Following the success of the ‘Large English Atlas’ the publishers Robert Sayer and the Bowles family believed that there would be a market for a more manageable edition. The atlas was ‘Large’ and must have been cumbersome for many. The ‘Royal English Atlas’ would be printed on ‘Royal’ sized paper and although reduced, is still a good sized folio atlas. The cartography was already there, all that would be needed was a fresh set of plates reducing the maps of Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin. The atlas however proved to be a failure and only seven examples of the atlas survive today. There could be a number of reasons for this but price is quite probably one. Given the choice of the larger atlas at 3 guineas or this smaller version at 2 guineas most clients opted for the more opulent work. Interestingly at about the same time, 1765, the even smaller ‘New English Atlas’ by Joseph Ellis appeared on the market and was a runaway success. Hodson cites evidence that the work was thought about as early as 1761. Its exact publication date is not known; no advert having been discovered. We can however glean some idea from the imprints found on the maps and again Hodson goes into this in some detail. He concluded that the engraving began in 1762 and was completed in the middle of 1763. The atlas may have been ready by the end of the year but is given a date of c.1764. Catalogues of Sayer in 1766, John Bowles in 1768 and Sayer and Bennett in 1775 all list the atlas for sale.

This is a fine example of one of the great rarities in English county atlases. There is only one other known example in private hands. The six other recorded examples are: British Library; Bodleian Library; Cambridge University Library (x2); Whittaker Library; Private English collection. Provenance: private English collection. Chubb (1927) 218; Hodson (1984-97) 233; Shirley (2004) T.Bow 4a.