Research Notes


Map Group POTTS 1809
Potts 1809
New Map of England and Wales, scale about 21 miles to 1 inch, AND a map of Canals and Navigable Rivers in England and Wales, by Potts? about 1809; published 1809-10.
 

 The two maps by Potts studied - his Map of England and Wales, 1809, and his Map of Canals, 1809 - are in the Map Collection, Hampshire CC Museums Service, items HMCMS:FA2001.186.1 and HMCMS:FA2001.186.2. They appear to be from the edition published by F C and J Rivington, London, 1810.
The map size is wxh, sheet = 45x57.5cm.

Remember that these notes are biased toward Hampshire interest.
MAP FEATURES - NEW MAP of ENGLAND AND WALES
HAMPSHIRE TOWNS - NEW MAP of ENGLAND AND WALES
MAP FEATURES - MAP of CANALS in ENGLAND AND WALES
PUBLISHING HISTORY
REFERENCES
ITEMS in the Collection
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MAP FEATURES - NEW MAP of ENGLAND AND WALES
title    
map maker    
publisher    
Printed upper right is:-
A NEW MAP of ENGLAND & WALES, Engraved for POTTS' NEW GAZETTEER.
Published Novr. 1st. 1809. for Scatcherd and Letterman Ave Maria Lane. and the other proprietors.
This is one of two maps in the gazetteer; the other map shows canals and navigable rivers.
table of symbols    
There is a minimal table of symbols printed below the title, upper right:-
EXPLANATION
Roads ... [double line]
Rivers ... [wiggly line]
Boundaries of Counties ... [dotted line]
scale    
scale line    
Printed lower right is a:-
Scale of Miles
The scale,line is chequered in miles labelled at 5 and 10, then chequered and labelled at 10 mile intervals. The 70 miles = 86.0 mm giving a scale 1 to 1309931. The map scale is about:-
1 to 1300000
21 miles to 1 inch

orientation    
up is N    
The map is printed with North at the top of the page. There is no compass rose or other indicator.

lat and long scales    
Printed in the map borders are scales of latitude and longitude; chequered at 10 minute intervals, labelled at degrees. Although the divisions looked slanted on top and bottom scales the projection seems to be rectangular. The map includes from 1d 40m E to 5d 40m W, from 45d 55m to 55d 55m N; England and Wales, an outline of Scotland up to Edinburgh, and the edges of Ireland and France.
The prime meridian is a little east of London, but perhaps no at Greenwich. The approximate:-
longitude, Winchester = 1d 12m W
which conforms to this estimate.

sea area    
sea plain    
The sea is plain; some sea areas are labelled, eg:-
ENGLISH CHANNEL
Southampton W.
Spithead
coast line    
coast shaded    
headlands    
The coast line is shaded for emphasis.
Along the coast headlands might be labelled. While Portsmouth Harbour can be recognised it and other harbours are not labelled.

rivers    
Rivers are drawn by wiggly lines tapering inland. The major river of Hampshire are mostly included with some tributaries. Looking closely they are not as accurate as they might be. For instance: the Test has the Wallop and Dever tributaries, and is shown coming down from the St Mary Bourne direction, ie what is now called the Bourne Rivulet; the Test through Whitchurch etc is missing. The Wallington River is missed. The Loddon system looks less 'complete' than it might be. The treatment of the Meon at its mouth has two sizeable estuaries side by side. Unusually, the Bourne that crosses the NW corner of the county is shown. Some rivers are labelled, for Hampshire:-
Stour R.
R. Avon
R. Bourne
Wey R.
relief    
No relief is shown.

