESTC N33259; Hodson (1974) no. 50; Shirley (2004) refer T.Harr 2a; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).
HARRISON, John

Maps of the English Counties, With the Subdivisions of Hundreds, Wapontakes, Lathes, Wards, Divisions & c. To Which are Added Two Folio Pages of Letter – Press, To Face Each Map

Printed by and for John Harrison No. 115, Newgate-Street, London, 1791
FIRST EDITION. Oblong folio (410 x 530 mm.), contemporary half calf, marbled paper boards, expertly rejointed preserving the original spine, with gilt title, later endpapers but preserving original front endpapers with extensive manuscript notations about bricks. With typographic title page upper and lower edges strengthened, pp. (2), viii, with 38 side bound engraved maps, each in early outline colour, facing each other in pairs with interleaved descriptive text facing each map, stained upper right corner on first few leaves, light paper wrinkles first and last leaves, otherwise in good condition.
Stock number: 10742
£ 1,500
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