TAYLOR AND SKINNER'S MAPS OF THE ROADS OF IRELAND: SURVEYED IN 1777 AND CORRECTED DOWN TO 1783

London: Engraved by G. Terry and Sold by T. Longman, London and W. Wilson, Dublin, 1783. Second, Corrected Edition. 260 x 155 mm. (10 1/4 x 6"). XXVII, 289 pp., [4] leaves (index).
Contemporary half calf over marbled boards, flat spine divided into panels by gilt rules, red morocco label (very neat repair to head of front joint and top of spine). Engraved title page (with vignette) and dedication leaf, large folding map of Ireland, and 289 engraved maps. Title page with early ink signature of Jos. Sabine[?]. Moreland & Bannister, p. 190; Tooley, "Maps and Mapmakers," p. 94. ◆Small signs of age and wear to the binding (including slight crackling and nicks to the spine), folding map with faint dampstain to tail margin, two negligible ink spots to blank area on the map of the Irish Sea, but A VERY APPEALING COPY, quite clean and remarkably fresh internally, and in an entirely solid period binding.

This is the second, corrected edition of the first comprehensive road atlas of Ireland, offered here in especially attractive condition. In response to increasing demand for accurate maps of the country's road system, the Irish House of Commons commissioned George Taylor and Andrew Skinner (who together had previously produced the first road atlas of Scotland, among other works), to undertake a survey of the land. Taylor and Skinner completed their work in 1777, and published the first edition of their findings in 1778. This second edition includes updates to the year 1783, as well as an additional map (no. 289). Renowned for their precision and detail, Taylor and Skinner's maps clearly show roads, crossroads, and bridges, as well as topographical features such as hills, lakes, and rivers (including the direction of the water flow); landmarks such as castles, churches, and ruins; and the names of local landlords and their homes. The maps appear either as half-page strips or in full-page, and the distances are given in both Irish and English miles (11 Irish miles being equal to 14 British miles). The robust list of subscribers, which includes a number of earls, viscounts, lords, bishops, and British and Irish army men, demonstrates the great need for, and widespread success of, this important work. While not a rare book, this is the kind of volume that would have normally encountered frequent and inevitably damaging use, so to find a copy as well preserved as this one is a lucky occurrence..