county    
County boundaries are fine dotted lines. The county areas are labelled, often by an abbreviation, eg:-
HANTS
The detached part of Hampshire in Sussex is drawn, but wrongly. Part of its boundary is missed and it appears as an extension of Surrey. Another detached piece, on the north border of Hampshire, is labelled:-
P. of Wilts
settlements    
Settlements, cities and towns, are located by a circle or dot and double circle, differentiated by the mark and by style of lettering. Only larger places are shown.
city     bold dot and double circle; labelled in upright block caps, eg:_
WINCHESTER
town     circle; labelled in italic lowercase text, eg:-
Southampton
Alton
roads    
A network of roads is drawn by double lines. The network does not include all the older established routes, does include some of the newer roads, and has some unexpected gaps. Only a diagram can demonstrate this.
Route diagram:-

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HAMPSHIRE TOWNS - NEW MAP of ENGLAND AND WALES
In Hampshire the map shows the expected 21 places:-
Alton
Andover
Basingstoke
Bishops Waltham
Christ Church
Fareham
Fordingbridge
Gosport
Havant
Kingsclere
Lymington
New Alresford
Odiham
Petersfield
Portsmouth
Ringwood
Romsey
Southampton
Stockbridge
Whitchurch
WINCHESTER
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MAP FEATURES - MAP of CANALS in ENGLAND AND WALES

The basic features of the map are very like those of its companion map in the gazetteer, a New Map of England and Wales.
title    
map maker    
publisher    
Printed upper right is:-
CANALS and NAVIGABLE RIVERS in ENGLAND AND WALES, Engraved for POTTS' NEW GAZETTEER.
Published Novr. 1st. 1809. for Scatcherd and Letterman Ave Maria Lane. and the other proprietors.
table of symbols    
Printed below the title, upper right, is a table of symbols particular for this map:-
EXPLANATION
Canals ... [wiggly lin]
Rivers which are only described as far as they are navigable ... [double line]
rivers    
Rivers are shown by a double wiggly line if they are navigable. In practice the tapering line becomes a single line. Most are labelled, eg:-
Itching R.
canals     Canals are shown by a bold wiggly line, labelled, eg:-
Andover C.
HAMPSHIRE WATERWAYS
image snip from map

The navigable waterways shown in Hampshire are:-
Basingstoke Canal    
Basingstoke Can.
Drawn with its bendy contour route east from Basingstoke, passing near Odiham, looping to the north, ... joining the Wey just before it reaches the Thames, whence London.
The branch to Stratfield Turgis is shown; though it was never cut.

Andover Canal    
Andover C.
Drawn south from Andover, passing by Stockbridge, to Southampton Water at Redbridge.

Salisbury Canal    
Salisbury C.
Drawn due east from Salisbury to join the Andover Canal. This canal was never finished.

Itchen Navigation    
Itching R.
Shown as navigable from Southampton Water, by Southampton, to Winchester, with a couple of 'cuts'.

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PUBLISHING HISTORY
Published in Potts' New Gazetteer, by Scatcherd and Letterman, Ave Maria Lane, London, 1809.

Published in a ?second edition 'GAZETTEER OF ENGLAND AND WALES: CONTAINING THE STATISTICS, AGRICULTURE, AND MINERALOGY, OF THE COUNTIES; THE HISTORY, ANTIQUITIES, CURIOSITIES, MANUFACTURES, TRADE, COMMERCE, FAIRS, MARKETS, CHARITABLE AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, POPULATION, AND ELECTIVE FRANCHISES, OF THE CITIES, TOWNS, AND BOROUGHS; INCLUDING A COMPLETE INDEX VILLARIS, WITH THE BEARINGS AND DISTANCE OF EACH VILLAGE AND MANSION FROM THE NEAREST MARKET TOWN. ILLUSTRATED BY TWO LARGE MAPS, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ROADS, AND INLAND NAVIGATION. BY THOMAS POTTS. / London: PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; ... 1810.'
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REFERENCES
: 1809: Potts' New Gazetteer: Scatcherd and Letterman (London)
: 1810 (2nd edn): Potts' New Gazetteer: Rivington, F C and J (London)
ITEMS  in HMCMS Map Collection   (scanned item in bold)
  HMCMS:FA2001.186 -- book
  HMCMS:FA2001.186.1 -- map
  HMCMS:FA2001.186.2 -- map
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   All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources