Thomas Moule (1784 – 1851) was a writer, bookseller, publisher, topographer and a scholar in heraldry. His varied career led him in 1830 to produce a series of English county map based on his own travel. He wrote that he has “with expensive diligence personally visited every county in England, excepting only Devonshire and Cornwall.” His maps were delicately engraved on steel in a highly decorative style, featured such embellishments as armorial bearings, figures, fancy borders and vignettes of local interest. This amount of ornamentation in mapmaking was unusual for the period as most mapmaker’s were instead creating scientifically accurate, austere works. His series of county maps were originally published in separate sections for each county (1830-32), then subsequently published in a two-volume work: The English Counties Delineated…, (1836). Beginning in 1841, the maps appeared in Barclays Complete and Universal English Dictionary.

This pair of attractive steel engraved maps provides detailed information of their respective counties, cities, towns, roads, canals and parks.

Gloucestershire. Embellished with coats of arms, a scene of two women and a fairy, and vignettes of Gloucester Cathedral, The New Spa Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Abbey Church. Bristol is at lower left. Handsome strapwork cartouche at top.
Wiltshire, circa 1850. Surrounded by striking border with angels. Includes vignettes of Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge and coats of arms.

References:

Condition: A

Near fine with one short (1/8") edge tear in former and tiny repair to upper edge in latter. Both well away from the image.