62 Benjamin Baker / Wiliam Faden 1799

  

In 1759 the Royal Society of Arts had offered an annual award of £100 for the best original 1":1 mile county surveys. Benjamin Donn was the first winner with his map of Devonshire on 12 sheets, engraved by Thomas Jefferys, published in 1765 (for map on 12 sheets see 44, for the abridged map on 1 sheet see 45). In 1799 William Faden (1749-1836) based a one sheet map on this work.

Faden was the son of a London printer. He served an apprenticeship with a local engraver and probably came to the map trade through engraving decorative cartouches. By 1773 he was in partnership with the family of Thomas Jefferys (d.1771), later succeeding Jefferys as Geographer to the King and eventually taking over Jefferys’ business. Faden was a leading engraver of his day and was often involved in engineering projects and produced both maps and plans. Before the Ordnance Survey, he was producing large-scale, detailed maps and the first ordnance-style map (Kent 1801) was produced by him, but privately engraved and published and some of his plates were likewise adopted as official Admiralty Charts. He published a large map of Devon in 1816 (see 80B). It is not surprising that he admired Donn’s prize-winning map of Devonshire and on taking over Jefferys’ stock issued a much reduced version, engraved by B Baker (57).

The plate was acquired by G W Bacon shortly before 1900 and he issued cyclist’s maps based on it.1

 

Size 598 x 615 mm.                                                                 Scale of Statute Miles 691/2 to a Degree (8 Furlongs and 14 = 124 mm).

THE COUNTY OF DEVON, REDUCED FROM THE LARGE MAP BY BENJAMIN DONN; WITH ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. LONDON. Published by W. FADEN, Geographer to HIS MAJESTY and to H.R.H. the PRINCE of WALES, Charing Cross. July 31st. 1799. Compass with Prince of Wales’ motto ICH DIEN at north. Inset map of The ISLAND of LUNDY. Signature: B Baker sculp, Islington (EeOS). Single sheet.

  

1. 1799  The County of Devon reduced from the Large Map by Benjamin Donn  
    London. William Faden. 1799.2 Harvard, DevA.
       
2. 1861 Imprint: Published By JAS WYLD Geographer To HER MAJESTY Charing Cross East 185 (sic)3. Folding map in slipcase with area within border 600 x 630 mm. Railways added: GWR to Plymouth and Liskeard, Bideford, Exmouth, Seaton, Tiverton and Tavistock, and to Paignton; L&SWR to Exeter. Reference table (Ee) and Edystone Rocks with lighthouse below bottom border. Breakwater at Plymouth added.  
       
    The County of Devon reduced from the Large Map by Benjamin Donn  
    London. James Wyld. (1861).  KB.
       
3. 1872 Address and date Charing Cross, East, 1872. Railways: GWR to Moretonhampstead, a spur north from Liskeard, Tavistock extended to Lifton and Launceston and Newport; L&SWR branch line to Seaton and Beer (opened 1868).  
       
    The County of Devon reduced from the Large Map by Benjamin Donn  
    London. James Wyld. 1872. AA.
       
4. 1879 Address in imprint: 11 & 12 Charing Cross S.W. No date. Railways added: Taunton to Barnstaple (with stations), lines to Ilfracombe, Hemyoke (sic), Sidmouth and to Holsworthy (stations missing and may be projected, all 1874-79). Folding lithograph map.  
       
    The County of Devon reduced from the Large Map by Benjamin Donn  
    London. James Wyld. (1879).   KB.
       
5. 1895 New title replacing previous: MAP OF DEVONSHIRE REVISED BY THE NEW ORDNANCE SURVEY with Parliamentary Divisions and Boroughs listed below (Ea). Imprint: Published by G. W. Bacon & Co., Ltd., 127, Strand, London. (AeOS). Note: Divided into 5 mile squares (EeOS). Map has been lithographically produced and has colour printing for main roads and outline wash colour for county boundary. The complete map has been reworked but still retains names of hundreds and unique compass. Main roads shown essentially follow previous state but with changes, e.g. north of Barnstaple west road realigned to bypass Georgeham, single route highlighted to Ilfracombe via Bittadon and triangle formed joining Barnstaple with Parracombe and Combemartin (note also spelling changes to 3 of these towns). Planned railways shown to Appledore from Bideford; to Lynton; to Bude; Torrington to Okehampton; and Exeter to Chagford bypassing Doddiscombsleigh and Ashton.  
       
    Bacon’s County Map Guide of Devonshire for Cyclists and Tourists  
    London. G W Bacon & Co., Ltd. (1895).  KB.
       
6. 1897 MAP OF DEVONSHIRE REVISED BY THE NEW ORDNANCE SURVEY and Divided in 5 mile squares immediately below (removed from below border). Imprint: G. W. Bacon & Co., Ltd., 127, Strand, London. (AeOS). Printer´s mark 38H20 (EeOS). Only main roads coloured and outline to county. Main roads shown essentially follow previous state but with changes, e.g. north of Barnstaple west road realigned to follow railway, and second triangle formed where new road joins with Parracombe and Combemartin route. Planned railways deleted; railway to Budleigh Salterton (1897). Two line note on hills (Ee).  
       
    Mead’s County Map and Guide of Devonshire 4  
    Tiverton. Mead. (1897). KB.
       
7. 1898 Printer´s marks 33M25 (EeOS) and 1890 (Ee). Sea coloured. Although railway shown to just short of Appledore (reached Westward Ho in 1901) there are no lines to either Lynton or to Yealmpton (see next state).  
       
    Bacon’s County Map and Guide - Devonshire for Cyclists and Tourists 5  
    London. G W Bacon & Co., Ltd. (1898).  KB.
       
    Berry’s Cycling Road-Map - Crediton and District 6  
    Crediton. S J Berry.(1898).    KB.
       
8. 1899  Imprint: London. G. W. Bacon & Co., LTD., 127, Strand. (AeOS). Printer´s mark: 89H20 (EeOS). Railway to Appledore deleted but lines to Lynton, Bude and to Yealmpton (all 1898). Sea coloured.  
       
    Bacon’s County Map and Guide - Devonshire for Cyclists and Tourists with Route Guide  
    London. G W Bacon & Co., Ltd. (1899).           KB.

 

[1] See K Batten; Donn-Jefferys-Wyld-Bacon; IMCoS JOURNAL Issue 101, Summer 2005.

[2] TFor an image of the map in full resolution click Harvard above: this leads you to the copy at Harvard University Library (https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/scanned-maps/catalog/44-990133752910203941). The Devon Archives copy has been trimmed close to the edge losing the signature and has uncommon additions which were added by a later owner, maybe for some official purpose. Two lines have been drawn horizontally just below Tavistock and through Tiverton. The numbers 1 - 3 have been neatly added at roughly (Ca), (Cc) and (Ce).

[3] Both of the Wylds were Geographer Royal and as the imprint only mentions Her Majesty it is possible that the map was issued shortly after Prince Albert’s death in 1861.

[4] Mead, Printer, Bookseller & Stationer, Fore St., Tiverton, Devon.

[5] The author has three editions of this – two early examples with and without Route Guide (one sold by Worth & Co., Exeter) and a later version. The latter is as described but with additional railway lines to Lynton, Yealmpton and to Exmouth from Budleigh Salterton (1903).

[6] S J Berry, Stationer, &c., 5, High Street, Crediton.

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