Research Notes


Map Group SIMMONS 1635
Simmons 1635
Table of distances and map of Hampshire, scale about 25 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Jacob van Langeren, published by Mathew Simmons, London, 1635-36.
Mathew Simmons was a bookseller and printer, London; at the Golden Lion, Duke Lane, then Goldsmith's Alley, later next the Golden Lion, Aldersgate Street. He died 19 May 1654.
Simmons uses the same places as found on John Norden's table of distances published in 1625, in the same order and with the same spelling. However some of the distances are different:-
Norden 1625
Simmons' table of distances can be seen in the version published by Thomas Jenner in about 1643, in the Map Collection of Hampshire CC Museums Service, item HMCMS:FA1999.20. This item includes a thumbnail map (about 25 miles to 1 inch) by Jenner derived from Simmons:-
  Jenner 1643
map size; wxh, sheet = 12.5x13cm; wxh, plate = 105x105mm
TABLE OF DISTANCES
PLACENAMES in distance table and map
PUBLISHING HISTORY with INSTRUCTIONS
REFERENCES
ITEMS in the Collection
TABLE OF DISTANCES
title    
image snip from map
The title of the table of distances is printed in the upper left above and beside the place names:-
HAMSHIRE
table of distances    
The main business of the engraved sheet is a table of distances for places in Hampshire. This is, nowadays, a familiar tool for map and guide users, it was invented, so we are told, by John Norden only a few years earlier, about 1625.
The distance between two places is given in a triangle, just half the matrix. There is no reason to give distance B-A if distance A-B is already listed (this makes forgivable assumptions about the routes going and coming). Nor are distances from a place to itself required. Less than half the matrix need be filled in; the A-A diagonal values and the reverse distances left blank. Simmons arranges his places to use the top left part of the matrix. Note that Simmons's towns are not in alphabetical, or any other sensible order. Note that the first place does not need to appear in the column as well as the header row.

distances    
from London    
Simmons's table makes use of the diagonal positions, which should read 0, zero, the distance from a place to itself, for the distance of the place from London. Eg:-
... Stockbridge ...
...
Stockbridge 61
...
The relationship between distances from place to place and the distances from London are interesting. Some examples:-
Alton to Alresford = 8
Alton to London = 75
Alresford to London = 62
and:-
Andover to Whitchurch = 6
Andover to London = 60
Whitchurch to London = 60
and, slightly better:-
Petersfield to Portsmouth = 15
Petersfield to London = 48
Portsmouth to London = 66

map index    
Each town in the table of distances, left side column, is given a location, its cardinal or half cardinal sector on the map - once you've turned the map to read it. Eg:-
Odyam N.E.
As there is a mismatch of places in the table and places on Jenner's map this is not as helpful as it might have been.

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PLACENAMES in distance table and map
Place names are spelled differently in the map and in the column and row of the table of distances. Places in one are not always in the other. (Places outside Hampshire are not listed.)
       
map table location from London
Aulton Alton N.E. 75
Andever Andover N.W. 60
Basingstok Basingstoke N.E. 42
  Beaulieu S.W. 73
Bighton Waltham B. Waltham S.E. 57
  Bramshot N.E.  
Calshot cast      
Christchurch Christ-Church S.W. 86
Caston      
Farham Fareham S.E. 63
  Fording-Bridge S.W. 77
  Fording-bridge    
Froyle      
  Hertford bridge N.E. 33
Havant Havant S.E. 55
Heckfield      
Howgton      
Hurst ca      
Husborn      
Ibsley      
Kimpton      
Kingesclere Kingesclere N. 84
Linkford      
Lemington Lymington S.W. 74
  Micheldover N. 56
Netley      
Alresford Alresforde N.E. 62
Odiam Odyam N.E. 39
  Odiam    
Overton Overton N. 55
Peterfeld Petersfeild E. 48
Porchester      
Portesmouth Portesmouth S.E. 66
Ringwood Ryngwood S.W. 86
  Ringwood    
Rumsey Rumsey S.W. 65
S. Hampton S. Hampton S. 65
Suthwick      
Steep      
Stockebridge Stokebridge N.W. 61
Sutton      
  Titchfeild S.E. 58
Tuston      
The Vine      
Wade      
  Whit-church N. 60
  Wickham S.E. 5[8]
Winchester Winchester    
Wingfeld      

