VERY RARE ROGER REA EDITION. This fascinating map recording the military history of England, Wales and Ireland was first published in John Speed’s ‘Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine’ in 1627. For this edition a separate world atlas entitled ‘A Prospect of the most Famous Parts of the World’ was first published. Bound between the two works was this map. The map is derived from John Speed’s separately issued map similarly entitled published c.1601 which survives in just five known examples. This map is engraved by Cornelis Danckerts for George Humble. The battles recorded include the Norman invasion of 1066 and all subsequent conflicts through 1588 and the Spanish Armada. A trail of ships up through the North Sea marks the Armada’s defeat. Small illustrations of opposing troops mark the site of battles. This is an example of the very rare second state by Roger Rea, both father and son.

This edition was published just prior to the Great Fire of London. The advertisement for the folio edition in the ‘Term Catalogues’ for Hilary Term 1675 interestingly states that ‘Mr. John Speed’s … Geography of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland … together with his Prospect … all in one entire Volume, hath been, for seven Years last past, out of Print, the greatest part of an Impression, then newly Printed, being destroyed by the late dreadful Fire, 1666’. It is this evidence which has led authorities to date the two works c.1665. In 1665 one of the Roger Rea’s dies, this might be supposed to be to the Plague which ravaged the city that year. Further luck befell the Rea firm when the following year London suffered severely from the Great Fire. This edition was largely destroyed and is today one of the rarest. One notable bibliographical alteration is that the double page map of the Civil Wars with text is now placed before that of the ‘Kingdome of Great Britaine and Ireland’ as the first map in the ‘Theatre’. Shirley (1991) nos. 239 & 397; Skelton (1970) 81.