Research Notes


Map Group SPEED 1627
Speed 1627
SPEED'S MAP of THE INVASIONS OF ENGLAND, 1627
These notes, mostly concerning Hampshire, are made from a map, the Invasions of England and Ireland, etc by John Speed, published in Prospect of the Most Famous parts of the World, by George Humble, 1627. The map studied is in the collection of the Manx Museum.
The map size is: wxh, sheet = 54x42.5cm; wxh, map = 520x378mm. NB remember that these notes are made for Hampshire interest.

The map comes from a world atlas, which includes all the county maps by John Speed. The Title/Contents page:-
A PROSPECT OF THE MOST FAMOUS Parts of the World viz. Asia - 3 Affrica - 5 Europe - 7 America - 9 WITH These Kingdoms therein contained, Grecia - 11 Roman Empire - 13 ... ... Civill Warrs in England, Wales and Ireland ... ... TOGETHER With all the Provinces, Counties and Shires, contained in that large THEATER of GREAT BRITTAINES Empire. Performed by JOHN SPEED
LONDON Printed by John Dawson for George Humble, and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-head Pallace. 1627.
MAP FEATURES
HAMPSHIRE PLACES
BATTLES & ARMADA SCENES
DESCRIPTIVE TEXT
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MAP FEATURES
map maker    
publisher    
engraver    
Printed lower centre:-
Performed by John Speed, and are to besolde in Popes head alley by George Humble.
Printed bottom right:-
Corn~ Danckertsz: Sculpsit.
title cartouche    
Printed upper right is a title cartouche with cherubs, helmets, etc:-
The INVASIONS OF ENGLAND And IRELAND With All their Civill Wars since the Conquest
coat of arms    
The royal coat of arms of the Stuarts is printed on the map.

orientation    
compass rose    
rhumb lines    
up is N    
Printed left of centre is a magnificent compass rose; star point for cardinal, half cardinal, and false points, and lesser points for the by points, North marked by a fleur de lys. Rhumb lines are drawn from the rose across the sea areas. The map is printed with North at the top of the sheet.

scale    
The map has no indication of scale. Measuring a couple of town to town distance provides a rough estimate of scale.
London - Bristol = 98 mm (174.1Km)
London - Newcastle = 216 mm (398.8Km)
The map scale is about:-
1 to 1800000
29 miles to 1 inch
with a possibility that it might be a little stretched E-W.

sea area    
sea plain    
coast line    
coast shaded    
The sea area is plain and the coast line shaded for emphasis.

rivers    
Rivers are drawn by wiggly lines, but seem to be omitted where they would interfere with the purpose of the map. Hampshire has the Avon and Stour, the Loddon system, and the northern Wey. The last is labelled:-
Loddon fl.
country    
coat of arms    
The border between England and Scotland is a double line with cross lines. Scotland, Ireland and France are distinguished by coats of arms.

county    
County boundaries are dotted lines. The areas are not labelled.

settlements    
Some settlements are marked and labelled, but I suspect that they might be omitted if they were to be in the way of the battles etc.

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HAMPSHIRE PLACES
There are a number of Hampshire places noticed by the map; but plotting places is probably secondary to plotting battles. Out of the 'usual' 21 towns there are:-
Aulton
Andover
Basingstoke
-
Christchurch
-
-
-
-
Kingeselcre
Lemington
Adresford
Odiam
Petersfield
Portsmouth
-
-
S. Hampton
-
-
Winchester
And a few other places:-
Silchester
The Vine
Suthwick
Porchester
Hurst ca
New forest
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BATTLES & ARMADA SCENES
battles    
The locations of battles are shown by opposing groups of soldiers with spears, this is labelled with place name and a key number referring to the descriptive text on the back of the map and subsequent pages. Hampshire has two battles shown:-
Winchester 14
for which the descriptive text is:-
From Winchester Maud the Empress, her Armies both of Scots and English dispersed and overcome, fled to Lutesgarshall, to Vies, and thence to Glocester, laid in a horse-litter, fained to be her dead corps, and her brother Rob. taken prisoner. reg. Steph. 6. 1141.
And against another drawing on the map:-
S. Hampton 33
for which the descriptive text has:-
Southampton sackt by Genowaie Pirates under the leading of the King of Sicils son, yet the Townes-men slew 300 of them, and their Captaine brained by a Husband-mans club. An. 1338. E. 3. 12.
An invasion at the coast of Hampshire is labelled:-
At Portsmouth Maud the Empress ariveth agai~st K. Stephen Ano. reg. 4. 1139.
There attacks on the Isle of Wight. And stages in the course of the progress of the Armada are shown in the English Channel.
South of the Isle of Wight is a fleet:-
The french take the Isle of Wight Ano. 1377. reg. R. 2.
and to the southwest of the island a fleet:-
The French invade the Ile of Wight landing 2000 men ar repulsed and slaine reg. H.8. 37. Ano. 1545.
Armada     The Armada is represented by several scenes of fleets in the English Channel and North Sea. At the Lizard:-
The Spanish Fleet first discried in their pretensed invasion of England July 19. 1588 reg. Eliz. 30.
and further east:-
The English Fleet S of Portland
South of the Owers is:-
The Spanish fleets fight July 21 in forme of a moun creeseent their hornes extending 8 mils in breadth
A great galeon wher in Don Pedro de Valdes was taken prisoner
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DESCRIPTIVE TEXT
The back of the map, and subsequent pages of the atlas have relevant descriptive text:-
A Briefe Description of the Civill Warres, and Battails fought in England, Wales and Ireland.
IN this platforme are contained (Gentle Reader) the severall Battails fought by Sea and Land, at severall times, and in severall places in England and Ireland, and the parts adjoining, within these five hundred yeares last past. Descriptio~s of pictures after the manner of fights as the plot would give roome, I have placed, and in the margent by numbers marked, observed the time, yeere, and event of every battaile. ... ...
This continued to a second page (back of the right of the map) ending with an appeal in verse:-
Cease civill broyles, O England subjects cease, / With streames of blood staine this fair soyle no more: / As God, so Kings must be obey'd with peace, / Yeeld thou thy due, to them their right restore: / Wash with repentance, these thine acts before: / Give loyall pledge, with might resist her wrongs, / That raignes thy Prince, to her thy sword belongs.
(And 15 years later the Civil War began, about loyalty and the divine right of kings ...) The numbered list of events begins on this second page and continues on subsequent pages of the atlas.
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