The next phase in the life of the quarto Robert Morden plates was to accompany one of the earliest serialised published works. The first part of the ‘Magna Britannia’ was published in January 1714, a total of 92 parts would be issued before completion in April 1731. The original conception was to be a part of another substantial work entitled the ‘Atlas Geographicus’. However, it was soon realised that with so much material available for the work that a separate publication for the British Isles was justified.

At first it was the publisher’s intention to issue one part per month but inevitably it fell behind. John Nicholson who had been behind many of the newly engraved plates died about May 1717. From part 21, issued in April 1718, each one was printed and sold by Nutt and Morphew. Then Morphew died on 18 November 1720 and publication inevitably slowed. The ‘Evening Post’ 21-23 March 1723, the new publisher Elizabeth Bell announced ‘The Occasion of the great Delay that has attended this Work was owing to the Decease of several of the Proprietors.’ She herself died in April 1724 and ownership changed for the last time to Thomas Cox. The final 92nd part for England appeared in April 1731, seventeen years after it began. The remainder of Great Britain and Ireland was never published.

Of the original Morden copper plate maps only the 40 representing the English counties were utilised. The three general maps introduced in 1708, the 12 Welsh counties and Monmouthshire, are all unused. Six new plates were introduced, all in the first volume; a general map of the British Isles, two historical maps of the same, a map in two parts of the River Thames derived from Philip Lea, a map of the rivers and coasts of England and finally a reduction of Sir Jonas Moore’s map of the Fenns. Hodson does not call for the map of the Smaller Islands but it is here present bound with the Hampshire section as is usual in the earlier works in the series. Each county map is accompanied by a table of distances derived from those of John Norden in 1625. Provenance: with manuscript ownership mark of ‘E. Libris Tho: Reeve 1721’; a descendant’s bookplate of ‘William Reeve, Leadenhall House, Lincolnshire’ pasted inside each volume; sold at Christie’s, London, 26 June 1968 lot 46; acquired by Clive Burden Ltd. for £150 at Christie’s, London, 18 February 1970 lot 261; Burden collection duplicate. Chubb (1927) 127; ESTC T107759; Hodson (1984-97) no. 128; Shirley (2004) T.Mord 4d; Tyacke (1978) 400.