16.     John Hayman (Cole & Roper)                                                     1805

 

In 1801 John Britton (1771-1857) received a commission to prepare the text for the Beauties of Wiltshire, the first county in the series of the Beauties of England and Wales. John started as a cellarman in Smithfield, then became an attorney’s clerk and gave that up when he became interested in archaeology and had published his first work the Adventures of Pizzaro in 1799.  By 1805 he was writing about Devon and in that year he arranged with John Roper for the engraving of a county map by George Cole and a map of Exeter drawn by John Hayman. He went on to complete the Beauties with E W Brayley (1773-1854), a fellow antiquarian, and it proved a great success. It led to further illustrated county books of which Devon Illustrated was published in 1829, and Cornwall Illustrated in 1831 (and brought together in 1832).

The plan was also issued in the British Atlas, first published 1810, published for the Proprietors^[1]. From 1810 editions appeared for Vernor and Hood and in 1816 for Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, and in 1816 English Topography by the Rev. J. Nightingale was issued by the same publishers. The Curiosities of Great Britain … London: Tallis & Co (1835) also contained a county map but no changes to map area (only plate number or imprint etc., see B&B 67 for the county map).

Britton was one of the most productive writers of his time. An author of numerous books on the antiquities and topography of Great Britain, he was so popular that the Britton Club was formed in 1845 and a sum of nearly £1,000 was raised by a subscription for his intended autobiography. 

Title: EXETER

Size: 220 x 180 mm with SCALE 800 feet = 24 mm or 1 Mile = 174 mm.

Signature: Engraved by J. Roper from a drawing by J. Hayman and Drawn and Engraved under the Direction of J. Britton. Note: To Accompany the Beauties of England and Wales and imprint: London: Published for the Proprietors by Vernon & Hood Poultry, June 1st, 1805.^[2] 

The Bishop’s & the City Arms are top left and at the bottom there is a vignette of East View of Exeter Cathedral &c. signed Hayman dd. and Woolnoth sc. The REFERENCE table is shown in wards above the scale bar. A north point is shown. The plan covers the same area as Tozer except that Holloway is extended as far as Parker’s Wall and the Cotton Factory by Trews Wear. As David Smith points out it was specially commissioned and Hayman used extensive local knowledge. [2A]

Outside the city walls: Bridge Street is named between the bridge and Fore Street with Frog Lane passing below; the notes Devon/Exeter are shown by the bridge; the western New Cut is omitted and a New Canal bypasses Blackaller Wear; the road from Bedford Circus has been extended and now passes through Barn Field (the crescent dating to 1800). There are numerous additions including Little Silver beside St. Davids, the two sets of Barracks off the New Road, and an Aqueduct to the City Conduits at the head of Longbrook (beside Lions Holt and the Ammunition Ground). Fryers Hay, previously full of serge racks is now built up with Graves Street and Colleton Crescent (only completed in 1805 after three years) but other fields are still dotted with rack symbols, even though their total area is dwindling, for example, Bull Meadow, between Holloway Street and Magdalen Street. Only one Turnpike Gate is shown: the gate opposite Parker’s Wall on Holloway Street.

Inside the walls: the Wards have only an initial as reference; most religious meeting houses are shown as well as all the churches; the Old Jail (Tozer) is now the Methodists Meeting House; St. John’s Hospital is called the Grammar Sc.; the Treasury, by the cathedral has been removed; North Street is widened by the old gate; and the chapel is omitted within the castle. The Quaker’s Meeting House was built in Magdalen Street in 1806 but is already shown and is in the key. The Mount Pleasant inn on the river has become the Knave of Clubs.

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^[1] Issued in parts without a title page.

^[2] Volume IV containing Devon and Dorset is dated 1803 (title page) but the three maps (Devon, Dorset and Exeter) are all dated 1805.

[2A] Amended 2022: David Smith; The British Atlas, 1810 – A Reassessment of the town maps; in the IMCoS Journal; March 2017.

 17.     John Hayman (Alexander Jenkins)                                                 1806 

John Hayman´s original map (previous entry, 16) was used as the basis for another map of the city included in Alexander Jenkins’ History of Exeter published in 1806 (see above). The plan, though drawn to a smaller scale, uses the same technique as for Hayman’s 1805 plan. There is greater emphasis on the suburbs so that toll gates can be seen and a number of houses are shown, e.g. Franklin, Barley, Haccombe and the two Cleaves to the west; Cowick Priory and Alphington House to the south; and Liverydole Chapel to the east. The area actually covered is from Littlejohn’s Cross to the Tiverton Gate and from Exwick Mill to one mile out from Larkbear, the city boundary. The Exeter/Devon boundary is clearly pecked (omitting the northern part). Heights are hachured and Country Seats drawn in elevation. This map has more written information even within the city and appears to be more accurate.

