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HALLEY, Edmond : A Draught of the Bristol Channel from the Holmes to King Road, including the River Avon. taken from Capt. Holliday's Survey of the said River kept in ye Merchants Hall at Bristol

J & J Knapton, London, 1728

460 x 550 mm., with minor toning to the centrefold, otherwise in good condition.

The ‘Atlas Maritimus & Commercialis’ from which this chart of the approaches to Bristol was originally proposed in 1719. The maps were to be an improvement on those using Gerard Mercator’s projection by using a globular one. The atlas is usually attributed to the great Astronomer Royal Edmund Halley who wrote the prefatory note discussing the use of the charts. The author of the first part is believed to be Daniel Defoe, the second including the sailing directions is however the work of Nathanial Cutler. A fascinating detailed chart of the approaches to Bristol. The Somerset shore is detailed from 'Brint' (Brean) to north of the mouth of the Avon. The town of 'Weston Supermare' is also displayed along with 'Cleaven' (Clevedon) and 'Porshut' (Portishead). The Welsh coast is depicted including 'Peterston' near Cardiff and 'Newport'. There is a large amount of detail leading up the Avon River to Bristol. One particular note records 'Here K. W. landed 1690'. Bristol itself is laid out although there is little development south of the river, most of modern day Bedminster recorded as 'Meadow ground'. Shirley (2004) M.Hall 1a no. 11.

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