1.       John Hooker                                                                        1587

 


The first printed maps of the city appeared towards the end of the 16th century. Exeter was in the extremely fortunate situation of having an antiquarian and historian as its first Chamberlain and one who was also both surveyor and draftsman. John Hooker (c1527-1601) was the son of Robert Hooker or Robert Vowell, Mayor of Exeter in 1529. The Vowell family, prominent Exeter citizens for a number of generations, obtained the name Hooker in the 15th century but used the name Vowell regularly. John’s parents died when he was ten and he was brought up by Doctor Moreman, vicar of Menhinit in Cornwall. He went to Oxford to study civil law, and then travelled and studied under leading protestant figures in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. He returned to France but, because of the wars there, returned to Exeter where he subsequently married and pursued his interests in history and antiquities. In 1549 he was in Exeter at the time of the siege during the Prayer Book Rebellion and in 1555 the magistrates of the city elected him to be their first Chamberlain. He was engaged by Sir Peter Carew as legal advisor over property disputes in Ireland and Hooker became a member of both the English and the Irish parliaments.

In the following years he commissioned a number of his own works from London publishers which were often intended as New Year gifts. He wrote many histories among which was a Catalogue of the Bishops of Exeter and an Historical Record of the Province of Devon and finally his Antique Description and Account of the City of Exeter, which was not printed until 1765 by Andrew Price of Exeter. As an influential member of the Exeter society it is highly likely that John Hooker would have met Christopher Saxton when he was surveying Devon for his county map published in 1575 (B&B 1), and it is probably no coincidence that the Flemish engraver Remigius Hogenberg engraved both the county and the city maps. This map was commissioned in London by Hooker, possibly inspired by Hogenberg’s 1559 map of London. 

Title: Isca Damnoniorum: britanice Kaier penhuelgorte: Saxonice Monketon: Latine Exonia: Anglice Excancestre vel Excestre at nunc vulgo Exeter: Urbs peratiqua, et Emporium celeberrimum.

Size: 350 x 525 mm. There is a scale bar but no scale is entered.

Signature: Opera et impensis Joannis Hokeri generosi ac huius Civitatis quaestoris, hanc tabella sculpsit Remigius Hogenbergius Anno Dei 1587. 

The plan is a bird’s eye view, looking north-east, with the river flowing left to right. This view, much copied by the early map-makers, brings with it considerable fore-shortening and to a plan much inaccuracy. The names of the principal streets, churches and buildings are given with boats and fishermen on the river and a crane (marked Crane Seller) on the Key. Racks for drying the wool can be seen to the southwest of the city at Snail’s Tower with just a single line at Shilhay.

The title is in a plain rectangle at the top with the Royal Arms and the City Arms (granted in 1567). Just above the empty scale bar is a pair of dividers and, in the left corner, Hooker’s own arms and his motto Post Mortem Vita. As described here only a single copy is known, bought by the British Library in 1897 for 16 guineas, but there are a number of later states extant as well as copies (see Appendix A). In the third state (illustrated) the road from Larkbeare to St. Leonard’s and Radford Place takes a distinctive right bend.

Further manuscript maps drawn by Hooker were printed and published in the late nineteenth century (see 59 and 60).


Return to Catalogue

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  The Printed Maps of Exeter 1587 - 1901 300 Years of Exeter History by Francis Bennett and Kit Batten with an Introduction by Dick Passmore This site is dedicated to the memories of two dear friends who both contributed greatly to the compilation of this work. The site is dedicated to Francis Bennett who contributed so much to the three books we published together and was a much-appreciated friend. The site is also dedicated to Dick Passmore who provided much local know-how, a wonderful Introduction and plenty of very useful advice. I miss them both. Contents A Brief History of Exeter by Dick Passmore The Printed Maps of Exeter – Catalogue of Maps 1 - 64 - Chronological Listing - Browse List Select Bibliography of Books on Devon Maps Appendix A – John Hooker States and Derivatives Appendix B – John Richards Appendix C – Henry Besley Acknowledgements                                         NOTE! New map of Exeter - Birchynshaw 1743 - 10A Blog Disclaime
Read more
Image
  A Brief History of Exeter by Dick Passmore  The Great Conduit stood from 1441 - 1770 (Jenkins entry 17) A Brief History of Exeter   By Dick Passmore   EXETER, the county town of Devon, is one of the oldest cities in England, and able to boast of settlements prior to the Roman invasion of our country, possibly two hundred years before. Iron age settlements have been excavated recently in various areas of the city, although these settlements appear to have been small, possibly just farms, rather than the remains of anything larger. Certainly a Roman legionary fortress was set up in c.55 – 60 AD, lasting until c.75 AD. Recently evidence of further Roman military activity around Exeter has been found, possibly pre-dating the fortress by a few years – but archaeological work on this aspect continues, and at present has to be classed as possible, rather than definite. The early Roman civil town of Exeter was established around 80 AD on the site of the earlier fortress, and was enclose
Read more
Image
  The Printed Maps of Exeter – Catalogue of Maps 1-64   The following maps are listed and described and illustrated (with permission being granted). The numbering is that of the original printed version (published 2010) and lodged in various libraries including the British Library and the Devon Heritage Centre. One new map (no. 64) has been added subsequently. Historic maps, i.e. purporting to show Exeter in an earlier era, have a date in brackets to show this earlier date. Inset Maps are plans of Exeter added to larger maps. NOTE : William Byrchynshaw is 10.A. Click here . 1.        John Hooker                         1587 2.        John Speed (inset map)  1610 3.        Braun & Hogenberg           1618 4.        Daniel Meisner     1637 5.        Matthäus Merian                                1650 6.        Rutgerus Hermannides     1661
Read more