Saxton's map of South East England

SAXTON, Christopher.

Sussex, Surry and Kent, by C.S. Corrected and Amended with many Additions by Phil Lea. Cantii, Southsexiæ, Surriæ et Middelsexiæ comitat. Una cum suis Undique confinibus, Oppidis, pagis, Villis, et Fluminibus, in eisdem vera descriptio.
London: George Willdey, c.1715. Original outline colour. 410 x 540mm.

A scarce map of South East England, depicting Surrey, Sussex, Kent and, despite not being listed in the English title, Middlesex. The map first appeared in Saxton's atlas of England and Wales published 1579, the first county atlas.
The plate has a long and interesting history. It was engraved by Remigius Hogenberg (c.1536-c.1588), older brother of Frans (engraver of the Ortelius atlas and the Braun & Hogenberg town plans), when the pair were taking refuge in England from the religious turmoil in the southern Netherlands. When John Speed copied most of Saxton's maps for his 'Theatre' atlas of 1611, he decided to use individual maps of these counties by John Norden instead. Superceded by Speed, Saxton's plates lay unused until 1645, when William Web published a new edition, with this map only updated with the arms of Charles I and the date 1642. After a 'ghost' edition of c.1665, the next edition was published by Philip Lea (c.1689), when the English title, the hundreds and symbols (crosses, crowns & mitres) were added. A second Lea edition (c.1693) saw the addition of Ogilby's roads, five armorials and Lea's address added under the original Latin title. Willdey was the next publisher, leaving Lea's details but adding his own along the bottom edge, as this example. A final edition of the atlas was published by Thomas Jefferys in 1749, 170 years after the first edition!


Stock ID : 18099