A. Lincolnshire, by Thomas Moule, circa 1844 (8.1 x 10.1"). This small but ornamental map covers the county of Lincolnshire. Railways, roads, towns and cities, and topographical detail are shown, and a key on a drape at bottom right identifies the hundreds or wapentakes. A decorative border surrounds the map, featuring emblazoned shields, an angel, and two views depicting Lincoln Cathedral and Grimsthorpe Castle. The North Sea appears as German Ocean here.

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. Condition: Faint toning along the top and bottom sheet edge, otherwise fine. (A)

B. Norfolk, by John Wilkes, from Encyclopaedia Londinensis, dated 1819 (9.9 x 7.4"). This striking map of Norfolk names a plethora of towns and cities and features nice detail of the network of roads that run through the county. Lighthouses are located along the coast. An escutcheon decorated with a castle and a lion appears at top right. Engraved by Neele & Son. Condition: A dark impression with light scattered foxing and minor offsetting from an opposing page of text. (B+)

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See description above.