The site has been designed to be "user-friendly". However, if you have not used this site before you may find the following notes helpful. There are notes on the following topics:

I. Using the site

II. Search Engine

III Terminology

IV Atlases and Maps Published after 1837

Moving around the website

To get started it is recommended that you start by opening the List of Maps page. Here you will find a complete list of the maps included on this site numbered according to the convention used in The Printed Maps of Devon (Second Edition, 2008).

Choose the map to be consulted, or simply start with the first map, Christopher Saxton’s 1575 map. Click the date 1575 to view an image of the map; click Saxton to view the text information. Once a page is opened there are four choices for continuing.

1. Click one of the main menu headings to return to the main listing or to go to another section. E.g. Select List of Maps to return to map listing or click Welcome to return to the home page.

2. Click on Text or Map Image to switch between the text on the relevant map or the image which accompanies that text: i.e. If you are on map 3 (Bowes II) text, clicking Map Image will bring you to the relevant image; if you are on map 3 (Bowes II) image, clicking Text will bring you to the relevant text page.

3. Click Next: if you are on a text page you will go forward to the next page of text, i.e. the next map entry. If you are on an image page you will go to the image of the next entry. E.g. if you are viewing the image to Van den Keere (4) you will go to the next image – No. 5 Kip. E.g. if you are reading the text to Kip (5) you will go to the next text entry – No. 6 Speed.

4. Click Last: if you are on a text page you will go back to the previous page of text, i.e. the last map entry. If you are on an image page you will go to the image of the previous entry. E.g. if you are viewing the image to Van den Keere (4) you will go to the last image – No. 3 W Bowes (II). E.g. if you are reading the text to Kip (5) you will go to the previous text entry – No. 4 Keere.

Using the Search Engine

The search engine is very accurate but will also find your word if embedded in a longer word. Presently we do not have a "whole word only" option. We hope that this is not a problem for our users.

Definition

For the purpose of this carto-bibliography, a county map of Devon means a printed map published specifically to show the whole of Devonshire printed on one or not more than two sheets. Devon has not been grouped with other counties in any atlases; however, one popular work (Drayton 1612), one almanac-style work (Ezekiel 1816) and one government map (church commission report) show Devon together with Cornwall (7, 83, 117 respectively) and one government map  shows Devon together with Somerset (population report, 110). The maps are listed in chronological order of first appearance. Subsequent issues are dealt with at the same time as the main entry. Numbering begins with 1 and continues chronologically. A map found subsequent to the first edition is included as 1A or 1B, the original numbering being retained for ease of use with the first edition together.

Maps of Devon from 1838 to 1901 can be found in The Victorian Maps of Devon (which will be on-line later this year); maps of the towns and regions of Devon to 1901 can be found in The Tourist Maps of Devon; maps of Exeter only can be found in The Printed Maps of Exeter; and for road books see Francis Bennett, The Road-Books, Road-Maps, & Itineraries of Great Britain 1535 to 1850; and The Roads of Devon and Cornwall. Both books published by the author and printed by the Short Run Press, 2008. See also the Bibliography which lists other useful books on Devon cartography. Maps covering the South-West, and coastal charts  are excluded. It is hoped that further volumes will list these.

Heading

In labelling the maps the chosen order of preference throughout is surveyor, draughtsman, engraver, author, publisher. The map is given the name of a surveyor, if known, where the map is believed to be the result of an original survey. Otherwise the name of the draughtsman, the engraver, the author of the original work, or the first publisher in that order is used to help in identification. Names joined by a slash, eg Cowley / Dodsley, indicate that both (or all) were connected with the original issue and both (or all) names are found in works of reference and/or dealer’s catalogues in connection with this map. A slash is also used to identify separate works by the same draughtsman/engraver, eg Neele / Fraser and Neele / Vancouver. In some cases maps are commonly associated with another mapmaker, eg van den Keere (1605) with Speed or Overton’s copy (18) with Jansson, or a later publisher, eg Rocque’s publication of Read’s maps: in these cases the alternative name is added in brackets, eg Overton (Jansson) or Read (Rocque).

Date

The date listed is the one that appears on the first edition of the map or, if it is undated, the date of the publication in which it first appeared or is thought to appear. (See also Publications below.)

Biographical Note

Wherever possible a short biographical sketch is given of the surveyor and/or publisher, together with a brief history and description of the map or atlas.

Size

This gives the dimensions in millimetres, vertically then horizontally, between the outer frame lines. In the absence of frame lines, the dimensions are those of the printed map. Where the map has a panel of information or a title extension this is noted, together with an indication of the size of the complete engraving and of the map panel or area. Because of variations in paper shrinkage small differences can be expected. Lithographs may differ widely in size, being reduced or enlarged by photographic or other means.

Scale

Any wording on the map is shown in bold type. The figure in brackets refers to the scale bar. The reference British Miles (1 + 10 = 11 mm) miles means that the scale shows 1 mile to the left of zero and 10 miles to the right, the whole measuring 11 mm. British Miles is written above or at front of the scale bar and miles after or below.

Inscriptions and Place-Names

The title, imprint and names that appear on the map are given in bold print using the original spelling. Punctuation is omitted if unclear.

Editions

The main entry shows the title and features that appeared on the first edition of the map. Subsequent states, with a note of the variations, are listed below. Information is complete up to the year 1836. Information on issues after 1837 is largely correct but must be treated with caution where there were many reissues, eg Walker 1836.

Position of Features on Maps

Following the popular method, the position of each feature on the map is given, where appropriate, in brackets by reference to the following grid:

                                                                  Aa   Ba   Ca   Da   Ea

                                                                  Ab   Bb   Cb   Db   Eb

                                                                  Ac   Bc   Cc   Dc   Ec

                                                                  Ad   Bd   Cd   Dd   Ed

                                                                  Ae   Be   Ce   De   Ee

For example; a title cartouche at Aa will be found inside the border in the top left corner of the map. Where a large feature extends over more than one square of the grid, the position of the centre is given, or is given as Bb-Cb etc. When the feature is outside the border the reference is followed by ‘OS’; hence AeOS would be just outside the border bottom left. Position information is always given where this feature changes during the lifetime of the map.

Publications

The first date is the date of issue of the atlas or the date printed on the map, whichever is the earlier, eg Saxton’s map is dated 1575 not 1579 as it was printed before the atlas and the map is dated. Reissues with information on known changes follow. Facing each description is an illustration of one issue of the map.

After the description of an edition of each map there is a list of the titles of atlases, books or other publications in which the map appeared. The title (which may be shortened, omissions being shown by dots) is given in italics, using the original spelling but in lower case except for initial letters. This is followed by the place, the publisher and the year of publication. If the year is shown without brackets, eg 1742, this is the date given on the title page. If more than one date is shown, separated by commas, these are the dates of successive editions of the same publication. If the date is shown in the form 1742 (1745), this means that although 1742 is the date on the title page, there is other evidence to indicate a later (or earlier) publication. Dates in brackets alone indicate that there is no date on the title page and the date is conjectured. Where a map was produced as a folding map this is mentioned.

Later Publications

Please note that atlases and maps produced from plates engraved before 1837 were included in the original Printed Maps of Devon when published in 1996. When the work was updated in 2008 we attempted to include all the later issues of these maps (not included in the first edition). However, we were not able to double check our original notes and any information on these maps after 1837 also relied heavily on the work of others, such as Burden, Carroll, Frostick etc. If any omissions or mistakes are noticed, we would welcome information and will update the website as soon as possible.