Kent Maps

64x36 cm

FIRST MAP OF THE COUNTY TO SHOW LONGITUDE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES OF TIME.

KENT 
By Rob^t Morden

Copper engraving produced by Robert Morden (fl.1669-1703) for publication in Edmund Gibson's translation of William Camden's Britannia first published by Abel Swalle and Awnsham & John Churchill in 1695. Engravers Sutton Nichols and John Sturt have signed some of the maps but probably other engravers were also employed. 

This is the first series of maps to mark longitude in minutes of time (top border) as well as in degrees (bottom border). For most counties, Including this map of Kent, longitude is based on the meridian of St. Paul's, London. They were also the first folio sized series of county maps to show roads, Morden using the survey and strip road maps of John Ogilby published in his road book, also entitled Britannia, in 1675. Morden produced a set of playing card maps in 1676, shortly after Ogilby’s production, which were actually the first set of county maps to include roads. Morden did not use Ogilby's measure for the mile of 1760 yards which later became the accepted standard, but used a somewhat arbitrary approximation of local variations for the mile to include three scales, 'Great', 'Middle' and 'Small' miles on his maps.
The work was republished in 1722, 1730, 1753 and, finally in 1772.  There were a number of minor alterations to most plates during the early editions and they were substantially updated for the 1722 edition mostly with changes to place name spellings. Due to wear caused by the printing process the plates were reworked for the 1753 edition.
The Kent map is larger than most in the series and is often found with loss at the left or right margin or printed on two sheets pasted together.  This example is printed on a single sheet and has small but complete margins left and right. A very good example from the first edition of 1695 in fine later hand colour.