70 Samuel J Neele / Charles Vancouver 1806

Early in the 1800s the newly founded Board of Agriculture decided to expand the 18th century Agricultural Surveys and asked one of their leading surveyors, Charles Vancouver, to rewrite the report on the agricultural condition of Devon. Vancouver had previously written the reports for Cambridgeshire (1794) and Essex (1795). He also completed a report on Hampshire in 1813. He was able to base some of his report on Devon on the earlier, preliminary report, by Robert Fraser, General View Of The County Of Devon (59) and, no doubt, on Marshall’s Rural Economy of 1796 (60).

Accompanying Vancouver’s report was a map of Devon. The map is dated 1806 and the engraver was Neele, probably S J Neele, who produced a large number of maps for different publishers and who had probably produced the earlier map for Fraser. There is far more detail on this map regarding towns, roads and other features and considerable detail with regard to the geology and agriculture. Vancouver obviously made some use of Fraser’s map as the notes in the explanation Veins of Limestone described by Mr Vancouver followed by Do by Mr Fraser testify.

Other maps and plans that were included in this comprehensive work were of Sir Lawrence Palk’s farm buildings at Haldon and a plan of his recently constructed quay in Torquay. These and all the animal, plant and machine engravings were executed by Neele. The Devon booksellers mentioned on the title page included E Upham, G Dyer, P Hedgeland and S Woolmer in Exeter as well as Cobley and Co. and Rees and Co. in Plymouth.

Richard Phillips (1767-1840), who also used the pseudonym Rev. J Goldsmith, led an interesting life, beginning as a schoolmaster and later working as a hosier. He was imprisoned for publishing Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man, was Sheriff of the City of London and was knighted in 1808. He started the Monthly Magazine in 1796 - the editor was Dr John Aikin (see 56).¹ He also published Capper’s Topographical Dictionary (72).

 Size 243 x 294 mm.                                                                                                                                    British Miles  (10=33 mm).

MAP Exhibiting the POLITICAL DIVISIONS with the Soil & Substrata of the COUNTY of DEVON Engraved for Mr Vancouver’s Agricultural Report 1806. Imprint: Neele, Sculp, Strand. (EeOS).