FIRST EDITION. This is a reduction of John Evans’ wall map on 9 sheets published in 1795, here engraved by Robert Baugh (1750-1832). About Evans there was always some confusion. There are according to Iolo and Menai Roberts a total of six John Evan’s involved in cartography, five of them are Welsh! His article helped significantly to separate their respective works. A John Evans (1723-95) is from Llwynygroes, an estate near the village of Llanymynech near the Montgomery-Shropshire border. His nine sheet map of North Wales was published in June 1795 and was also engraved by Robert Baugh. It is the largest map to be published of North Wales prior to the Ordnance Survey. Evans also produced a manuscript of a reduced version but he died before it was published. This was achieved at the hands of his son, also John Evans (1756-1846). This John Evans was a doctor in Shrewsbury and after inheriting the estate moved there to live. In this reduction the view of Vale Crucis Abbey found on the original is changed to one of Conway Castle. Dr. Evans submitted both maps to the Royal Society of Arts for an award and in 1802 received the sum of 45 guineas.

A second edition of the reduction was published in August 1802 which included the addition below the scale of miles of an explanation of turnpike roads, crossroads, and intended roads. Some of these were new additions to the map itself. This is an example of the first edition. Provenance: manuscript ownership inscription to one of the labels of Mrs Dawson; public auction. Roberts (1994) ‘Which John Evans’, in ‘The Map Collector’ no. 46, pp. 18-23; Rodger (1972) 584; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2012).