82 Thomas Dix / William Darton 1816

Thomas Dix was a surveyor and schoolmaster of North Walsham who produced a Juvenile Atlas (1811), and maps of Bedfordshire (1818), York (1820, 1835) and Chester (1830). William Darton Senior (and successors) were engravers and publishers with a map, print and chart warehouse at 40 Holborn Hill to 1806, then at 58 Holborn Hill. In 1822 they published the Complete Atlas of the Counties of England (folio, 42 maps). This contained a number of maps by Thomas Dix, who started the project. He died before it was completed and the remaining maps were completed by Darton.

Although the atlas appeared in 1822 some maps have much earlier dates: Devon is dated 1816. The maps were issued separately either as single sheets or cut, mounted and cased. The atlas was reissued as The Counties of England about 1835. The Dartons also produced a Miniature Atlas of England and Wales, 1821 (85) and republished Wilkinson’s General Atlas, 1826. An attractive vignette of Dartmouth Castle appears on the map. This is the only Devon map with this scene and was the first map of Devon since Bowen’s Royal English Atlas (1763) to have a vignette view.

A total of five counties - Hereford, Lancs, Lincs, Surrey and Cornwall (thanks to Kevin Steele for this last) - have now been noted in red covers as The Post Office Map of .... Dedicated to Rowland Hill (c.1850); Devonshire was recently discovered in yellow covers as The Post-Office County Map in this state (see below, new state 6). In addition Melville and Co offered a Directory of Berkshire with this map in 1867 and Smith¹ has reported an interesting set of folding maps produced by lithographic transfer in the early 1860s: Darton and Hodge’s Railway, Commercial and Tourist’s Map (the author has also seen Hampshire published by Darton & Co.). Another later Devon reissue is in a guide book published by Simpkin, Marshall and Co.

In addition to the above, Kevin Steele has kindly pointed out that H.G. Collins and Collins Brothers lithograph maps were also issued c.1850 (see for example Tony Burgess' maps of Kent 106A).  He has copies of Surrey; Gloucestershire; Wiltshire; Norfolk and Northumberland.  The BL has Gloucestershire and CUL has Kent and Staffs.

Size 355 x 445 mm.                                                                                                                                           Scale of Miles (15 = 66 mm).

A NEW MAP of the County of DEVON Divided into Hundreds by MR. THOS DIX. in circular frame (Ae). Vignette of Dartmouth Castle. Imprint: Published 23rd July 1816 by W. Darton Junr 58 Holborn Hill, London (CeOS). Table: Explanation (Da).