The FIRST EDITION of a superb very detailed map of England and Wales. The title goes on to outline its purpose “As there is no General Map of England & Wales of essential service to Military information, in order to render this the more serviceable, the author has endeavour’d by representing the great ranges of Mountains Hills & High Lands, which bound the Rivers to point out the extent of the Vallies & Low Lands by Numbers”, there follows a large key to these. The map also details “All the Noblemens and Gentlemens Seats, Cities, Boroughs, Market-Towns, Rectories, Vicorages, Chapels, Vallies, Rivers, Canals, Bathing Places, Parks, Forests, Marshes, Turnpike, & Principal Cross Roads, with the distances from Town to Town …” The detail rendered is truly remarkable, more likely found on a county map than one of the country. It is dedicated to the Right Honourable James Stewart Mackenzie, Lord Privy Seal of Scotland, in gratitude of “His Lordship’s patronage by his most obliged and most obedient humble servant”. An inset lower left takes in the Scilly Islands.

John Andrews (fl.1766-98) was a geographer, surveyor, engraver and mapseller in London who is particularly well known for his fine collaborations with Andrew Dury. The map was separately published and examples have been traced at the British Library, and the National Libraries of Wales and Scotland. There is a later edition of 1807 more usually found.