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Research Notes
Map Group NORDEN 1595 ms
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Norden 1595 ms
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Manuscript map of Hampshire by John Norden, 1595
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The map studied for these notes is a reproduction published by
Hampshire County Council, in the Map Collection of Hampshire CC Museums Service, item
HMCMS:FA1991.7. This is a low quality colour halftone reproduction and cannot
be read entirely well. |
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The original is in the collections of the
British Museum, call number Add.MS.31853 ff.23v.-24
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These notes are fairly adhoc, looking at features which might
aid the understanding of the other maps that John Norden published:-
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The Map Collection has two printed versions of Norden's maps made at this date;
NORDEN 1595 - is closer to the original manuscript but this copy was modified by John Overton c1673 and published c1670.
NORDEN 1607 - engraved in 1595, published 1607, of smaller size, which is far better known.
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Transcription relevant to Hampshire has been taken from
the manuscript county atlas, the Shires of England, with
descriptive text by John Norden, London, 1595. The manuscript is
in the collections of the British Library, call number BL:Add MS
31.853.
The notes are focused on Hampshire interest, ignoring the
other counties described.
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MAP FEATURES |
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TRANSCRIPTION FROM THE SHIRES OF ENGLAND |
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REFERENCES |
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ITEMS in the Collection |
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| MAP FEATURES |
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title
plain cartouche
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Printed in a plain box is:-
HA~SHIRE
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orientation
compass rose
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The compass rose has a fleur de lys to mark north, and
inscription:-
Septen
for septentriones, refering to the seven stars.
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scale line
index grid
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There is no small scale line on the map.
There is an overall grid of squares in the borders which are
believed to be in miles, chequered at half mile intervals.
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table of symbols
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The map has a table of symbols.
Market townes [circle, tower,
weathercock]
Parishes [circle, tower]
Hamlets & villages [circle, vertical
line]
Chappells of ease [circle, half cross]
Howses of noble men [circle, building]
Other howses of name [circle]
Places decaid [circle crossed out]
Castles [circle, building, flag]
Olde trenches and fortes [dot, dotted
circle, flag]
Places somtime monasticall [circle,
cross]
Becons or baukens [posts on a hill]
It is impossible to give a clear text description of the
little symbols! In each the circle or dot is coloured red.
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hundreds
table of hundreds
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There are errors in the labelling of hundreds which are
referenced by numbers to a table of hundreds. The errors are
different from the errors on the 1607 version.
Overton Hundred should be 29, is labelled 13 (Titchfield).
Bosmore is not labelled, it should be 9.
The area around Netley is labelled 14, Mansbridge Hundred,
which is more likely correct than the 1607 version.
The detached part of Hampshire around Amersham is labelled 36,
Holdshot Hundred.
Titchfield is correctly labelled 13.
Buntesboro is correctly labelled 31.
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settlements
table of symbols
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Settlements are positioned by a circle, and graded by
additional elements, explained in a table of symbols.
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town
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circle, tower, weathercock
Market townes
Though tiny, the weathercock is clearly that, coloured red as
is the circle
Bigger towns have more buildings and perhaps flags
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village
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circle, tower
Parishes
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hamlet
village
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circle, vertical line
Hamlets & villages
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house
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circle, building
Howses of noble men
circle
Other howses of name
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castle
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circle, building, flag
Castles
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beacons
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Beacons are shown as a hillock with spikes, which we are
describing as 'posts' out of the top. The number of posts may be
significant. This map has more of the known beacons than the 1607
version. Few are named, but all can be identified with known
beacons.
Bitterne Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, WNW of
Botley
Burghclere Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, with
old fort between large and r small, SW of Burghclere
Butser Beacon:- hillock, 2 posts, large small, hillock to E
with old fort, N of Coombe
Crondall Beacons:- 2 hillocks, each with 1 post, ENE of
Ewshott
Dibden Beacon:- hillock, post, possible small posts to l and
r, W of Hythe
Exton Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, hillock to
W with an unclear symbol labelled 'Lomer ashe', NW of Exton
Farleigh Wallop Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small,
NW of Farleigh
Farley Mount Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, NW
of Pytt
Malwood Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, castle
on hill slope to right
Popham Beacons:- hillock, 2 posts, large small, SW of Popham,
NW of West Stratton
Portsdown Beacons:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small,
Sarisbury Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, E of
Swanwick
Selborne Beacon:- hillock, single post
Selthornbea:
Toothill Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, S of
Baddesley, N of Chilworth
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| TRANSCRIPTION |
FROM THE SHIRES OF ENGLAND |
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Transcriptions have been made as accurately as possible,
given limited access to the British Library, London. It has not
been possible to make a second set of journeys to proof read the
result; but the transcription was done by two people, one
reading, one writing, the reader checking the written work as
much as practical.
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There were some particular problems: forgive any naivety in
these comments, we are not experts in palaeography. With some
letters, w and f are worst, it is difficult to know when it is a
capital letter. Punctuation is irregular, and some marks look to
be little more than rests of the pen! At least two hands seem to
have been involved in writing the manuscript. Much is written in
a relatively straightforward hand, to modern eyes. This we
believe to be written by John Norden. The other hand is a formal
clerk's hand of the same period, with its origins in strict
letter forms, which have become modified, and more obscure to our
eyes. The mixture is most obvious in the alphabetical lists,
where both hand might have written different parts of one entry.
This is confusing when the letter forms of the two hands
conflict!
The transcription can be found in:-
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Old Hampshire Mapped
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| REFERENCES |
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Norden, John: 1595: Chorographical Description of the severall Shires ...:::
British Museum Add MSS 31.853 ff.23v-24 |
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The following references are listed by the BL on a label
inside the new binding of the manuscript county atlas, the Shires of England.
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Lynam, Edward: 1950: English Map
and Map Makers of the Sixteenth Century: Geographical Journal:
vol.116: p.18
Campbell, E M J: 1962: Beginnings
of the Characteristic Sheet to English Maps; Geographical
Journal: vol.133: p.413
: 1976:: ProcHFC: vol.31: pp.53-64
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also see:-
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related map group -- Norden 1595
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related map group -- Norden 1607
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ITEMS |
in HMCMS Map Collection (scanned item in bold)
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HMCMS:FA1991.7 -- reproduction map
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All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources |