137. Edward Stanford / Mackenzie Walcott 1859

Born in London, Edward Stanford (1827-1904) served an apprenticeship as printer in Malmesbury. He took over an established business, that of Trelawny William Saunders in 1853, and by the following year was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (proposed by F J Faunthorpe). From 1853 onwards Stanford had various London addresses, usually in the Charing Cross area. Although Stanford’s was not to become a leading name in map production until the 1880s there are some examples of earlier work including a map for a guide book produced in 1859.

The first Stanford map of Devon or of Cornwall is this map of both counties combined. The map appeared in a guide to the coasts written by Mackenzie Walcott, published by Stanford's and printed by W Clowes of Stamford Street (August 1859). This Guide to the South Coast of England was dedicated to Agatha and Constance Walcott. Later when Devon and Cornwall was published as a separate work, this was dedicated to William Brooks King. Part of the first text was reused starting on page 413, following the title page, preface and list of routes. The map was taken from a map of the whole country, Stanford’s Railway and Road Map of England and Wales first produced in the 1850s. The two counties are coloured and Lundy I(sland) and the Eddystone are shown but not the Scillies. The Rev. Mackenzie Edward Charles Walcott (b.1821) was Precentor of Chichester Cathedral from 1863 until his death in 1880. He wrote other topographical works including the Cathedrals of England and Wales with their History, Architecture and Traditions published in 1858 (which according to the Guardian, quoted on a page 2 advert, was singularly free from errors) and a book on Lincoln’s Memorials (1866).

There are known to be at least 21 guides in Stanford’s Series of Pocket Guide-Books; the numeration changing during the formation of the series.¹ Originally Vol. 1 was Paris, the South Coast Of England was Vol. 6 with Devon And Cornwall as Vol. 9. Walcott was also responsible for the East Coast Of England (in one or three parts -Vols.13-16), the Lakes (Vol.17), the Cathedrals Of England And Wales and the Minsters and Abbey Ruins of the United Kingdom.

Further Stanford maps of Devon can be found in R N Worth´s Tourist´s Guide to Devon 1878 (154), Stanford´s Handy Atlas and Poll Book 1881 (155) and W S M D´Urban´s The Birds of Devon 1885 (161). In 1873, to coincide with the autumn maneouvres on Dartmoor Stanford published a map of that area.

Size: 226 x 298 mm.                                                                                                                   English Statute Miles  (10+50 = 133 mm).

COUNTIES OF CORNWALL AND DEVON (CaOS). Imprint:  Stanfords Geographical Establishment. 6, Charing Cross, London (EeOS). The railway is shown to Falmouth and to Bideford, Penzance and a false line to Tor Quay. There is a north point (Bc) and scale bar (Ce). 

[1] The volume numbering was changed in 1860: e.g. Vol. 1 became London, the South Coast of England, Vol. 3 and Devon and Cornwall as Vol. 7, Cathedrals of the United Kingdom (Vol.18), and the Minsters and Abbey Ruins of the United Kingdom (Vol. 19). The series left Britain with Paris (now Vol. 21).