Hertfordshire Maps

24x19 cm

STEEL ENGRAVING WITH VIGNETTE OF ST ALBANS ABBEY

HERTFORDSHIRE.
Pub^d. by Arch^d. Fullarton & C^o. Glasgow.
Eng^d. on Steel by Gray & Son

Steel engraving by Robert Gray (c.1771-1848). Born in Scotland, Gray traded from Glasgow as “Gray & Todd” 1804-1806 and as “Gray & Son” 1825-1848, with his son John, and later with another son, James, who continued his business after his death until at least 1856.
The maps were produced for publication in Bell's New and Comprehensive Gazetteer in 1833. The text for the gazetteer was largely copied from Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of 1831 and in 1839 Lewis obtained an injunction against Bell for plagiarism and the work was withdrawn. Archibald Fullarton, the publisher of Bell's Gazetteer republished the maps with new text in The Parliamentary Gazetteer from 1840 until 1849. The engraving work was shared between Gray & Son, James Neele and Robert Scott with most maps copied from those by Sidney Hall in an earlier topographical dictionary, John Gorton'sTopographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland published in 1831.

With the addition of the London & Birmingham and the Northern & Eastern Railways, this example was published between 1840 & 1844 in Fullarton’s Parliamentary Gazetteer. Light spotting in margins but a good example in full hand colour. Vignette of St. Albans Abbey.

Ref. Hodson Printed Maps of Hertfordshire  99 (iii)