Rare sailing directions for the British and Irish coasts.

John William Norie (1772 – 1843) was a mathematician, hydrographer, chart maker and publisher of nautical books. His most famous work was the ‘Epitome of Practical Navigation’ (1805), which became the standard work on navigation and went through many editions. Norie began his career working with William Heather, who ran the Naval Academy and Naval Warehouse in Leadenhall Street from 1795, which sold navigational instruments, charts, and books on navigation. Norie took over the Naval Warehouse after Heather’s retirement and founded the company J.W. Norie and Company in 1813. After Norie’s death the company became Norie and Wilson, then in 1903 Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson.

Sailing directions such as this are extremely rare. We are unable to trace an institutional of bearing the date 1822 or 1824. The British Library holds an example of the directions from Yarmouth to Liverpool dated 1825; and an example of the Saint George’s Channel dated 1816.