1710 Moll Map of England and Wales

This is a fascinating 1710 Herman Moll map of South Britain, or England and Wales. It depicts the entirety of England and Wales, including the Isle of Man. The map is extremely detailed, noting cities, roads, towns, bishoprics, archbishoprics, distances between towns, rivers, and a host of additional topographical features. This map also offers splendid detail throughout with respect to undersea shoals and reefs in the surrounding waters. An exhaustive alphabetical list of the towns of England and Wales, a list of parliamentary constituencies, is included along the left and right borders of the map.

The Wall of Hadrian or Picts Wall, fortifications built by the Roman Empire to defend against the unruly tribes of the north, are identified.

The top right quadrant of the map features a large ornamental title cartouche which includes the coat of arms and a fleet of ships. Another cartouche near the top left features a dedication to 'Francis lord Viscount Rialton' with the Godolphin family coat of arms and a country scene depicting horse riders. This map was created by Herman Moll in 1710.

Cartographer

Herman Moll (1654 - 1732) was an important 18th century map publisher and engraver based in London and Holland. Moll's origins are disputed with some suggesting he was born in the Netherlands and others Germany - the Moll name was common in both countries during this period. Most likely Moll was a German from Bremen, as his will, friends, and contemporaries suggest. What is known for certain is that he moved to London in 1678, possibly fleeing the Scanian War, where he worked as an engraver for Moses Pitt and other London map publishers. Around the turn of the century, Moll set up his own shop where he produced a large corpus of work known for its high quality and decorative flair. As a new émigré to England, Moll made himself more English than the English, and through his cartography proved a fierce advocate for his adopted nation. Most of Moll's early maps were issued as loose sheets that would be bound to order, however, he did publish several important atlases late in his career. Moll is said to have made the bold claim that without a doubt "California is an Island" and that he "had in [his] office mariners who have sailed round it." While California may not be an island (yet), it is true that Moll had talent for attracting interesting friends and acquaintances. He frequented London's first stock exchange, Jonathan's Coffeehouse at Number 20 Exchange Alley, Cornhill. At the time Jonathan's was known as "a place of very considerable concourse for Merchants, sea faring Men and other traders" (Erleigh, The Viscount, The South Sea Bubble, Manchester: Peter Davies, Ltd., 1933, 21). Eventually this activity attracted the interest of stock brokers, who inspired by sailor's tales, sponsored the ill-fated South Sea Company, the world's first stock bubble. Moll's close circle, mostly from the Coffee House, included scientist Robert Hooke, the writers Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe) and Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), the pirates William Dampier, William Hacke and Woodes Rogers, and the archeologist William Stukeley. Herman Moll's work was highly regarded for its decorative beauty and was pirated, most notably by the Irish publisher George Grierson, both in his lifetime and after his 1732 death at St. Clement Danes, London.   Further Details...

Source

Moll, H., The World Described; or a New and Correct Sett of Maps, (London) 1711-33.    

Herman Moll's The World Described; or a New and Correct Sett of Mapps Shewing the Several Empires, Kingdoms, Republics, Principalities, Provinces etc. in all Known Parts of the World is the most English atlas of the early 18th century, both for its cartographic content and for its unusual and evolving publication history. First issued c. 1715, the atlas was not conceived as a single, fixed-volume publication, but rather as a composite work assembled over time, reflecting the dynamic and commercial nature of the London map trade. Moll issued the atlas in parts, with new maps engraved, updated, and added incrementally across multiple printings extending to about 1754 (well after Moll's 1732 death). The earliest iterations of The World Described emerged during a period of intense interest in geography, trade, and imperial expansion. Moll capitalized on this demand by producing large, separately issued maps that could be sold individually or collected into bound atlases according to a purchaser's preference. As a result, no single 'standard' collation of the atlas; instead, surviving examples vary in content and arrangement. The maps themselves often bear the imprint 'Sold by H. Moll over against Devereux Court in the Strand,' and many are dated between roughly 1715 and the early 1720s, though dates are frequently absent, complicating bibliographic reconstruction. The World Described includes Moll's most influential maps, including large-format representations of North America, the Caribbean, and the British colonies. These maps are notable for their political and commercial emphasis, highlighting English territorial claims and trade routes. Moll's work also drew upon contemporary sources, including information from explorers, merchants, pirates, and private correspondents, lending the atlas both topical relevance and a degree of authority. Following Moll's death in 1732, the atlas passed into the hands of other London publishers, who continued to issue updates. Among these were Thomas Bowles, John Bowles, and later Robert Sayer. These publishers reissued Moll's plates, sometimes with updated imprints or minor revisions, extending the life of the atlas into the 1750s. There is also a famous pirated edition of The World Described issued in Dublin by George Grierson.

Condition

Very good. Overall toning and creasing. Verso repair along centerfold damage. Minor spotting. Minor wear along original fold lines.