C1842

Plan of the Special Survey called Wellington, on t…

Mapmaker:

Very rare c.19th separately issued hand coloured engraved map of the special survey called Wellington published 18th May 1842 for the Secondary Towns Association. This separately issued map identified by the lack of a plate number at top right would … Read Full Description

$A 2,350

Add to Cart

In stock

S/N: SA-ARRO-WELL–496211

(RW02-C)

Categories: AUSTRALIA, MAPS & GLOBES, South Australia

Within Australia

All orders ship freewithin Australia

Rest of the World

Orders over A$300
ship free worldwide

See Shipping page for Terms & Conditions

Details

Full Title:

Plan of the Special Survey called Wellington, on t…

Date:

C1842

Mapmaker:

John Arrowsmith (1790 - 1873)

Condition:

Minor tear at right sheet edge, otherwise with wide margins and in good condition. With centre fold.

Technique:

Copper engraving with original hand colouring.

Image Size:

542mm

x 398mm

Paper Size:

651mm

x 553mm

Genuine antique
dated:

1842

Description:

Very rare c.19th separately issued hand coloured engraved map of the special survey called Wellington published 18th May 1842 for the Secondary Towns Association.

This separately issued map identified by the lack of a plate number at top right would have been purchased from John Arrowsmith’s premises at 10 Soho Square. The buyer would have requested for the map to be inserted into a copy of John Arrowsmith’s, London Atlas, resulting in the centrefold. It would not have been included in the printed contents page of the atlas. We have previously handled another example of this rare map some thirty years ago.

The Secondary Towns Association was a British investment syndicate formed in the 1830s for the purpose of purchasing land in the newly established colony of South Australia. It was created specifically to acquire land under the South Australia Act 1834, which allowed land in the colony to be sold to fund the transportation of free settlers. The association’s primary aim was to purchase one or more “Special Surveys”—a system that permitted groups or individuals to pay for the surveying of large tracts of land (typically 15,000 acres), from which they could then select prime allotments before the remainder was opened up to public sale. These surveys were intended to support the establishment of secondary towns—planned settlements outside of the capital, Adelaide.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID: 937039
State Library South Australia: C 1004 OUTSIZE 6

John Arrowsmith (1790 - 1873)

English mapmaker, the last of a family of map makers that produced maps during the period 1790 to 1870. His uncle Aaron (1750 - 1823) left the north of England and went to work in London as a land surveyor where he surveyed the Great Post Roads between London and Falmouth which was engraved and published by John Cary an engraver in 1782 (Verner, 1971, p.1). In the 1790s he decided to establish his own map making business. He published about 200 maps and achieved great eminence being appointed Hydrographer to the King in 1820. John Arrowsmith, Aaron's nephew, who was born in Winston, county Durham, England (1790 - 1873) came to work for him in 1810. During the next thirteen years he learned from his uncle the art of map making, including engraving and printing. His two cousins, Aaron junior (1802-54) and Samuel (1805-39) (Verner, 1971, p.2) both worked in the business and inherited jointly the house, business, copper plates, presses etc. as stated in their father's will. By the time of his uncle's death John had established his own business which operated out of 33 East Street, Red Lion Square, although he still worked with his two cousins Aaron and Samuel. All three produced individual works, although Samuel was in charge of the business at 10 Soho Square. Aaron the younger, lost interest in map making and ceased producing maps in 1832 (Verner, 1971, p.2). In 1839 Samuel died and John bought the business including plates, MSS and copyrights at auction of December 1839 (Herbert, 1983) and continued operating from 10 Soho Square. In 1834 he produced his magnum opus, The London Atlas of Universal Geography, which he continued to revise and reissue until the last 1858 edition. However his atlas contains maps of later dates into the 60s (Herbert, 1989). He became a founding member of the Royal Geographical Society in London (1830) and a member of its council. He remained an active member for over forty years during which time he met many explorers and persons of influence who were instrumental in supplying him with information for his maps. In 1831 the society's Journal was established and Arrowsmith began producing maps for it from 1832 until 1870. He received the Gold medal of the Society in 1863 (Tooley, 1999). After his death his plates were bought by Edward Stanford of London who continued to issue the atlas with the name of Stanford's London Atlas of Universal Geography. This atlas continued into the 1920s. (Dorothy Prescott, 2010-2015)

View other items by John Arrowsmith