The Great Offices of State and The Savoy
55
BOWLES, Carington
The Traveller’s Guide through London, Westminster, and Borough of Southwark; with their Liberties: Exhibiting the Streets, Roads, Churches, Palaces, Public Buildings, &c., as they have been lately extended and improved, By Act of Parliament. Publication London, Printed for Carington Bowles, Map & Printseller, at No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, 31st Augt. 1770. Description Engraved plan on three sheets, joined, original hand-colour in outline, trimmed to neatline with minor loss to old folds skilfully repaired.
The plan has numerous tables, which contain information on the Great Offices of State, such as the master of the horse and the Board of Green Cloth; the Chief Magistrates of Westminster; and most interestingly the Parishes in Surrey and Middlesex which were in and outside the boundaries of the Bills of Mortality. The Bills of Mortality were set up at the end of the sixteenth century, in response to an outbreak of the plague. They initially recorded the number of deaths upon a weekly basis, however, by the time of the publication of the map the bills included baptisms, cause of death and age of the deceased. The plan also shows the newly built Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges, together with the new roads. The Savoy is marked (later the site of the hotel) as belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster. The Duchy then, as now, is used to provide income for the British monarch. The plan bears a striking similarity to Thomas Jeffery’s ‘A New Plan of the City and Liberty of Westminster…’ (item 56).
Information “Not extant on any other Plan”
56
JEFFERYS, Thomas
A New Plan of the City and Liberty of Westminster… [and] A New Plan of the city of London and Borough of Southwark, Exhibiting all the New Streets, Roads &c. Not extant in any other Plan. Publication [London, Thomas Jefferys, c. 1772]. Description Two engraved companion maps, one of Westminster, and the other of the City of London and Southwark, original hand-colour in outline. Dimensions 470 by 585mm (18.5 by 23 inches).
These two companion plans exhibit a great deal of detailed information. Jefferys’ boast that much of the information was “Not extant on any other Plan” is in many ways borne out by the numerous tables, which contain information on the Great Offices of State, such as the master of the horse and the Board of Green Cloth; the Chief Magistrates of Westminster; and, most interestingly, the Parishes in Surrey and Middlesex which were in and outside the boundaries of the Bills of Mortality. The Bills of Mortality were set up at the end of the sixteenth century, in response to an outbreak of the plague. They initially recorded the number of deaths upon a weekly basis, however by the time of the publication of the map the bills included baptisms, cause of death and age of the deceased. The plan also shows the newly built Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges, together with the new roads. The Savoy is marked (later the site of the hotel) as belonging to the Duchy of Lancaster. The Duchy then, as now, is used to provide income for the British monarch.
Scale 63/4 inches to one statute mile.
Dimensions 450 by 900mm (17.75 by 35.5 inches).
References Howgego 122 (3).
Scale c.61/2 inches to one statute mile. References Howgego 147a (1).
96
DANIEL CROUCH RARE BOOKS
MAPPING LONDON
97
DANIEL CROUCH RARE BOOKS
MAPPING LONDON