77 James Wallis 1812

Although the name James Wallis in the context of county mapping only appears for a brief span of ten years (fl. 1810-25) he worked on three separate county atlases in this time (A New and Improved County Atlas 78 and The Panorama: or Traveller´s Instructive Guide 88). The first of these Wallis’s Travellers Companion appeared c.1812. This was a miniature atlas with maps similar to those in Cary’s Traveller’s Companion (69), similar atlas title and even the unusual orientation: although the names are to be read with the map held with the title to the top, the map is oriented with north to the right. Copies of the atlas were available from Davies and Eldridge of Exeter; their name was added below Wallis’s address on the title page.

The maps were used by Patrick Martin and W Lewis. William Lewis (fl.1819-36) had premises at 21 Finch Lane London.

James Wallis was engraver, bookseller, printer, stationer and publisher. Worms and Baynton-Williams believe him to have been born in Southampton in 1784, the son of Henry and Mary Wallis. Although registered as a stationer in Westminster in 1841 he seems to have left the map and publishing business.¹

Size 132 x 93 mm. Map panel 110 x 85 mm.                                                                                                     Scale of Miles (12 = 16 mm).

DEVONSHIRE. Imprint: London. Publish’d by J Wallis, Engraver, 77 Berwick Strt. Soho. (CeOS).