144. William Hughes 1864

William Nightingale Hughes (1817-76) was a geographer and engraver with premises at Aldine Chambers, Paternoster Row, London. He engraved the first maps that were later printed in colour; the Journey-Book series published by Charles Knight (four counties were engraved but only three maps were printed in colour). Hughes engraved a large number of maps of all areas of the world including maps for Knight’s Illustrated Atlas of Scriptural Geography (1840), the Atlas of Constructive Geography 1841 for student use, maps for A & C Black 1840-53, including Black's Tourist's and Sportsman's Companion of 1852 and Black's General Atlas (with maps engraved on steel by Sidney Hall and Mackenzie's Modern Geography 1866 (also issued as Hughes' New Comprehensive Atlas) and the London Environs map for Barclay's Dictionary. He produced an industrial map of the British Isles and a large Map of England and Wales (700 x 1000 mm) for Philips.

Hughes prepared A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands which was published in The National Gazetteer and issued in parts from 1863 to 1868.¹ It contained sixty-eight maps including 39 counties plus other maps of the British Isles, all with his imprint. The maps were gathered together c.1868.² The maps were then used again for Hughes' New Parliamentary and County Atlas(1886).

William Hughes was Professor of Geography at King’s College 1863-75. He had also been cataloguer of books at the British Museum between 1841-43 and a number of geographical works are assigned to a W Hughes between 1840 and 1870.

A later, loose copy of a map of Surrey has been seen. This was titled Map Of Surrey showing the Roman Road and Places of General Interest. There was an added reference added above the map: The Coloured portions represent the Old Parliamentary Divisions. The Blue Lines show the present divisions with their Titles. Presumably printed after the boundary revisions (1885) Surrey may have been the only county so issued.

Size: 240 x 300 mm.                                                                                                                                               English Miles (15 = 50 mm).

DEVONSHIRE(Ee) with key to Boundary between North and South Devon and railways. Signature: W. Hughes (EeOS). Publisher's imprint: LONDON: JAMES S. VIRTUE (CeOS). Railways to Tavistock, Bideford, Tiverton, Watchet, Exmouth and Goodrington (near Paignton).