Hertfordshire Maps

51x39 cm

HARTFORDSHIRE DESCRIBED | The sittuations of Hartford, and the most an: | cient town S Albons with such memorable actions as have happened
Performed by Iohn Speede and are | to be sold in Popes head alley by Iohn | Sudbury and George Humbell | Cum Pivilegio
Jodocus Hondius celavit
John Speed (1552-1629), born in Cheshire, was a Tailor, becoming a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors in 1580. He became interested in History and antiquities and became a member of the Society of Antiquaries and friend of William Camden. In 1611 he published his History of Great Britaine followed by his Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine the following year. The Theatre was designed as the topographical section to his History and the inclusion of county maps with inset town plans has ensured Speed's name will be remembered. The maps were designed and engraved by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam from materials and instructions sent to him by Speed. Speed's main cartographical contribution was the town plans, Speed claiming authorship to those that include a scale of paces "by mine owne travails".  The county maps are based on the surveys of Christopher Saxton and John Norden. The inclusion of the internal administrative divisions of the counties was a new innovation by Speed perpetuated in most county maps that followed for the next 300 years. The descriptive text on the back of the maps is taken from Camden and as the text had to be re-set for each issue enables us to date an individual map. On 29th April 1608 George Humble obtained the rights to print and sell the atlas for 21 years but publication did not actually start until 1611. Publication of John Speed's maps continued by various publishers until at least 1770, a publication period of 160 years.
This map is in the first published state without the historical notes on the map of the ancient tribes and Verolanium. The woodblock initial letter in the typeset text verso was used by the printer Thomas Snodham for the edition dated 1614 actually published in 1616.
The map has some old repairs to the centrefold and edges verso, some general creasing to the paper over the map, small left margin with a number of edge nicks and tears, some affecting the printed border. Later hand colour. Otherwise, a good impression from an early issue.
Hodson Printed maps of Hertfordshire ref. 7(ii)