Map Group SENEX 1757
Plain box, the sides curved to fit within the scrolls of the route maps. Note that only the first plate of a long road has a title cartouche giving the name of the road. The scrolls have decorative curls only at the bottom left and top right, and are otherwise plain, though gently curved. The title cartouche is curved to fit in between a pair of scrolls.
The title cartouche includes a shortlist of distances to prominent places, presumably from Cornhill, London. Eg, pl.52:-
The Road from LONDON to POOL in DORSET SHI. / Commencing at Alresford in ye Southampton Road Pl.54
Alresford .......... 60
WINCHESTER ......... 67
Rumsey ............. 78 3/4
Castle Malwood ..... 86 1/2
Ringwood ........... 96 1/2
Knaston ............ 104 1/4
Pool ............... 110 1/2
Direct horizontal distance 100 m.
With a branch from Pool to Lemington
Christ Church ...... 10 1/2
Lemington .......... 22
And also from Southampton to Winchester.Note that this gives Poole three distances from London:-
110 1/2 by road by this route.
86 computed as marked by it on pl.52.
100 direct horizontal distance.The computed distance is a customary distance whose method of reckoning is uncertain, and might be given in customary miles.
compass rose
up is destination
Plain cross, fleur de lys marks north, a cross marks east.
The orientation of the route maps is 'up is forward', usually 'out from London', as you journey from town you look up to what is before you.
While the general bearing of the route can be taken from the compass the actual direction of a stretch of road is not so certain. The wiggles in the road are probably 'compressed' sideways to fit within the scrolls.
Senex's explanation has:-
The Cross upon each Part of the Road shews the four Cardinal Points of the Compass, that part of it marked whith (sic) a Flower de Lis every where pointing to the North, by which means the bearing of the Road is known, and by consequence when the Sun appears, the Hour of the Day tolerably well guessed at.
1 to 140000
2 miles to 1 inch
The Sea
coast shaded
The coast line, where it appears, at Southampton for example, is emphasised by shading.
fortifications
ponds
bridges
Rivers are shown by a wiggly line, usually with the river name. There is usually no reliable indication of ford v. bridges
Senex's explanation:-
Brooks, Rivers, Hills and Woods, are described by the common Characters used for them in Maps.A bridge is shown by the river interrupting the road at pl.52 m.82:-
Oux bridge
over the River Blackwater 3 miles SW of Romsey.
A pond might be shown, with a shaded outline, eg pl.52 mile 77.
a Pond
hillocks
perhaps with hills beside as well, pl.25 mile 61;
or beside hills as pl.32 m.73;
or over a ridge as pl.89 mile 35.
forests
trees
Trees are drawn in groups to indicate woods or forests; they do not seem to have been used randomly as decoration. A wood or forest might be named.
A lone tree might be drawn and named, eg:-
Halfway Oak
on pl.54 m.4 on the road from Southampton to Romsey.
shown by a ring of fence, eg pl.25 mile 60-61 outside Whitchurch, Hampshire.
enter Hamp Sh.
The county name is printed along the side of each scroll Senex says:-
The Name of the Countrey you travel in is every where engraved along the Side of the Scrole.
streets
Areas of building; labelled in italic block caps; eg:-
WINCHESTER(pl.52 mile 12)
Blocks along the road, plus a church; labelled in upright lowercase; eg:-
Alton(pl.89 mile 53)
Blocks along the road, plus church; labelled in italic lowercase; eg:-
Milton(pl.52 mile 15)
Off the road there is just a church; labelled in italic lowercase; eg:-
Charlton
(pl.30 mile 60)
Single blocks beside the road; labelled in italic lowercase; eg:-
Borstwood(pl.54 mile 76)
building; labelled, eg:-
Hursley lodge(pl.52 m.74)
The road is the dominant feature of the route maps, up the middle of each scroll.
Senex's explanation:-
Each Road is supposed to be drawn on a long Role, Fillet, or Scrole, making several bendings backwards and forwards, on the forward returns of which the Road to be described is drawn.
Roads are drawn with two solid lines, one solid one dotted, or with two dotted lines, perhaps indicating fenced and unfenced roads.
Senex's explanation:-
The beginning of each Road or Plate is at the bottom on the Left Hand, from thence you proceed upwards, the Road being bounded either by two Parallel black Lines, which shews the Road there is to be enclosed or hedged in on each Side; or else by two Parallel pricked or dotted Lines, which denotes the Road there to be over an open Common: Or lastly by a pricked Line on one Side, and a black Line on the other, which intimates the Road there to be open on the pricked Line side, and hedged or bounded on the black Line side.
When you are come to the Top of the first Bend of the Scrole, you are then to begin again at the Bottom of the next return of it, and so go upwards as before; and the like of all the rest.
If the Road does not terminate in the first Map, it is continued through the second, third, &c. as the Figures denote in the Miles will easily direct.
