Buy this book on-line

TUNNICLIFF, William : [A Topographical Survey of the Counties of Hants, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, Commonly called the Western Circuit] Wiltshire

Octavo (230 x 160 mm.), no boards, the Wiltshire section only which includes 51-89 pp., a folding map of Wiltshire 495 x 370 mm., in early wash colour, with binding tear 50 mm. in length repaired, an Index Table of Distances for Wiltshire and 7 plates of the Arms of the Nobility of the County, otherwise in good condition.

William Tunnicliff (fl.1784-96) was a land surveyor and cartographer. In 1787 he began publishing a series of 'Topographical Surveys' of individual counties. In that year he was also advertising for employment and it seems that the series was a stop gap to further employment. His earliest maps are of Lancashire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, all smaller in size. Tunnicliff included much industrial information and focused on canals, a feature which was dramatically changing the landscape at the time. Later maps were focused more on the counties to the south and west as here. Indeed the year of this publication 1791 marked the last and included in one volume the counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. Offered here is the part of the volume on Wiltshire. Provenance: Old Hall Bookshop. Fordham 'Roads' p. 41; Smith 'The Maps of William Tunnicliff, Reluctant County Map-Maker', in IMCoS Journal 39 pp. 19-27; Upcott I p. xxvii.

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.