A proof copy exists (see below) before improvements, e.g. parish names include word Part or Pt, Franklin and Cowick Priory and a number of other country houses corrected, the Artillery Barracks have a new wing and outbuildings, and a picture of Mt Radford house replaces the previous plan.

 

Title: EXETER

Size: 205 x 235 mm with Scale Quarter of a Mile in chains 20 = 26 mm or 1 Mile = 104 mm.

Signatures:  Engraved by B. Baker & D. Wright, Islington and From a survey & drawing by J. Hayman.

Imprints: Engraved for Alexr. Jenkins History of Exeter and Published by P. Hedgeland, High Street, Exeter April 19, 1806. 

The broad hatched border has been enlarged for the title (compared to 16) and there is a North point. Whereas the list on Hayman’s earlier plan (previous entry) included all religious meeting places this Reference Key only relates to the churches. The northerly barracks are now described and the new Artillery Barracks shown (bottom right); Hoopers Buildings can now be seen next to the Workhouse on the Honiton-London Road. There appear to be fewer buildings shown about Larkbear by Mt. Radford, and though Bull Meadow has lost its racks, there are further rack fields shown along Magdalen Street. The plan also shows nearly all the toll gates on the main roads. At Exwick a factory and mills are shown; possibly Mr Pim’s paper mills which burnt down only three years later. Within the city the streets, most important buildings, the Guildhall, inns, hotels, Tuckers Hall, the theatre, the partly built crescent in Barn Field and even the markets are shown and lettered.

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 20.     John Hayman (T and H Besley)                                                      1828 

Thomas Besley was born in 1760 and advertised himself as printer, bookseller and stationer or bookbinder and was listed in various directories of the time at Southgate Street (1801 and 1811); at Holy Trinity (1803); and at 76, Bell Hill, South Street (between 1816 and 1834). Thomas and Jane had 6 children including Thomas Junior (he became an independent printer in Exeter) and Henry who eventually became partner and successor to the family business. Few local printers published extensively but Henry Besley could claim to have been one of the most prolific of local publishers.

It would appear that the Besleys were in contact with John Hayman (see 16) and managed to obtain the plates which had been used for his map of 1805. They expanded the plates, added new title and imprints and included the map in the Exeter Itinerary And General Directory - June 1828. This was Printed and Published by T and H Besley, South Street. Issues of the directory are extant only for the years 1828, 1831 (no change to map), 1836 and 1839. 

Title: EXETER in 1828

Size: 230 x 210 mm with SCALE 800 feet = 24 mm or 1 Mile = 174 mm.

Imprint and signature: To Accompany the Exeter Itinerary & General Directory and Exeter, Published by the Proprietors, T & H Besley, Printers &c. South Street. 

Hayman’s map of 1805 has been revised and has been extended to the east, to include the houses at the top end of St. Sidwell Street (e.g. Peerless Place and Salem Place) and the City Workhouse and Baring Crescent on the London Road. Coaver and Bellair (built by John Vowler, a rich grocer, in 1710) can now be seen. The Reference Key has been revised (e.g. Quaker’s Meeting House is now St. Sidwell’s Church) and turned into a scroll. There are a number of new buildings or alterations: the County Bridewell is shown beside the County Gaol and the nearby Barracks are slightly reduced; the Proposed Basin is shown near Trews Wear and the Deaf and Dumb Institute, established 1826, nearby has been added. Mount Radford has become a school (1827). The Racket Court has given way to Dix’s Field (named after previous owner). A new canal has been cut at Great Shilhay. In addition the new gas works, built 1815-1817, has been included on Exe Island. This was situated in Archer Lane, between Tudor Street and Bonhay Road. Colleton Crescent, surprisingly, looks uncompleted. There are a few errors: Broad Gate has not been changed although it and 2 adjoining houses were taken down in 1825 for road widening.

The map was revised for inclusion in the Exeter Guide and Itinerary of 1836 (now only published by H Besley, see below). The main change is that the reference key is removed and placed below the map; in the space now uncovered, considerable development is shown such as the New Road is extended from Bedford Crescent and back into Paris Street. Reference 35 is now the Friends’ Meeting House, newly opened, at the new Friar’s Walk. The new Queen Street is already shown as far as the city wall with a suggestion of extension but not yet named (opened 1837).

