This is a desirable caricature map of England and Wales after Robert Dighton (1752-1814), a well known eighteenth century painter of portraits and caricatures. Initially he often worked anonymously for Carington Bowles. In the 1790s his series of caricature portraits earned him praise. He achieved notoriety however when he took some Rembrandt engravings from the British Museum and replaced them with copies. They were all located in his rooms and returned. The date of issue is unknown but the first catalogue in which they appear is dated to 1795. They were so successful that the Bowles firm issued this reduced size in 1808. No specific reason has been identified for the depiction and they were merely intended for amusement. Feaver (1988) p. 60; Hill (1978) pp. 44-5; Mackenzie (1998) p. 143Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).