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PUBLISHING HISTORY with INSTRUCTIONS
Published in 'A DIRECTION FOR the English TRAVILLER. By which he Shal be inabled to Coast about all England and Wales. And also to know how farre any Market or noteable Towne in any Shire lyeth one from an other, and Whether the same be East, West, North, or South from ye Shire Towne As also the distance betweene London and any other Shire or great towne: with the scituation thereof East, West, North, or South from London. By the help also of this worke one may know (in What Parish, Village, or Mansion house soeuer he be in) What Shires, he is to passe thorough & which way he is to trauell, till he come to his Journies End. Infelix cuius nullis Sapientia prodest. Are to be Sold by Mathew Sim~ons at the Golden Lion in Ducke laine, Ao 1635. Jacob van Langeren sculp.' 1635.
There is a frontispiece which includes a circular map of England and Wales engraved by Kip, preface 'To the gentle Reader', a note on 'The use of all the insueing Tables', plates which have a triangular table of distances, copied from Norden's of 1625, and a thumbnail map about 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 ins, plain reverse, Hampshire is plate 18; the map derives from the playing card maps of 1590; book size is 4 1/4 x 4 3/8 ins.
Published in DIRECTION FOR THE ENGLISH TRAVILLER (Simmons 1635?) by John Garrett (London)
The copy studied is in the Box Collection at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire, seen by kind permission of the Fellows Librarian.
The book is leather bound, wxh=7.5x13cm; the spine reads:-
DIRECTION / FOR THE / ENGLISH / TRAVILLER
Title page:-
A DIRECTION FOR / The English / TRAVILLER / By which he shall be inabled to Coast / about all England and Wales / And also to know how farre any market or Noteable Towne in any Shire lyeth one from an other, and whether / the same be East, West, North or South from ye Shire Towne / As also the distance betweene London and any other Shire or / great Towne: with the scituation whereof East, West, North or South / from London. / By the help also of this worke one may know (in what Parish, Village, or Mansion house soever he be in) / what Shires, he is to passe through & / which way he is to travell, / till he comes to his / Journies / End. / Printed and are to be solde by John Garrett, at the South / Entrance of ye Royal Exchange in Corn-hill, where you / may have a most exact Mapp of England with the small / Townes described in six large Sheets also all [other ]
Instructions on using the tables are given; remember that the idea of the triangular table of distances is still fairly new, not a thing to be taken for granted as we do today.
The use of all the insueing Tables
To know the distance betweene any two Cities or Townes in any of theis Tables, seeke the places desired in the upper and side catalogues of Townes, and direct yoe. eye from either place betweene the lines both from above and from the side, and where the lines meete in square you shall find the number of miles. Ffor Example, if you would know how farre Lincolne is from Exeter, looke in the carde of Shire Townes and find Lincolne in the side and carrie yoe. eye directly from thence betweene the line untill it come under Exiter and where they make a square you shall find 178, wch is the distance of miles. If you finde any towne in the side which will not extend to make a square with the desired towne above, then looke for the Towne wch you finde in the side, in the upper pt. & the upp. part in the side: For Example if you desyre to know the distance betweene Gloucester and Oxford, if you looke Gloucester in the side, you cannot bringe Oxford in a square with Gloucester but if you looke Gloucester above and Oxford in the side you shall finde the square and the distance 35 miles and soe of the other ensueing Tables
To know whether you are to travell East, West, North or South, from the place where you are to the place whither you intend to goe, & through what Shires you must passe Looke in the small mapp of England placed before the great table of all Shire townes and draw a streight line from the next [ ]
the following page is missing.

Published in an edition 1636 (is this the Garrett edition described above?).
In the 1636 edition the table has a line of figures added along the diagonal of the table; the distance of each town from London. There is an introductory table of stages of the principal main roads in England and Wales whose stages match those in 16th century tables, eg the Chronicle of Yeres, 1541.

Published in an altered edition, by Thomas Jenner, 1643. This is the version studied from the HCCMS Map Collection.
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REFERENCES
Simmons, Mathew: 1635: Direction for the English Traviller: (London)
Fordham, H G, Sir: 1924: Roadbooks and Itineraries of Great Britain, 1570-1850: (Cambridge)
Box, E G: 1931: Hampshire in Early Maps and Road Books; ProcHFC: 12: pp.221-35
Keuning, J: 1956: Van Langeren Family, The: Imago Mundi: 13: pp.101-09
also see:- 
  related map group -- Norden 1625
  related map group -- Jenner 1643
ITEMS  in HMCMS Map Collection   (scanned item in bold)
  HMCMS:FA1999.20 -- table of distances (and map)
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   All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources