Map of India and Birmah

This map of India and Burma features an inset location map with British possessions coloured red, next to a distance table showing the overland route to India (pioneered by Thomas Fletcher Waghorn in the 1830s). The Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out on 10 May. The underlinings and other markings on this map suggest its owner was following events from home.

Our example is undated, but in the imprint Wyld styles himself ‘Geographer to the Queen & Prince Consort’, a title which Albert was granted formally in June 1857; Wyld also includes his ‘model of the earth’ as one of his addresses. His ‘Great Globe’ occupied the centre of Leicester Square between 1851 and 1862.

Previous owner the Rev. James Boys was Rector of Biddenden, Kent, for 40 years until his death in 1882. In 1854 his daughter Eliza married Captain William Hodges Tylden Pattensen, who had spent 8 years in India with the 25th Regiment of Foot, returning to England in 1852. Pattenson (1822-1894) belonged to a military family, and Boys therefore had an informed interest.

Condition & Materials

Engraved folding map, sheet size 51 x 70 cm, original hand. colour, dissected into 21 panels and laid on linen, contemporary ink underlining and small annotations, folding into green cloth covers with printed paper label. Contemporary ownership inscription of J. Boys, Biddenden, dated August 10 1857.

References

Worldcat locates 3 similar examples: 1857 edition: OCLC: 557736421 (BL); OCLC: 750507292 (NUKAT - Polish libraries); another edition dated to 1855: OCLC: 1293968987 (Berlin).

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Great Rebellion Era Map of India