John Seller conceived the ‘English Pilot’ as a rival to the dominant Dutch publications of the day. It was the first English sea-atlas, and is an important landmark in English chart and map publishing. The majority of the plates however are printed from Dutch sea-charts crudely re-engraved to appear English in origin. The plates were prepared by Johannes Janssonius and which were pirated in turn from Willem Blaeu, whose atlas was first published in 1608. Although the use of outdated Dutch plates sparked a certain amount of moral outrage from later commentators, and also contemporaries such as Pepys, it is worth pointing out that the first Blaeu terrestrial atlases were based around existing plates acquired from another publisher, and several other Dutch and English publishers went on to build successful businesses in the same way. Seller was therefore by no means exceptional in seeking a shortcut route to compiling an atlas. The additional suite of charts prepared by Seller is a valuable contribution to the mapping of British waters.

The ‘First Book’ (Northern Navigation) was first advertised in the ‘London Gazette’ for 24-27 April 1671, and in the ‘Term Catalogues’ for Easter Term 1671 (licensed on 30 May), with the price given as 12 shillings bound. The ‘Second Book’ (Southern Navigation) was advertised in the ‘Term Catalogues’ for Hilary Term 1672 (licensed on 7th February), with the price apparently given as 14 shillings bound. Lord Wardington comments, ‘No two early copies are identical. Coolie Verner told me that this was the copy in its earliest state that he had seen except possibly for the one in Yale’ (Wardington Catalogue).

Indeed, this is an early printing of the first edition of the ‘English Pilot’, comparable with the British Library’s copy at Maps C.22.d.1. In Book I charts 17 (Norway and Lapland), 18 (White Sea), 25 (Coast of Finland) and 26 (Abboy) are the early Seller form, before the plates were cut down so they could be more easily printed combined with other plates onto one sheet (as found in the British Library’s second example). Chart 2b (west part of England), 11 (Sea coasts of England and France), 16b (Galissia and Portugal) and 17b (Canary Islands) are all the early Seller forms; 11 and 17b were cut down further, 2b had additional arms inserted and 16b a partial French title inserted.

The ‘Second Book’ does not contain an index of charts, but this copy seems to have a full complement, perhaps omitting three charts: the Channel (more properly associated with the ‘Coasting Pilot’ of 1672), the Maes and Wielingen, and Holland between the Maes and Texel, although none of these are found in the British Library’s early printing of the ‘Second Book’. Provenance: Leveson-Gore, ‘This copy belonged to a Mr. Leveson-Gore who lived in the South of France … He was a bachelor and later married his cook. When he died, she didn’t like the atlases and sold them, and I was lucky enough to purchase this’ (Wardington Catalogue); Sotheby’s 18 October 2006 lot 451. Shirley, British Library M.SELL-1a.