This is one of the earliest printed maps of the county of Pembrokeshire. It was first published in the sixth edition of William Camden’s ‘Britannia’ by George Bishop (fl.1562-1611) and John Norton (fl.1587-1612) in 1607. It was the first to be illustrated with county maps although this had been contemplated since at least 1589. Camden (1551-1623) was an antiquary and historian. An academic by profession he would become the headmaster of Westminster School in 1593. He spent much of his time travelling and collecting material for his highly respected ‘Britannia’.

Here the engraver William Kip (fl.1598-1618) has drawn on the manuscript map of George Owen (1552-1613) from 1602 which survives in the National Library of Wales today. It is the only Welsh map to draw on other sources than the usual. Owen was the High sherif of the county and a historian. He was also Deputy Vice-Admiral during the Spanish Armada and was responsible for the major ports and harbours in the county. He was also one of the first geologist’s having noted the strata of coal and limestone in the county and linked them to others in England. This map appears in only the one state and is here from the preferred second edition of 1610 in which there is no text to the verso of the maps. Chubb (1927) 19; Evans (1964) MCC no. 13 p. 6; Shirley (2004) T.Camd 1c; Skelton (1970) 6; Smith (2004) pp. 66-7; Taylor (1968) pp. 9-13.