Clive A. Burden LTD. Rare Maps, Antique Atlases, Books and Decorative Prints

The Mapping of North America

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A previously UNRECORDED example of a SEMINAL atlas of which just FIVE KNOWN EXAMPLES SURVIVE. Beginning in 1584 with the publication of Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer’s ‘Spiegel der Zeevaerdt’ the Dutch dominated the production of sea atlases. Individual works of some merit were published elsewhere, such as Sir Robert Dudley’s ‘Arcano del Mare’, 1646-48, published in Florence, and the early English attempt by James Moxon in 1657 entitled ‘Book of Sea Platts’. In England this must have been a particular source of embarrassment during the wars with the Dutch between 1652-74. The Restoration period from 1660 was marked by considerable encouragement from Charles II for the sciences. This was reflected in cartography in general, with a marked interest in improved mapping of the nation’s colonies. Much of it resulted in magnificent maps of the Americas, but it was England’s domestic waters that were the greatest embarrassment of them all. Fighting the Dutch in her own waters and having to rely on the enemy’s maps was not an ideal situation.

In stepped John Seller, ever the opportunist, who in 1669 advertised that he planned to produce “… a Sea Waggoner for the whole world with Charts and Draughts of particular places…”. The ‘English Pilot’ as it would be called appeared in five parts with a volume each devoted to the navigation of Northern Southern & Mediterranean Oriental West India and African waters. The ‘English Pilot’ ranks still as one of the great English atlases, having a long and complicated history expiring in 1803. The ‘Northern Navigation’ appeared in 1671, the ‘Southern Navigation’ appeared in 1672 followed by another part in 1677 covering the Mediterranean. The ‘Oriental Navigation’ was published in 1675 incomplete and would wait until 1703 to be finished. By now Seller was in financial difficulties and in 1677 took in partners. This can be seen as a sign of his inabilities. However, his ambitions would have stretched all but the wealthiest publisher. The partners were: William Fisher, a successful publisher whose firm later became Mount and Page; John Thornton, one of the Thames School of chart-makers at the Drapers Company, a man far more qualified than Seller to produce sea charts; James Atkinson and John Colson, eminent teachers of navigation. The combine, as it is known, broke down two years later and its interests were distributed between them. Fisher obtained the rights for the ‘English Pilot, Southern Navigation’ and the ‘Atlas Maritimus’ of 1675, which were entered in the Stationers Register 30 November 1679. Although Seller should rightly be credited with the instigation of the ‘English Pilot’, it would fall to Fisher and Thornton to complete it.

Seller had also begun work on the fourth ‘English Pilot’ covering the North American waters. The British Library possesses an example with some of the final text and five charts. Verner analysed the text and concluded that Seller was preparing the work possibly as early as 1671, as much of the introductory text is the same in the different volumes. A date of c.1677 can be attributed to it. A manuscript note at the foot of the last leaf states “The Printer hath not yet proceeded further than this sheet of this part.” As Fisher does not enter this work in the Stationers Register in 1679, we must assume that it was either because it was incomplete, or that he did not yet control it. Maybe Seller tried to maintain this one title as he had shown much interest in the mapping of America and made some significant contributions.

The supposition is that Seller retained the rights to the ‘Fourth Part’, which would explain its delayed publication because of his financial circumstances. We would be right in thinking that if Fisher had control of it his capabilities should have allowed its completion at an earlier date. Sometime in the 1680s it may be presumed that Thornton and/or Fisher acquired from Seller the rights to the Fourth Book and began the process of completing the work.

Thornton during the 1680s was increasing his stock of available plates and was involved closely with American cartographic developments through the auspices of the Hudson Bay Company, and the colony of Pennsylvania, amongst other connections. By 1689 the Dutch sea charts of the North American waters were totally reliant on English and French cartography that had by then almost universally superseded that of the Dutch. So it was with much eagerness that the English Pilot Fourth Book was received in 1689, jointly published by Thornton and Fisher. The Fourth Book would become the most influential and popular of them all. They were not the most accurate charts but the book captured a market and became the seminal work until the middle of the eighteenth century. It appears to have been published as a partnership: Fisher supplied the text, Thornton the maps. Each would put together their own examples to sell; Thornton supplying his own maps, Fisher buying in those of Thornton or others. Altogether some thirty-seven editions were published up to 1794. Provenance: On first blank leave a manuscript ex libris Bryan Smith, London January of 13th 1694. Phillips (1909-) no. 1155; Shirley ‘The Maritime maps and atlases of Seller, Thornton, and Mount & Page’, in ‘The Map Collector’ no. 73, pp. 2-9; Verner Bibliographical Note in Facsimile edition of ‘The English Pilot The Fourth Book’; Verner ‘John Seller and the Chart Trade in Seventeenth-Century England’, in ‘The Compleat Plattmaker’; Wallis ‘Geographie is better than Divinitie. Maps, Globes, and Geography in the days of Samuel Pepys’, in ‘The Compleat Plattmaker’.
THORNTON, John

The English Pilot, The Fourth Book Describing the Sea-Coasts; Capes, Head-Lands, Rivers, Bays, Roads, Havens, Harbours, Streights, Islands, Depts, Rocks, Shoals, Sands, Banks, and Dangers from the River Amazons to New-found-Land; with all the West-India Navigation, and the Islands therein, as Cuba, Hispagniola, Jamaica, Barbados, Porto Rico, and the rest of the Caribbe Islands. With A New Description of New-found-Land, New-England, Virginia, Mary-Land, &c. Shewing The Courses and Distances from one Place to another, the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea, the Settings of the Tides and Currents, &c. By the Information of divers Navigators of our own and other nations

William Fisher at the Postern on Tower-Hill, and John Thornton at the Plat in the Minories, London, 1689
Folio (445 x 285 mm.), two parts in one volume, in full contemporary calf, ribbed spine blind tooled, pp. [1]; letterpress title; 23; (44). 1 large folding, 5 single page and 12 double page charts on thick paper. With 255 woodcut plans and coastal profiles in text. The text is complete, however incorrectly numbered as usual. The pages numbers 1-4 of part two are considered the blank verso of charts 9 and 10. With scattered foxing and the usual light browning throughout. The larger charts generally trimmed close as usual during binding.
Stock number: 5434

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