24.     Robert Dawson I                                                                               1832

 

Lieutenant, later Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Kearsley Dawson, RE (1798-1861) was the son of Robert Dawson, a Devonian, who had been active during the first Ordnance Survey of Devon of 1809 (B&B 74). R K Dawson entered the Royal Engineers in 1818 and worked in Scotland under Thomas Colby, Superintendent of the Ordnance Survey. Dawson prepared the boundary surveys for 277 county maps and city plans of England and Wales which were printed as a result of the Reform Bill of 1831 and related to the Boundaries Act passed in July 1832. The maps and plans were subsequently published in two volumes in 1832. This map was number 38 in Vol I of the Plans of the Cities & Boroughs of England & Wales, shewing their boundaries as established by the Boundaries Act passed 11^th July 1832. This was printed by James & Luke G. Hansard & Son at their premises near Lincoln’s Inn Fields, 1832. 

Title: EXETER  from the Ordnance Survey

Size: 250 x185 mm with Scale of 2 inches to a Mile (or 1 Mile = 51 mm).

Signature: Robt. K Dawson Lieut R.E.

Imprint:  G. E. Madeley  Lith 3 Wellington St., Strand . 

A simplified and enlarged portion of the Ordnance Survey to show the City and the old and new borough boundaries. There is no border, the title is top right and the North point top left. Under the plan are the scale bar, Dawson’s handwritten signature and the lithographer’s imprint. There is also a list, Explanations, showing in colour the various borough and parish boundaries. The map covers the area from Alphington to Pynes House and from St. John’s Cross to East Wonford with the new developments in St. Leonard’s parish along the roads to Heavitree. There are letters A to K identifying the new boundary markers. The wards are better shown in Dawson’s map of 1837 (27).

Very soon after publication the local printer Thomas Hackett produced an almost identical copy with a new title and references, new compass, and with scale bar moved (illustrated above). All references to Dawson and Madeley were removed. Hackett did not always use the same engraving letters used by Madeley.

 Title: Boundary of Exeter (centrally at top).

Size: 340 x 210 mm with a Scale 2 Inches to a Mile (100 mm = 2) (below text section).

Imprint: HACKETT, LITHOG: EXETER under the scale bar.        

A two line border is added and the Goal (sic) is named. The definition of the boundary included in Dawson’s report has now been introduced and written out in full at the bottom of the map.

 From the Turnpike Gate A on the Moreton road Southward along Cowick lane to the point B at which the same meets Stone lane thence along Stone lane to the point C at which the same meets the Road from Exeter to Alphington thence Southward along the Road from Exeter to Alphington to the point D at which the same is joined by Marsh Barton lane thence along Marsh Barton lane to the point E at which the same reaches the Western branch of the River Exe thence in a straight line to the point F at which Abbey lane reaches the Eastern branch of the River Exe, thence southward along the Leat to the point G at which the same is joined by the Brook which runs down through East Wonford, thence along the said Brook to the point H at which the same crosses the old Stoke & Tiverton Road near the Road to Mincing Lake Farm, thence along the Old Stoke & Tiverton Road to the point I at which the same meets the Old City Boundary thence Northward along the Old City Boundary to the point K near Foxhay’s at which a Branch of the River Exe flowing through Exwick joins the main Stream thereof thence in a straight line to the point L at which the Road from Exwick to the Turnpike Gate on the Moreton Road is joined by a Road leading from Foxhays to Cleave thence along the said Road from Exwick to the Turnpike Gate on the Moreton Road to the point A at which the same reaches such Turnpike Gate.

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 27.     Robert Dawson II                                                                      1837

 

As a result of the boundary reforms effected in the 1830s, Robert Dawson had already completed one set of plans for proposed boundary changes in 1832 (see 24). In 1837 he prepared new maps and plans for Report of the Commissioners appointed to report and advise upon the Boundaries and Wards of certain Boroughs and Corporate Towns, (England and Wales)  Parts I – III. These included a sheet for Exeter which included two separate plans.

Reform was long overdue. Much of the findings of the revising barristers appointed to oversee the new Boundaries Act were based on the returns of the 1831 census, which showed a total population of 33,509. The Reform Act altered not only the electorate but also its size. In 1831 it was estimated that out of a male population of 12,683 a total of only 1,125 were eligible to vote. After the Reform Act some 2,952 electors were registered. In part this was reflected by the increase of the parliamentary borough from 2,400 to 4,600 acres as the maps show. 

Title: EXETER from the Ordnance Survey

Size: 320 x 180 mm shows two plans. One is at Scale 1 inch to a mile and the second plan at Scale 4 Inches to 1 Mile.

Signature:  R. K. Dawson Lt. R. E. 

There is a title, north point and two references (one to parishes and another to boundaries). A colour code is given for the wards and there are 2 scale bars. The two plans show the city as Dawson’s earlier map of 1832. The smaller plan shows the enlarged borough boundary and the four outer wards (note the new Hooker’s Ward). The larger plan shows the city and immediate surroundings in block form with the now two inner city wards Castle and Cathedral and the parishes although St. Thomas’s Parish is not named. Like Dawson’s earlier plan, there is no border.

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Illustration Reproduced by kind permission of Devon Archives & Local Studies - LM B/EXE/1832/DAW.

 42.     Henry James                                                                                1868 

In 1867 the Boundary Commission produced 196 plans of English Boroughs and 51 of Welsh Boroughs. Although the report purported to include each Borough and County, very few county or part-county maps were included.^[1] Henry James (1803-1877) had overseen the initial stages of the later surveying of towns and boroughs in the West Country. He joined the Ordnance Survey in 1827 and became the Director-General in 1854, a post he held until 1875. James was a supporter of lithography and his enthusiasm for the new technique of photo-zincography led to it becoming a standard process in the production of Ordnance Survey maps. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society, was knighted in 1860 and promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1874.

The boundary maps were prepared under the direction of Captain R M Parsons by lithographic transfer with overprinted colour representing the parliamentary boundary of 1832, the proposed Parliamentary boundary of 1868, the municipal boundary, and the parish and township boundaries see also B&B 146). A note explains that: A map of each Borough and County taken from the Ordnance Survey plans is appended to the Reports for the purpose of illustrating the existing and proposed Boundaries. These maps, however, many of which are of old date, are far from conveying an adequate idea of the extension of building which has taken place in recent years, and must not be considered as indicating the character of the Districts within the new proposed Boundaries. The report was printed by George Edward Eyre and William Spottiswoode for HMSO. 

Title: EXETER

Size: 330 x 220 mm with Scale of 3 Inches to One Mile (or 1 Mile = 75 mm).

Signature: Henry James Colonel Royal Engineers (in hand).

Imprint:  Zincographed at the Ordnance Survey Office Southampton under the superintendence of Capt. R. M. Parsons R.E., F.R.A.S. Col. Sir H. James R.E., F.R.S. &c. Director and date below 1868. 

The panel below the map contains James’ signature, scale bar and reference for boundary colours. The title is in a panel top right. The plan covers the whole Exeter area from Cowley Bridge to High Wear and from Wick Lane to East Ponford. The only boundary changes proposed from those of 1832 are in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle north of Foxhays to just below Exwick and straightening the south boundary by Marsh Barton Lane. But the area names have changed and wards have gone. The five outer areas are now St. David, St. Sidwell, St. Leonard, St. Thomas the Apostle and Heavitree.

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^[1] Besides Devonshire only 8 county maps were included: Cheshire, Derby, Essex, (North and South) Lancs, Lincs, Norfolk, Somerset and Staffs. There were further maps of West Kent, East Surrey and the West Riding of Yorkshire.