Research Notes


Map Group JACOBSZ 1643
Jacobsz 1643
Jacobsz's Chart of the Sea Coasts of France and England, 1643:-
'Chart of Zee Custen van VRANCRYCK ... Als meede de Custen van ENGELANDT', by Anthonie or Theuis Jacobsz, 1643, scale about 7.5 nautical miles to 1 inch.
 
  
 The chart studied was on display at the Institute of Maritime and Heritage Studies, Portsmouth.
The map size is: wxh, sheet = 55x45cm wxh; map = 525x444mm
These notes are strongly biased towards a Hampshire interest.
MAP FEATURES
HAMPSHIRE PLACES
MAP FEATURES
title    
scroll cartouche    
Printed upper right in a scroll cartouche:-
De Zee Custen van VRANCRYCK tusschen Swartene, en C. de la Hague Als meede de Custen van ENGELANDT tusschen Doveren, en Poortlandt.
This is plate 37 from an atlas.

decoration    
ships    
There are two nice ships drawn for decoration in the sea; 3 masted, square rigged, with one row of gun ports.

orientation    
compass rose    
rhumb lines    
up is SE    
Printed in the centre is a compass rose; North marked by a fleur de lys; East by a circle and 3 circles. The chart is printed with SSE at the top.
Rhumb lines are drawn from the compass rose and from 16 other centres.

scale lines    
scale    
Printed lower left are three scale lines; dutch miles, spanish miles, and english and french miles. The english/french scale has:-
Engels. en Frans. mylen 20 in een Graadt
graduated in miles. This is a mistake; for miles read leagues. The 16 miles = 161.2 mm gives a scale 1 to 551817, assuming 'mile' to be a league of 3 nautical miles of 6080 feet. The chart scale is about:-
1 to 550000
2.5 leagues to 1 inch
9 statute miles to 1 inch

sea area    
sea plain    
depth soundings    
sandbanks    
anchorages    
The sea is plain, with depth soundings in fathoms and sandbanks dotted. Rocks are shown by crosses or little triangles, as at the Needles. The Shingles can be recognised. A row of posts, 'dolphins', are marked on a sandbank at Rye.
Anchorages are shown by an anchor symbol; and some leading lines are drawn.

coast line    
coast appearance    
leading lines    
It is possible to interpret the drawing of the coast between Portland to Peveral, as showing the coast appearance of low hills.
Windmills might be drawn as sea marks, eg East of Cuckmere. Some leading lines are drawn.

coastal defence    
castles    
The coastal defence of Hampshire is shown by:-
Hurst cast
[Calshot Castle drawn, but no label]
[Worth Castle drawn?]
[Southsea Castle is drawn]
[a ?castle on Hayling I, with leading line]
county    
Counties are not noticed.

settlements    
Settlements are marked and labelled along the coasts. The symbols for towns in England, at the bottom of the chart, are upside down, as if seen from the sea; their name labels are the right way up.

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HAMPSHIRE PLACES
The places noticed along the Hampshire coast are:-
[anchorage at Keyhaven]
Hurst cast [with a leading line to avoid Shingles]
[Calshot Castle drawn, but no label]
Hampton
[a row of trees along the river Meon?]
[Worth Castle drawn?]
[a leading line from Gilkicker]
[Portsmouth Harbour recognisable]
Porsmuyen [Portsmouth]
[Southsea Castle is drawn]
[a ?castle on Hayling I, with leading line]
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