There are roads and houses between Magdalen Road and Holloway Street (not all complete). The North Road is new and winds from Longbrook Street out to the Bridewell and Gaol before joining the previous New Road and passing near the new reservoir (1833). Here it meets another new road which crosses Pound Lane and meets Northernhay Row near the New City Prison. The Bristol & Exeter Railway is now shown but without start or end: it appears from the compass on the banks of the Exe, follows the river on the northern bank before crossing both Great Shilhay and the river and ceases at the New Basin. The line was enacted in 1836 but not connected to the city until 1844.

For the 1839 directory the map was altered: the new road to the New City Prison has been deleted; the layout of the roads around Magdalen Road has been realigned (corrected) with a new road to join Paris Street; and new properties have sprung up between Longbrook Street and the New North Road. There are outlines of buildings at the New Basin: these were possibly supposed to be the new coal wharfs or the rival gas works built at Haven Banks and opened in May 1839.

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 21.     Hackett I                                                                                         1830

 

Thomas Hackett (fl 1830-1844) set himself up as a lithographer in Exeter after his marriage in 1824 and by 1831 he had become Exeter’s principal lithographer working in Sidwell Street. He moved to Paris Street in 1834 and in 1840 founded his Lithographic Office in Magdalen Street. There he was joined by his brother William, a Captain of the Royal Navy, who later succeeded to the firm.

Hackett produced the three plans described here in connection with the improvement of roads and turnpikes and a city plan to show the old and the new City Boundaries (see Dawson I). None of the plans below is dated and all are from approximately 1828-32. They all include new, projected road routes which can be seen on later maps, e.g. Dawson (1832).

The company executed a great number of prints for Spreat’s Churches. Thomas also produced a number of estate plans of local properties, e.g. plans of Court Estate, Situate in the Parish of Dawlish, the Plan of Higher Hern Estate in Halberton (1835),  his Plan of the Mansion House and Lands, called The Lodge (Tiverton, 1835) and his Map of Orchard Estate (also Dawlish, 1838).

Title: Exeter TURNPIKE Trust.

Size: 290 x 450 mm with Scale of Chains (20 = 80 mm).

Imprint: Hackett, Lithog Verney Place, Exeter.

 

There is a north point, References (of distances) and a scale bar. The northern half of the city is shown from High Street and Fore Street. The plan shows the proposed new roads to the north of the city: Exe Bridge to Red Cow Turnpike; Longbrook Street to Belmont through Elmfield and Taddifield; a link road, joining both, through Townsen's Gardens. The City Prison, the County Gaol and the House of Correction (i.e. the Bridewell) are shown (below has a view as published in Thomas Moore's History of Devonshire).

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 22.     Wills / Hackett                                                                    1830

 

Title: PLAN OF The City of Exeter shewing the Lines of Road Proposed by Messrs. Coldridge & Vicars.

Size: 355 x 245 mm but no scale.

Imprints: W. Wills, Exeter and Hackett, Lithog. Exeter 

The plan shows two alternative routes proposed: Vicar’s line cut through the walls almost mid-way between North-gate and the Castle, joining the High Street south of the Guildhall; and Coldridge’s line came south of St. David's Hill and South-gate ending mid-way along North Street. Coldridge also had a branch outside the city to the London Inn (formerly the Oxford) just outside East-gate. This branch followed the line of the ‘west’ new road, first shown in Hayman’s plan of 1805. The end result was a compromise: Vicar’s road with modifications at the City entrance and the branch line to a junction with St. David’s Hill was adopted. Intriguingly, the plan predicts the building of the new basin and shows Exe Island as Horse Fair and Shilhay as Coal and Timber Yards.

Vicars and Coldridge had already worked together on a road between Wiveliscombe and South Molton circa 1824 (there is a copy at the National Archives).

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 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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 25.     Richard Creighton                                                                         1835

 

Samuel Lewis issued his A Topographical Dictionary of England in 1831 (B&B 103) which contained county maps inserted at the relevant section of the text. In 1835 he produced a new supplementary volume comprising a Representative History of England which contained county and borough maps showing the electoral boundaries and changes following the 1832 Reform Act. This made up Volume V to the third edition of Topographical Dictionary. The View of the Representative History of England was issued as a separate publication in 1835 and 1840 with a total of 116 maps.

All the maps in this later work were drawn by Richard Creighton. The Representative History included Plate XIX – the county map, Plate XX – Exeter and Tavistock together; Plate XXI – Barnstaple, Tiverton, Ashburton and Dartmouth; Plate XXII – Devonport, Plymouth, Honiton and Totnes. The maps were engraved by the well-known partnership of John and Charles Walker who also engraved county maps. 

Title: EXETER (The right half of the sheet shows Tavistock). Sheet Number: XX.

