TWO 1720 "Ogilby" Road Maps EXETER DARTMOUTH BRISTOL

Dartmouth-Exeter-Minhead & Bristol-Taunton-Exeter

  SET OF TWO copperplate engravings, 195 mm x 126 cm sheet size, modern hand colour, London, circa 1720

We are pleased to offer this pair of scarce original road maps from the Britannia Depicta or Ogilby Improved by the 18th century British mapmakers John Owen and Emanuel Bowen.  Both map sheets are printed on recto and verso for a total of twelve vertical route maps, with four armorial escutcheons.  Both maps present the routes passing through the city of Exeter.  As the title indicates, the Owen/Bowen maps were closely based on the groundbreaking road maps of John Ogilby (1600-1676) although while keeping the strip format, decorative elements with an emphasis on heraldry were added as well as updated and extensive commentary on the region covered.  The first example is set in Devon and illustrates the route from Dartmouth on the English Channel north to Exeter by way of Newton Abbot on recto and on verso presents the remaining journey north to Minehead in Somerset on the Bristol Channel by way of Tiverton.  Thus the whole of Devon is traversed on this sheet, with the street grid of Exeter presented in some detail.  Note arms of Dartmouth - "Gules, the base barry wavy, argent and azure, thereon the hulk of a ship in the centre of which is a king robed and crowned and holding in his sinister hand a sceptre, at each end of the ship a lion sejant guardant all o'er":

Verso presents an unusual variant of Exeter arms - note slight rotations of compass roses as the route progresses to Minehead and the Bristol Channel:

The second sheet traces the route from Bristol to Exeter by way of the cathedral city of Wells whose arms are presented at lower right:

Finally after passing through Taunton, the road to Exeter is completed.  Owen and Bowen left a clear explanation of their map formats that warrants study: 

"The Title of Every Road is a distinct page; to each of which is annexed a Map of the County wherein the Initial or Boundary City, own of Place, lies [for the most part] or else some part of the Description of the Road itself. The beginning of the Road is always at the bottom on the Left Hand , in the Page following the Title 3 whence you proceed upwards from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. Miles until you come to the Top of the first Column, and so in like manner from the Bottom of the 2d, 3d, etc. beginning in every Page on the Left Hand as before directed. The black Dots or Points in the middle of the Road are the Stations of the Miles, with their respective numbers affixed to them. When any other Road crosses or goes out of the Road described, there is an opening with the Name of the Place to which it goes: An in your Progress you meet with Rills, Brooks, Rivers, Bridges [the Plan of the Road shewing whether built of Wood, Brick, or Stone. Number of Arches contained in each if any of Note.] Woods, Trees, Mountains, and Hills [shewing their Ascent and Descent, as they really are, very naturally]. The Plan of the Road shewing at the same time the Ichnography of all Cities, Towns, etc. and the Compass in each Column the true Bearings both of the Road itself and of all the Towns and Places that offer themselves to your View on either side of it. The Road is all the way bounded with two parallel black Lines if includes or hedged on both sides, or else if open, with two parallel dotted Lines, or lastly, if bounded or hedged in one side and open on the other, with a black Line and a dotted Line parallel to it. The Name of the County, the Road passes through is engraved on each Column. In the Margin or some other convenient Place of every Page is likewise engraved a Description of the Cities, Boroughs, [with the Arms of all such that have any] Corporations, Market Towns and whatever is remarkable, with figures referring to the Places where they are to be found in the Plan of that Road; but to the Intent that the Reader might readily find out any Place, described in this Book, we have hereunto subjoined an Alphabetical Table of all such Places. And whereas in the whole course of these Roads there are many Places repeated often i the Plan: The Reader must therefore have recourse to the aforesaid Table, to direct him to the Place he wants, it being described only in one."

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