The earliest known issue of Thomas Taylor’s ‘England Exactly Described’ before inclusion of any general maps, UNRECORDED. Richard Blome died in 1705 and left his estate to Mrs Jane Hilton with whom he had been living for many years. The bequest was challenged by his family which no doubt was the cause of the delay before the plates were used again. By 1715 the book, map and print seller Thomas Taylor (fl.1711-26) had acquired the plates.

For this edition Taylor removed the earlier ‘Great Brittaine’ map and intended to replace it with individual maps of England, Scotland and Ireland. He also introduced one of Rutland which is present in this example. It appears that the atlas was sold after that of Rutland was engraved and whilst work was being carried out on the general maps. The earliest example cited by Hodson is that at the Cambridge University Library in which the Rutland and that of England are present, this example does not possess the latter map. It was first advertised in the ‘Daily Courant’ on 24 September 1715 ‘to be sold singly for 2d. a Map, or in a Sett Bound at 3 half Pence per Mapp’. In early September the Jacobite Rebellion broke out and by the first week of November a map of Scotland was available. That of Ireland dated 1716 followed later and is identified as Hodson 140. For this first Taylor edition there are also additions of place-names where previous dedications have been removed. These occur on Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cumberland-Westmoreland, Derbyshire, Dorset, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Monmouthshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. This engraving work, the new maps and title page all appear to be by Henry Hulsburgh (fl.1702-29). Provenance: Wadsworth collection 1994; private English collection. Refer Chubb 136; refer ESTC T166161; refer Hodson 139; refer Shirley ‘Atlases in the British Library’ T.Blom 3b; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).