This map of the county of Leicestershire is a reduction of the first of the county at the scale of one inch to the mile printed on four-sheets. It is one of the rarer of the eighteenth-century surveys and is notable for the fact that unlike his major competitors John Rocque and Thomas Jefferys with lots of experience in this field, John Prior was a teacher, clergyman and mathematician. Despite this apparent lack of capability, he was awarded the Silver Medal by the Society of Arts and 20 guineas. The survey itself was undertaken by Joseph Whyman from 1775-77, the large-scale map was published by Prior in 1779.

As much as space would allow much of the detail has been included. Turnpike roads have mileage’s identified, mostly from Leicester except the road from London where they are reversed. Crossroads are identified by a dotted line. The border contains markings of latitude, longitude and the number of minutes of time from London. The larger map was engraved by John Luffman (1751-1821) and although this is unsigned, a comparison enables us to presume that he also produced this work. The dedication is similarly to the Earl of Huntingdon. Baum (1972) pp. 38; Deadman & Brooks (2010) pp. 110-11; Eden (1975) P339; Harley (1965) pp. 56 & 63; Rodger (1972) no. 263.