Research Notes


Map Group BRAY 1712
Bray 1712
These notes are taken from The Traveller's Guide or A Most Exact Description of the Roads of England, itineraries and general map, supporting John Ogilby's roads, published by William Bray, London, 2nd edn 1712. The title pages and map seen are in a private collection.
This map is a forerunner of that published by:-
  Millward and Dickinson 1737
MAP FEATURES
TRAVELLER'S GUIDE
MAP FEATURES
plain cartouche    
title cartouche    
Printed upper left is a plain title cartouche:-
A New Mapp of the Roads of ENGLAND
Showing the Reputed distances from one town to another
Note that the Market Towns are marked thus [cross]
orientation    
up is N    
The map is printed with North at the top.

scale    
The map is more of a diagram than a scale map. It is probably about 30-40 miles to 1 inch (a guess).

sea area    
sea plain    
The sea area is plain, with one area labelled:-
THE CHANNEL
coast line    
coast shaded    
The coast line is shaded for emphasis. The country's outline is not a meaningful coast line but just an enclosure for the lines of roads.

rivers    
Rivers are not shown, except by a hint of an estuary at the coast. The great river estuaries are labelled, eg:-
Thames R.
Severn R.
Southampton Water, the Test Estuary, is recognisable.

relief    
No relief is indicated.

county    
County boundaries are dotted lines, and are unexpected shapes. These are not boundary lines but lines enclosing places and bits of road that belong in a county. The county 'areas' are labelled, eg:-
HAMP S.
settlements    
Settlements are only noticed along the roads. Position only by a label. All places are labelled in italic lowercase text; London's label is a little larger and has a picture of a city. Market towns have a cross symbol.

roads    
road distances    
Roads are drawn by double lines in crude sweeps across the country outline. A few routes are labelled, eg:-
From London to Plymouth
Settlements are labelled alongside the roads; road distances, declared to be reputed distances from place to place (not the advertised measured distances) are give by figures within the double line. You need to have a reasonable idea of what the distances should be in order to read them safely.
Hampshire roads are listed below.

Hampshire Roads
The following routes pass through Hampshire (reading off the photocopy is difficult, spellings have been improved a lot to present recognisable placenames):-
 
From London to Plymouth - from London; via Staines, Middlesex; and Bagshot, Surrey; then Hartleyrow, Hook, Newnham, Basingstoke, Worting, Tetherton, Downhurstbourne, Andover, and Middle Wallop, Hampshire; then on to Salisbury, Wiltshire; and west.
 
branch from Bagshot, through Farnham, Surrey; then Alton, Alresford [Arlesford], Twyford, Swanland (?), to Southampton, Hampshire AND a small branch from Alresford to Winchester.
 
branch from before Basingstoke, through Cranborn, Sutton [Scotney], Stockbridge, Broughton, West Tetherley, East Dean, Hampshire; then via Dunkton [Downton], Wiltshire; Cranborn, Blandford and Dorchester to Weymouth, Dorset.
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TRAVELLER'S GUIDE

Title Pages
There are two title pages, the first:-
The Traveller's Guide: OR A Most Exact Description OF THE ROADS OF ENGLAND. BEING Mr. OGILBY'S ACTUAL SURVEY, And Mensuration by the WHEEL, OF THE Great ROADS from LONDON To all the Considerable Cities and Towns of England and Wales, Together with the Cross-Roads from one City or Eminent Town to another.
Wherein is shown the Distance from Place to Place, and plain Directions given to find the Way, by setting down every Town, Village, River, Brook, Bridge, Common, Forest, Wood, Copse, Heath, Moor, &c. that occur in Passing the Roads.
And for the better Illustration thereof, are added TABLES, wherein the Names of the Places, with their Distances, are set down in a Column, in so plain a manner, that meer Strangers may travel all over England without any other Guide.
LONDON: Printed for W. B. and Sold by J. Churchill, ...
from which point the photocopy seen is unclear! The second title page is:-
TABLES Containing an Exact Delineation OF THE ROADS of ENGLAND, ACCORDING TO Mr. Ogilby's ACTUAL SURVEY. And Mensuration by the Wheel.
Wherein the Names of all Places in the MAPS of his BRITANNIA are set down. with the Distances from Town to Town; and all other Remarks necessary fro the Instruction of Travellers.
As the Divisions of Roads, the Mountains, Hills, Valleys, Rivers, Rivulets, Houses, Forests, Woods, Copses, Commons, Heaths, Moors, &c. that occur in Passing the Roads from LONDON to all the Eminent Towns in England and Wales.
Together with the Cross-Roads from one City or Considerable Town to Another.
LONDON, Printed for William Bray in Exeter-Court, near Exeter-Change in the Strand, M DCC XII.
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