128. F P Becker / Henry Besley – Devonshire II 1854

Henry Besley’s Route Book Of Devon was first published in 1845 complete with a route map (121). A county map was added for the second edition in 1846 (122). A new, larger map was introduced for a second reprint of the 1850 New Edition similar to, but replacing, the previous map which had been based on Walker’s map of 1836. In 1871 and subsequent editions further maps appeared and the county was also shown in 2 parts (134).

The text was written before 1851 on the evidence of dates included but the first issues had no illustrations. In later issues Besley introduced engravings of the county. A series of views was drawn and engraved by G Townsend; the south coast in 1853 and the north in 1854. These first appeared in the New Edition and provide an accurate ‘earliest date’. George Townsend (1813-1894), Artist, Lithographer and Drawing Master of 59 High Street, Exeter went on to produce some 117 illustrations of the county until c.1870 and was then succeeded by S R Ridgway who completed the series with another 40 engravings.¹ As for the accompanying Route Map (included in the 1854 and 1856 editions), Besley again employed the company of F P Becker & Co. Omnigraph (litho) Engravers. This firm also produced maps for a variety of different publishers: e.g. Adlard's Ireland, Fisher's County Atlas of England and Wales, Frederic Kelly's Post Office Directories, the map of England and Wales in Barclay's Dictionary, and Scotland in Reynolds’ Geological Atlas. Becker was renowned for the Omnigraph (a versatile ruling machine see Introduction).

The map below also appeared in The West of England and Trewman’s Exeter Pocket Journal in 1861 but though the journal continued until 1869 there are no Devon maps in copies extant for 1862, 1864 or 1869². In 1870 the journal became Besley’s West of England and Exeter Pocket Journal and was published until 1877 but the map has only been found in issues to 1873.³ The Exeter Pocket Journal had a long and distinguished career being first published in the eighteenth century⁴: and an edition of 1755 was printed by Andrew Brice for Barnabas Thorn. In the 1816 and 1817 editions a map of Devon and Cornwall was included by a local person, E A Ezekiel optician and goldsmith in Exeter (83). The Exeter Pocket Journal continued to be published by Trewman to c.1856 and from 1822 with maps by Gardner (91) and by Smith and Davies (93).

Size: 315 x 380 mm.                                                                                                                               ENGLISH STATUTE MILES (15 = 60 mm).

DEVONSHIRE (Ed). Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South Street, Exeter.  (CeOS) and signature: Engraved by BECKER’S Patent Process on Steel, 11, Stationer’s Court, London. (EeOS). Note: N Northern Division S Southern Division (Ea).  A topographical note, election and polling places and  Poor Law Unions tables are below the title. A list of Boroughs (Ae) and Key to Divisions are shown (Be). Railways: into Cornwall, to Tiverton, Torquay and Bideford.