Speed’s map of Westmorland

By SPEED, John, 1627 

The county Westmorland and Kendale the chief towne described with the armes of such nobles as have bene earles of either of them.

British Isles English Counties
  • Author: SPEED, John
  • Publication place: London
  • Publisher: Performed Iohn Speede and are to be sold by George Humble in Popes head alley against the Exchange
  • Publication date: 1627
  • Physical description: Engraved map with hand colouring.
  • Dimensions: 380 by 510mm. (15 by 20 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 11775

Notes

A beautifully coloured map of Westmorland, with an inset map of Kendall and a description of the marriage of Saint Margaret of Scotland and Malcolm III.

John Speed (1552–1629) was the outstanding cartographer of his age. His Theatre of Great Britain’ was the first atlas of the British Isles: Speed prepared the maps himself about two years before they were published. His maps and books dominated the seventeenth-century English market. The present map is taken from the 1627 English edition published by George Humble. 

Bibliography

  1. Chubb XXV.
    • Chubb, T., Skells, J. and Beharrell, H. (1977). The printed maps in the atlases of Great Britain and Ireland. Folkestone: Dawson.
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