...
The little openings on either hand the Road shew the going out of other Roads, from the Road there described, the Name against it telling you to what Place it goes.Routes are linked from sheet to sheet. For example, pl.57 mile 48 a turning labelled:-
to Andover & the Lands end Pl.25.
or at the foot of a page, pl.52:-
From Romsey to Salisbury Pl.54.
distances from
London
Also notice other distance notes, for example, at Southampton in pl.54 is printed 'Horizontal distance 71m'; the road distance is 78.
Senex's explanation:-
The black Dotts or Points placed in the Road, terminate the measured Miles, the Figures adjoined signify the Number from that Place, whence the Mensuration began.Different distances from London, Senex:-
Beside the Numbers of measured Miles, you have at every noted City or Town the Number of computed Miles inserted near it; as from London to Oxford measures 55 Miles, when its computed Distance is but 47 com. (com. every where standing for computed.)
tumuli
Silbury hillbeside the road from London to Bath.
In Hampshire there are tumuli at Popham Beacons, pl.57 mile 56.
windmills
paper mills
pl.52 mile 44 on the Wey just over the border from Farnham, Surrey.
Paper mill
Free School
This is Eggar's School.
a post
a Coalpittpl.35 118 near Faringdon, Somerset
a Millpl.35 98.5 at Troubridg, Wiltshire
Lead mines
Pl.52 52'2 at a junction, signs:-
to Skippords Inn
a Smith shopcarefully indicated in several places. This is on pl.35 in Somerset on the road from London to Bath and Wells, a smithy at Dunderton 113, Faringdon 118+, and Chewton Mendip 122; perhaps smithies were so rare hereabouts that Senex thought they had to be indicated, though the provision of a farrier is taken for granted elsewhere.
On pl.35 the towns are located by the road distance numbers, and also have another number by them with the word 'com.'. Senex refers to it elsewhere as short for "computed" miles. Ogilby used the term "Vulgar Computed Miles" to refer to the common or Old English mile. The ratio of Senex's two figures ranges between 1:1.20 and 1:1.24 so he too would appear to be using the term "computed" for the longer common miles, alongside the statute miles.
| com. | distance | ||
| Chippenham | 77 | 94+ | |
| Bath | 87 | 108 | |
| Paulton | 94 | 117 | |
| Wells | 102 | 127+ | |
| Marlborough | 62 | 75+ | |
| Devizes | 72 | 89 | |
| Trowbridge | 80 | 98 | |
| Chilcompton | 91 | 112 | |
| Wells | 96 | 120 |
Published in 'An Actual SURVEY of all the PRINCIPAL ROADS of ENGLAND and WALES; Described by One Hundred MAPS from Copper Plates. On which are delineated All the CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, HOUSES, and Places of Note throughout each Road. As ALSO Directions to the Curious Traveller what is worth observing throughout his Journey: The whole described in the most easy and intelligible Manner. First perform'd and publish'd by JOHN OGILBY, Esq; And now improved, very much corrected, and made portable by JOHN SENEX. VOL. I. Containing all the Direct Roads from LONDON through ENGLAND and WALES. in 54 PLATES. LONDON: Printed for and sold by J. SENEX at the Globe in Salisbury-Court, Fleetstreet, 1719.'
Published in a third edition '... London: Printed for & sold by M. Senex, at the Globe agst St. Dunstans Church Fleetstreet.' an advertisement within includes '... by the late John Senex & continued to be sold by His Widow M. Senex, ...' 1742.
Published in 'The Roads through England delineated or, Ogilby's-Survey, Revised, Improved, and Reduced to a Size portable for the Pocket. By John Senex F.R.S. Being an Actual Survey of all the Principal Roads of England and Wales, Distinctly laid down on one hundred & one Copper Plates ... Printed for John Bowles and Son at the Black Horse in Cornhill London. 1757.'
| 1757 | 1719 |
| plate.25 | plate.25 |
| plate.26 | plate.26 |
| plate.30 | plate.30 |
| plate.32 | plate.32 |
| plate.40 | plate.39 |
| plate.52 | plate.97 |
| plate.54 | plate.51 |
| plate.57 | plate.53 |
| plate.89 | plate.81 |
| plate.91 | plate.83 |
plain on reverse, ie single sided
paginated similarly to Ogilby
plate numbers bottom right
double sided, printed obv and rev
paginated similarly to Ogilby; but pl.42 is new
plate numbers top left and top right
references to connecting plates at foot of page
roads on scrolls, even less ornate
different pagination
imprint Sayer and Bennett 1775
A / General View of / Ogilby's / Direct and principal Cross / Roads
1 to 3200000
50 miles to 1 inch
coast shaded
The Direct Roads are described by a Double Line [image] the cross Roads by a Single Line [image] The figures on these Roads refer to the Pages where they are shown.
