Edward Wells (1667-1727) was born the son of Edward Wells, the Vicar of Corsham, Wiltshire. Educated at Westminster School from 1680 he won a scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1686. He graduated MA in 1693. He went on to have a turbulent career in the ministry, being involved in many controversies of the time. A prolific writer, he translated several religious and secular works from Latin and Greek into English. He also wrote several scientific works on astronomy, chronology, arithmetic and geometry. It is one of his works in geography that is offered here. His main work is ‘A New Sett of Maps of Antient and Present Geography’, 1700. In the ‘London Gazette’ for 8-11 May 1699 a proposal was published for a ‘New Set of Maps … The Price of the whole Set will not exceed 30s. The first payment for the first Ten General Maps (which will be finished in June or July next) is 5s.’ This advert was placed by Awnsham and John Churchill, the successful publishers in London, with Thomas Bennet also of London and J. Crook of Oxford as partners. The next announcement on 28 September to 2 October states that these same ten maps ‘will be ready to be delivered the first day of Michaelmas Term’. At the same time it announced new subscriptions were available for the next group of sixteen maps. It is highly likely that these ten general maps included the world, Europe, Asia and Africa which each consisted of a modern and an ancient map, and the Americas were divided between the North and South. The ensuing sixteen maps were delivered 13 May 1700, with the remaining fifteen maps delivered 28 October 1700. The first edition of the atlas was 1700.

The atlas was made as the title indicates ‘to be the most natural and easy method to lead Young Students (for whose Use the Work is principally intended) unto a competent Knowledge of the Geographical Science’. It was produced by Wells specifically for the education of his pupil William, Duke of Gloucester, son of Queen Anne. The maps are all dedicated to him. Always a sickly child, he died 29 July 1700. They were engraved by the official engraver to the University of Oxford, Michael Burghers, along with R. Spofforth and Sutton Nichols. The atlas itself was reissued in dated editions of 1701, 1702, 1704, 1714, 1718 and 1722. There are also undated editions issued both before and after the death of Wells in 1727. A study of the imprints in comparison with his geographical treatise concludes that this undated example dates from 1726.

This example has a fascinating provenance. ‘In 1776 Sir Roger Newdigate married Hester Mundy, a Derbyshire woman. Sir Roger and Lady Newdigate were childless but in the 1780s a young girl called Sally Shilton came into their lives. Lady Newdigate had heard Sally, a daughter of a miner, singing on a cottage doorstep. She was captivated by the girl’s voice and took her to live at Arbury Hall. Sally graduated from the housekeeper’s room to eventually share the lives of Sir Roger and Lady Newdigate. Years later George Elliot, who was born and brought up on the Arbury estate, used the story of Sally Shilton, who later married the local clergyman, as the basis of one of her “Scenes of Clerical Life”‘(National Trust). ‘George Elliot’s father was a land agent for the Newdigate family and he moved to the area when the Newdigates moved into Arbury Hall. He lived with his family on South Farm on the estate, before moving to nearby Griff House. George Elliot knew Arbury Hall very well and was allowed to use its extensive library. She uses descriptions of the hall in Scenes of Clerical Life, calling it Cheveral Manor. The detailed portrayals of rich plasterwork and fine windows are unmistakably Arbury Hall’ (Wikipedia). Provenance: bookplate of Lady Newdigate; later bookplate of Arbury Library; the Library sold for $150,000 to George D. Smith 10 January 1920 (362 books including a first folio Shakespeare). Dictionary of National Biography; Phillips, Atlases nos. 3489 & 4284; Shirley BL T.Well 1b; Tyacke nos. 308, 311, 317, 324, 329, 330 & 332.