Research Notes


Map Group UNKNOWN 1772
Unknown 1772
Accurate Map of Great Britain, scale about 40 miles to 1 inch, for the Complete English Traveller & New Survey and Description of England and Wales, by Nathaniel Spencer, published by John Cooke, London, 1772.

The mapmaker is unknown. John Cooke was suspected of inventing authors to cover the work of hack writers, so do not assume that 'Nathaniel Spencer' is real. The map studied is in the Library Collection, Hampshire CC Museums Service, item HMCMS:B2002.84.1.
The map size is: wxh, sheet = 36.5X45cm; wxh, plate = 311x413mm; wxh, map= 294x397mm. NB remember that these notes are made for Hampshire interest.
MAP FEATURES
HAMPSHIRE TOWNS
THE COMPLETE ENGLISH TRAVELLER
ITEMS in the Collection
MAP FEATURES
monumental -    
cartouche    
title    
Printed upper right is a monumental cartouche with the title:-
An Accurate MAP of GREAT BRITAIN from the latest & best OBSERVATIONS.
On top of the slab are seaweeds? and below is Neptune with his trident; and on the right are ships; to the left is a gentleman on horseback, and a milestone:-
III Miles
orientation    
compass rose    
up is N    
Printed upper left is a compass rose; circle, lines for cardinal directions, North marked by a fleur de lys, East by a cross.

scale lines    
scale    
Printed lower left are two scale lines:-
English Miles 60 to a Degree
chequered and labelled at 20 mile intervals. The 60 miles = 38.2 mm gives a scale 1 to 2527765 assuming a statute mile. The map scale is about:-
1 to 2500000
40 miles to 1 inch
and:-
Scotch Miles 50 to a Degree
chequered and labelled at 10 mile intervals. The 50 scottish miles = 37.4 mm.

lat and long scales    
Printed in the map borders are scales of latitude and longitude for a trapezoid projection; chequered at 10 minute intervals, labelled at degrees. The prime meridian passes through London, a tiny bit west of centre. The:-
longitude, Winchester = 1d 22m
Notice that the longitude of Winchester is frequently not a good guide to the location of the prime meridian on maps of the whole country.

sea area    
sea plain    
The sea is plain, with some labelling, eg:-
ENGLISH CHANNEL
STR. OF DOVER
Race of Portland
coast line    
coast shaded    
headlands    
harbours    
The coast line is shaded for emphasis. Some headlands are noticed, eg:-
Beachy Hd.
St Catherines Pt
and a few harbours are labelled, eg:-
Falmouth H
But not Plymouth or Portsmouth harbours. The harbours of Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester are badly drawn. But Southampton Water can be recognised.

rivers    
Rivers are not shown except estuaries. The large estuaries might be labelled, eg:-
Thames R
county    
table of data    
County boundaries are dotted lines. The areas are labelled by numbers which key to a table printed on the left, below the title cartouche:-
References to the Counties of England
1 Northumberland
...
51 Hampshire
52 Sussex
This includes the welsh counties, but the scottish counties areas are labelled by name.

settlements    
Settlements are positioned by a circle, perhaps with a tower, differentiated by style of lettering. In Hampshire:-
city     circle, tower; labelled in upright lowercase text:-
Winchester
town     circle; labelled in italic lowercase text, eg:-
Kingsclere
Rumsey
roads    
road distances    
Roads are drawn by double or single line. The double appear to be direct roads, the single cross roads. Distances from place to place are given by the road.

The direct roads in Hampshire are:-
from London; through Firmley [sic], Surrey; 22 miles to Basingstoke, then Whitchurch, 6 to Andover, Hampshire; then to Salisbury, Wiltshire; and on to Lands End.
 
branch from Basingstoke, 17 miles to Stockbridge, Hampshire; then to Salisbury, Wiltshire; etc.
 
from Chichester, Sussex; to Petersfield, 16 miles to Winchester, Southampton, Rumsey, Ringwood, Christ Church, Hampshire; to Pool, Dorset.
 
branch from Christ Church to Limington, Hampshire.
And a cross road:-
probably the direct road from Oxford; then the cross road through Newbury, Berkshire; then Kingsclare, Basingstoke, [Alton], Petersfield, Hampshire; continued as a direct road to Chichester, Sussex.
 
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HAMPSHIRE TOWNS
Many of the 'usual' 21 Hampshire towns are marked:-
[Alton is marked but not labelled]
Andover
Basingstoke
-
Christ Church
-
-
-
-
Kingsclare
Limingt[ ]
-
-
Petersfield
Portsmouth
Ringwood
Rumsey
Southampton
Stockbridge
Whitchurch
Winchester
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THE COMPLETE ENGLISH TRAVELLER
The map is one of two maps of the country included in:-
Spencer, Nathaniel: 1772: Complete English Traveller, The: Cooke, John (London)

The other map is a map of England by Thomas Bowen. The title page of the book reads:-
THE Complete English Traveller; OR, A NEW SURVEY and DESCRIPTION of ENGLAND AND WALES. CONTAINING A full ACCOUNT of whatever is CURIOUS and ENTERTAINING IN THE Several COUNTIES of ENGLAND and WALES, The ISLES of MAN, JERSEY, GUERNSEY, And other ISLANDS adjoining to, and dependent on the CROWN of GREAT BRITAIN; ... TO WHICH IS ADDED, A Concise and Accurate DESCRIPTION of that Part of GREAT BRITAIN called SCOTLAND. ITS ANCIENT and PRESENT STATE, ANTIQUITIES and NATURAL CURIOSITIES: TOGETHER WITH The MANNERS and CUSTOMS of the INHABITANTS, &C., BY NATHANIEL SPENCER, Esq; By the KING's Royal LICENCE and AUTHORITY. ...
LONDON: Printed for J. COOKE, at Shakespear's-Head, in Pater-Noster-Row. MDCCLXXII.
 
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ITEMS  in HMCMS Map Collection   (scanned item in bold)
  HMCMS:B2002.84.1 -- map
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   All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources