This map of Middlesex is an early county map to show the county’s roads. It presents a good view of the city of London and the Thames River along with the locations of towns, buildings, forests, rivers, bridges and parks, which are noted by fenced areas. There is a decorative cartouche and three different distance scales. Sold by Abel Swale, Awnsham & John Churchil.

Morden was one of the first English cartographers to show longitudes measured from the meridian of St. Paul's Cathedral (shown in degrees at the bottom of the map) and time in minutes measure locally from the sun (shown at the top). The roads on his maps are based on Ogilby's earlier survey. The Britannia was first published by historian William Camden (1551-1623) in 1586. After the publication of the final edition of Britannia in 1637, the work was not published again until 1695 when Gibson revised and translated the text from the original Latin and included fifty maps, mostly of the English counties, prepared by Robert Morden, replacing the outdated maps of Christopher Saxton.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) T.CAMD-5a.

Condition: B

Watermarked paper with light soiling, scattered foxing, and a number of small chips and tears in blank margins, only two of which touch neatline at top.