71 John Cary 1807

John Cary produced a series of large scale maps which were issued in parts (typically three maps and text to each part) and collected into a folio atlas in 1809 as Cary’s New English Atlas. Originally on sale at 5s/6d a part, the first instalment was offered for sale as early as 1801. All early maps had a date of 1801 until about 1805, when the date of engraving was included, rather than the starting date for the project. Part ten was issued circa July, 1806 (the date on the maps). The Devon map is dated October 1807 (part 13?), is very detailed and shows most of the canals, both existing and proposed, with for the Grand Western Intended Canal a note no part of this line is yet executed 1807. The general map was finished in June 1809 and presumably the atlas appeared some time shortly after this.

William Smith (1769-1835), geologist and engineer, produced the first geological map of England and Wales. This famous work, based on another Cary map, was published on 15 sheets (5M=25 mm) in 1815: The Delineation of the Strata of England and Wales. Cary’s county maps were also adapted by Smith to convey the data for his unfinished New Geological Atlas published 1819-24 - calculated to elucidate the Agriculture of each County & to show the situation of the best Materials for Building, Making of Roads, the Construction of Canals, & pointing out those places where Coal & other valuable Minerals are likely to be found.

In c.1844 Cary’s plates passed to G F Cruchley who issued the maps as lithographs and later to Gall and Inglis who continued to reproduce the maps, even keeping Cruchley’s name on them. Until c.1895 the updated maps were reissued as folding maps in covers or as mounted maps with various titles, eg Cruchley’s Railway Map of ... or Cruchley’s Railway and Station Map.

I - Engraved plates issued under the Cary imprint

Size 482 x 537 mm.                                                                                                                                                            SCALE (12 = 69 mm).

A NEW MAP OF DEVONSHIRE, DIVIDED INTO HUNDREDS  EXHIBITING Its Roads, Rivers, Parks &c. By JOHN CARY, Engraver. 1807. Imprint: London: Published by J.Cary. Engraver & Mapseller, No. 181 Strand, Octr. 26. 1807. (CeOS).

II - Lithograph states issued under the Cruchley imprint (including Gall & Inglis)   

In 1844 George F Cruchley acquired the plates formery belonging to John Cary and from 1850 onwards issued sheets from the Cary's New English Atlas. These were lithographically reproduced and offered at the same size as the original maps but with new title (updated over the next forty years) and with added colour and updating of railway information. The following is a comprehensive (but, no doubt, incomplete) selection of folding maps. These were often sold in yellow/orange covers with varying titles (see illustrations).

Size 482 x 537 mm.                                                                                                                                                       SCALE (12 = 69 mm).