The Jansson series of copper plates first published in 1646-47, were sold by his heirs to Janssonius van Waesberghe in 1676. The plates were utilised for an abortive series by Moses Pitt from 1680. Van Waesberghe died in 1681 and on 9 June 1694 the stock was auctioned by his two sons. The plates were acquired by Pieter Schenk (1660-1718/19) and Gerard Valk (1652-1726). Hodson states that they never published the maps as an atlas. This bears no title and in manuscript on the upper board ‘Tomus III’, forming most likely part of an atlas factice.

As was common practice in Holland at the time, many atlases were sold which were composite in nature. Contents varied to order and maps were often bought in from other suppliers. The general maps consist of the British Isles by Schenk, four of Scotland by Schenk, Visscher, Allard and Homann; Ireland by Schenk and two of England and Wales by Schenk and Visscher. Along with the presence of the entire suite of British Isles County maps with Schenk and Valk imprints lead us to conclude the likelihood this volume was put together by Schenck and Valk.

Shortly after acquiring them their imprints were added to the plates. On some a graticule was also added along with small plans for the major towns. Fifteen of the English counties lack a graticule. Plate numbers were added in the lower corners of some, cartobibliographers vary in their priority. In this atlas there is no sign of plate numbers having been erased. We possess another composite atlas dated to c.1761 in which the plate numbers are present. It is my belief that these were added later. Hodson records their presence in the 1714 edition of the ‘Atlas Anglois’. A similar composition of maps was included in the Schenck and Valk atlas in the Lord Wardington sale (Sotheby’s 10.10.2006 lot 517. With an addition 5 world maps and a handful of others, that very finely coloured example sold for $105,600! Provenance: Fürstensteiner Bibliothek stamp to verso of first map; private foreign collection. Hodson (1984) I pp. 31-8; Koeman (1967-70) iii pp. 107-10 & 136; Krogt (1997-2010) I pp. 37-8; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004); Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).