In the ‘London Gazette’ for November 1679 John Seller, along with John Oliver (1616?-1701) the surveyor and the engraver Richard Palmer (fl.1673-89), announced their intention to publish a folio English County atlas to be titled ‘Atlas Anglicanus’. That of Hertfordshire had appeared as early as 1676. At the beginning of the following year, they announced in the ‘Term Catalogues’ that maps of Middlesex, Surrey and Hertfordshire were available and that Kent was underway. A total of five single sheet folio maps appeared but at the same time three were published on a larger scale in two sheets each, quite why is not clear. Those were of Middlesex, Oxford, and Kent offered here. No example of the Kent in the first state survives; indeed, all states are extremely rare.

The project languished until the partnership broke up in 1693 when the maps were sold to Philip Lea. The differing issues reflect changes in ownership and publication. According to Tony Burgess’ study of Kent maps, this is an example of the fifth state of six in which the imprint of John King (fl.1700-38) is added. Kent is depicted on the large scale of 1 inch to two miles. The grid squares are each contain an area of four-by-four miles. The Explanation states that the “Roads are exprest by Parrallel lines, the prickt Parrallels are ye open Roads”. A further note near the title states that the circles on the map contain above the computed distance in miles and below the measured mileage. The map is adorned with an ornate compass rose in the Thames Estuary and three cartouches. Its final publication was at the hands of Robert Sayer c.1775. A fabulous map. Provenance: private English collection since 2008. Burgess (2009) no. 25.v; Rodger (1972) no. 216; Skelton (1970) pp. 186-187.