The plates for this atlas were first issued in Thomas Read’s very rare ‘English Traveller’ published in 1746 in only three volumes, the work was never completed. Jean Rocque (c.1704-62), to use his native name, was a Huguenot émigré who at an early age settled in England. By 1734 he was a surveyor, engraver and publisher. His work is renowned for its beauty and its accuracy and several important large scale maps were produced by him. Although undated there is plenty of evidence to place the first edition of John Rocque’s ‘Small British Atlas’ in 1753. The general parliamentary map of England is dated 1753, Rocque moved to the ‘Old Round Court in the Strand’ in 1753 and the ensuing edition of the work is also dated 1753. The original plates were revised by in most cases, the addition of a plate number upper right and the enhancing of one line of the double lined roads. Hodson details other revisions including some of the scale bars. Thomas Read’s large folding general map is replaced by another.

Three issues of ‘The Small British Atlas’ were published at this time. Of the first, just one example survives. The second edition is exceedingly rare and contained a newly engraved title page dated 1753, clearly indicating its issue later in the same year. Only three known examples survive. This ‘third’ edition dated 1753 includes a new typographic title page similarly worded but now including the imprint of Robert Sayer. The date for publication of the ‘Small British Atlas’ may be deduced to be the summer of 1753 as Sayer placed a number of adverts commencing with the ‘Public Advertiser’ on 11 June. It was priced at 7s. 6d. for uncoloured copies as stated on the title, coloured were offered for 10s. 6d. Chubb (1927) 207; ESTC T229345; Hodson (1984-97) 200; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).