1777 William Herbert Nautical Map of Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia

William Herbert (November 29, 1718 – March 18, 1795) was a British map seller, book seller, publisher, and surveyor based in London in the second half of the 18th century. Herbert was born in London, the son of a dyer and hosier of Gravel Lane. He signed on to the East India company in 1738 as a purser's clerk, traveling in the process to the colonies in India. He returned to London in about 1745, having amassed a considerable collection of manuscript plans and charts of East India ports. Recognizing their commercial value, he set up business as a map and print seller on London Bridge in 1748. The premises of this business were sadly destroyed while Herbed watched the April 11, 1759 London Fire. He published a number of maps as well as the important New Directory for the East Indies. Much of his most important cartographic work seem to be associated with William Nichelson, who traveled to the East Indies in the 1750s and 60s mapping ports on behalf of the EOC. He retired in 1776 in reasonable comfort. His publications continued to be updated and re-published by his successors, among them Samuel Dunn and Henry Gregory. More by this mapmaker...

Henry Gregory (1744 - c. 1811) was an English chart and instrument maker active in London. Gregory was born in England. Gregory was apprenticed to John Fowler in 1732. He was in business for himself from c. 1750, operating 'The Azimuth Compass' in Leadenhall Street, London. He was a protégé of William Herbert (1718 – 1795) whose chart stock he took over in 1776. As a chartmaker, he produced the 1769 Directions for navigating from the Channel to the East Indies and the 1774 An Account of the Constant and Periodical Trade-Winds: or Monsoons, the Land and Sea Breezes. He collaborated with Samuel Dunn (1723 - 1794) on the 1775 Navigator's guide to the Oriental or Indian Seas. That same year, he took over the publication of Herbert's New Directory for the East Indies. Among the many instruments he produced, his azimuth compasses received praise from no lesser light than explorer James Cook (1728 - 1779) and were used in numerous late 18th century British voyages of exploration. Henry Gregory partnered with Gabriel Wright, operating as 'Gregory and Wright' from in 1782 - 1790, based at Navigation Warehouse, 148 Leadenhall Street, London (Gloria Clifton, G. Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers, 1550 - 1851). Learn More...