Survey of the country around London to the distance of thirty two miles from St Paul’s

The map extends between Ware and Chatham, Bray and Dorking. The concentric rings mark a radius of 3, 5, 7 and 12 miles from Charing Cross, and can be used in conjunction with the key map and text at the foot to calculate cab fares and postage rates, distances and delivery times.

In his carto-bibliography Howgego does not mention that a variant of this map was issued under the imprint of publisher John Lingard, or that it was adapted to calculate cab fares or the twopenny post – that seems to have been Lingard’s idea. However, Howgego does record that a revised version was issued by Laurie in 1841, and in the same year Lingard issued his own version of Laurie’s map of central London.

Internal dating evidence supports the idea that the environs map was published at the same time, as a companion map. It shows the Kensington Hippodrome in Notting Hill, which only existed between 1837 and 1842, and the last of the ‘magnificent seven’ cemeteries, which were consecrated 1840-41, so 1841 seems most likely. Lingard himself died in 1845; he wrote books on timber and oil paint, and was an expert on dry rot.

Condition & Materials

Copper engraved folding map of London and environs, 87 x 83 cm, engraved by Alexander Findlay, original hand colour, dissected into 24 panels and laid on linen, somewhat stained on the verso, and folding into original cloth slipcase with publisher’s printed label, somewhat worn.

References

Variant of Howgego, Printed Maps of London, 321 (3); probably a companion map to Howgego 361 (3).

Filters

_c.1841

Lingard’s Map of London & Environs