Size: Sheet 180 x 235 mm – Exeter 180 x 120 mm with Scale of Miles (or 1 Mile = 34 mm).

Signature:  Drawn by R Creighton

Imprint:  Engraved by J & C Walker 

The Exeter half of the sheet has both title and north point. The map shows both the old and the new borough boundaries, from Alphington to just below Pynes House and from just east of Barley House to East Wonford. The map is essentially a copy of Dawson but at a smaller scale and does not reveal anything new.

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 26.     Brown / Schmollinger                                                                        1835

 

Little is known of W Schmollinger (fl.1831-37) outside his work on maps for Thomas Moule’s English Counties (B&B 111). In an 1837 trade directory he is advertised as a specialist map engraver but little work of his is known. He had premises at 27 Goswell Terrace, Goswell Road, and later in Aldine Chambers, Paternoster Row. He may well have been the son of the Joseph Schmollinger and Mary Drew who married at St. Leonard Shoreditch in 1799^[1].

In 1836 Schmollinger engraved an attractive county map of Devon in a similar style to those in Moule’s English Counties. The frame, typical of Moule’s maps has columns right and left with two different and very ornate stonework patterns between. The map was published by R Colliver of Exeter of whom nothing is as yet known. It has Colliver’s imprint, is dated 1836 and has been inserted into editions of The History of Devonshire from the earliest period to the present by Rev. Thomas Moore. Illustrated by a series of views drawn and engraved by and under the direction of William Deeble.

The History was issued as a part-work and was advertised in other publications.^[2] The work was published in London by Robert Jennings, 62 Cheapside, and the first issue appeared on September 1, 1829. Surprisingly, Henry Fisher began to publish his part work, Devon & Cornwall Illustrated, on exactly the same day. 

The first part issue (about fifty numbers were planned) contained the title page, two engravings and twenty-four pages of text which, apart from the extra title page, was the expected format. Although all the promised plates had been issued by 1834 in the initial 47 Numbers there were delays in printing and publishing the last 300 pages as evidenced by the dates in the two maps. These two maps (Devon and Exeter), both promised in the initial Mode of Publication printed on each part, were then added by the binder when the volumes were bound. The book was usually published in two volumes; the second volume having this town plan of Exeter, by Brown and Schmollinger, and also published by Colliver and similarly inserted. The work was also bound in three parts: parts one and two with the text; volume 3 being the engravings.^[3] 

Title: THE CITY OF EXETER 1835^[4]

Size: 185 x 245 mm with Scale of 1000 feet = 35mm (or 1 Mile = 185 mm).

Signature: Drawn by R.Brown.

Imprints: Engraved by W. Schmollinger, 13. Paternoster Row. (right) and Published by R. Colliver, Holloway Street, Exeter (central). 

The City Arms and supporters are centre bottom, the Bishops Arms bottom left and a North point, top centre. There is a small vignette in each corner: Exe Bridge, The Castle, The Guildhall and St. Peters Cathedral. The two references show Public Buildings and Churches (etc.). The area shown is from St. Davids to St. Leonards and from Cowick Street to Black Boy Road. Two new roads are clearly shown for the first time (but see also 20): the New Road from Bedford Precinct to join the London Road at Summerland Place; and the New North Road from Longbrook Street to form a triangle at Pound Lane. There is also a small portion of new road at the end of Paris Street. This map shows the line of the recently built Higher Market Street from the High Street past the prison and out to the New North Road. Rocks Lane has now become Coombes Street. All wall gates are gone as are the inner castle walls (except the Norman gate tower). Progress has been made on the new development between Sidwell Street and Paris Street and along both Magdalen Road and Holloway Street: note, too, the Gas Works on the Bonhay, the new City Reservoir behind Danes Castle and the Coal Wharfs alongside the New Basin. The key lists a number of newer public buildings such as the Athenaeum, opened 1836, and the Episcopal Chapel (1832) near Bedford Crescent. Only two areas remain marked as Rack Fields.

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^[1] Laurence Worms; Some British Mapmakers; Ash Rare Books Catalogue and Price List; 1992.

^[2] Part XXXIX of Moule’s English Counties (111) contained an advertisement for the various parts of Vol. I of Moore’s work. See Tony Campbell; The Original Monthly Numbers of  Moule’s ‘English Counties’; The Map Collector; Issue 31; June 1985; p.31.

^[3] For a full discussion on the probable publication history of Moore's History see my blog Two Rival Illustrated Works on Devon, 1829.

^[4] The only known copies have been bound into Moore’s History of Devon, with title page still dated 1829 but the county map is dated 1836.