An Atlas of England and Wales

by SAXTON, Christopher (1542-1611

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Book Description

London, 1574 Folio (17 x 12 inches). Engraved allegorical frontispiece showing Queen Elizabeth as patroness of Astronomy and Geography, attributed to Remy Hogenberg, full-sheet engraved plate with 84 escutcheons facing a table of towns, 35 full-sheet engraved maps (one folding) after Saxton by Hogenberg, Lenaert Terwoort, Cornelis de Hooghe, Augustine Ryther, Francis Scatter, and Nicholas Reynolds, letterpress index of maps, the maps, frontispiece, and tables ALL IN FINE CONTEMPORARY HAND COLOR AND LAVISHLY HEIGHTENED WITH GILT AND ARGENT. FINE CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH CALF GILT BINDING BY JOHN DE PLANCHE in "Lyonnese" style (i.e. Jehan de Planche II, possibly working in London from about 1567-72 and later). Number 16 in a group of 19 bindings recorded by Howard M. Nixon in 1970. Covers gilt-blocked with large arabesque cornerpieces and large central cartouche enclosing a rampant lion crest against a background of large gilt dots, plain endpapers, gilt edges, remains of green silk ties. Provenance: Sir Thomas Egerton, Baron Ellesmere and Viscount Brackley (1540?-1617), lord chancellor; barrister of Lincoln's Inn, 1572 (gilt crest supra libros) (conjectural); Sir Frances Newdigate-Newdegate, Arbury Hall, Warwickshire (armorial bookplate of Roger Newdiate and Richard Newdigate; Arbury Hall book-label sale, Sotheby's London, 23 January 1920 lot 289, purchased by G.D. Smith); G.D. Smith stock sale, Anderson Galleries, New York 11 November 1920, lot 290; unidentified owner (sale, Sotheby's New York, June 26 1998, lot 602). THE FIRST PRINTED AND MOST IMPORTANT MAPS OF ANY ENGLISH OR WELSH COUNTY BY THE FATHER OF ENGLISH CARTOGRAPHY Christopher Saxton, widely considered the father of British cartography, was the first mapmaker to comprehensively survey the counties of England and Wales. The map of the entire country was the earliest large-scale representation of England and the regional maps were, in many cases, the first for their respective areas. Published in a magnificent volume in 1579, his compilation was the first atlas devoted to the complete depiction of one country and formed the basis of English regional mapping for more than a century. Saxton grew up in Dunningly, Yorkshire and received his early training in surveying from the town vicar, John Rudd. Educated at Cambridge, Saxton's abilities caught the attention of Thomas Seckford, Royal Surveyor to the Queen. At this time, state officials were beginning to realize the political and administrative advantage of accurate maps, while public interest in cartography was in the midst of a dramatic surge. Largely in response to these factors, Queen Elizabeth charged Seckford with the task of procuring an atlas of England and Wales. An unprecedented standard of accuracy was achieved and in keeping with the Queen's intention that the atlas be a symbolic statement of national prominence, all care was taken to ensure that it was also beautifully produced. Each map bears the Royal Arms as a symbol of Queen Elizabeth's supervision and endorsement. IN A FINE BINDING BY JEAN DE PLANCHE II, a Protestant sympathizer from Dijon. Original owners of bindings in the group include Queen Elizabeth I (four examples), William Alyn, Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Burghley, Robert Dudley, Town of Dunwich, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, Archbishop Parker, Rochester Priory and the Lady Russell. With the emblazoned arms of Sir Thomas Egerton (c.1540-1617). Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor for Queen Elizabeth I and James I on the front cover. Egerton was the son of Sir Richard Egerton of Ridley Chesire. He became a commoner at Oxford around his seventeenth year in 1556 at Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1559 he entered Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1572. By 1580 he was governor of the society, Lent reader in 1582 and treasurer in 1588. He had obtained great legal renown and a large practice by the time he argued a case against the Crown that gained the attention of Queen Elizabeth. She appointed him Solicitor-General June 26, 1581. Later he would gain the titles Master of the Rolls and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He took part in Mary Queen of Scots's trial and conducted many state prosecutions. He advised that Mary Queen of Scots indictment should refer to her as the "commonly called queen of Scots" so as to make it easier to hang her. Egerton was one of Elizabeth's most trusted advisors and played a prominent role in many of the Queens special commissions. As commissioner he played a crucial role in treaties negotiated with the Dutch in 1598 and with Denmark in 1600. He was a friend of Lord Essex who sought in vain to moderate his violent and rash character. After Queen Elizabeth struck Essex in July of 1598 in the council and demanded his death, Egerton wrote the queen a widely quoted letter begging for reconciliation. On June 5th 1600 Egerton was forced to preside over a court which stripped Essex of his offices but cleared him of charges of treason. On February 8th 1601, the start of Essex's rebellion, Egerton visited him to persuade him to cease and desist. He was held hostage for six hours until freed by one of Essex's supporters. Egerton subsequently took an active part in Essex's trial during which he was found guilty and beheaded. Egerton was with Queen Elizabeth in her final hours and her successor King James I kept Egerton on as Lord Keeper, and later appointed him Lord Chancellor. As an advisor to the king he consistently supported royal prerogative visa-vi parliament. In 1604 he clashed with the House of Commons when Sir Francis Goodwin was elected to Parliament. The King had previously proclaimed he could not be elected because he was an outlaw. Egerton thus called for a new election but the Commons chose to seat Goodwin, fearing their privileges were being threatened. They thus secured the right to judge their own elections. Egerton also encouraged the King's hostility to his Puritan subjects and in 1605 managed to defeat a petition for the restitution of deprived Puritan ministers. That same year he instructed judges to enforce penal laws against Roman Catholics. Egerton ended his career with a great victory over his rival Sir Edward Cooke. In 1616 the Court of Chancery overturned the common law judgments in the cases Heath v. Rydley and Courtney v. Granvil. Coke was one of the judges who declared this relief to be illegal. The King in turn overturned Coke's ruling and secured the equitable jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery. Coke was dismissed from this post on June of 1616. Egerton retired at long last on March 3, 1617 after holding the great seal for a remarkable 21 years. He died on March 15 of that same year. Lloyd Arnold Brown, The World Encompassed, exh. cat. (Baltimore, 1952), n. 165; Howard M. Nixon, Essays in Honour of Victor Scholderer (1970) pages 243-253. Binders Note: Condition when received: Spine leather missing; endbands missing; boards attached by alum-tawed thongs; some maps torn and split at folds. Treatment: Damaged maps repaired; sewing strengthened and repaired; board attachment strengthened with concealed cotton joints; spine re-glued with gelatine and lined with linen; new endbands sewn on; rebacked in calf; corners strengthened and repaired; spine tooled in style or original; leather cleaned and dressed. James Brockman. Wheatley, Oxford. June 1999. Binding restoration supervised by Stephen Massey. .

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