Upjohn’s Plan of Shaftesbury

“To the Right Honourable Anthony, Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury; Baron Ashley of Winborne St. Giles; Baron Cooper of Powlett in the County of Somerset; Lord of the Manor of Shaftesbury, and Patron of the Churches there, this Plan of the Town, is by Permission humbly dedicated by his obedient Servant Wm. Upjohn”

This plan of Shaftesbury, Dorset, was engraved by Thomas Jones Woodman for William Upjohn, the surveyor and publisher of the map.

The title is contained within the dedication, with a history and description of the town flanking the Shaftesbury arms at the foot of the map, beneath a section through the town; there are details of churches, notable local residents etc. This is a scarce map, with two examples located in the British Library, one of which is in King George III’s Topographical Collection.

One catalogue entry suggests Shaftesbury as the place of printing, the other gives ‘England’. However, it was also published in the second edition of John Hutchins’ ‘History and and Antiquities of the County of Dorset’, 1796-1815, and perhaps London is more likely.

Condition & Materials

Copper engraving, 52 x 68 cm, black and white, some wear with trivial loss at folds, blank verso.

References

OCLC 557445601.