This large scale map of Surrey is by Christopher Greenwood (1786-1855) and his brother John Greenwood (1791-1867). They were both surveyors. Christopher Greenwood was from Yorkshire who settled in Wakefield by about 1815 before moving to London in 1818. His first large-scale survey was of Yorkshire published in 1817. His brother John was also a surveyor and in 1821 they joined forces. Along with the distribution capabilities of George Pringle and Son, they made an immediate impact with their series of large scale surveys of many English counties. It is one of two published in 1823. By the change of wording it would appear that George Pringle alone published this survey.

The map is almost certainly engraved by Samuel John Neele (1758-1824) and his son James Neele (1791-1868). It is on a large scale of one inch to the mile and differentiates between woods and plantations, heaths and commons, different types of waterway and roads. Watermills, windmills and toll booths are identified indicating their significance to the local economy. The two unsuccessful early railway lines are indicated: the Surrey Iron Railway and the Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Railway. These are a phenomenon so unusual as to not be included in the Explanation.

A large vignette of Kew Palace occupies the upper left corner. The early 1800s was a time of rapid change in the landscape with the burgeoning industrial revolution. Their surveys utilised the latest system of triangulation adopted by Colonel Mudge and his surveyors for the Ordnance Survey. Indeed, they were in open competition with them. The Greenwood maps were coloured as opposed to the more functional black and white Ordnance Surveys of the period. Provenance: Brian Kentish Catalogue ‘A Miscellany of Maps of England and Wales 1579-1890’ 2016 item 52; private English collection. Rodger (1972) 445; Tooley’s Dictionary; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).