171. Francis Sidney Weller / William Mackenzie 1894

Francis Sidney Weller was the son of Edward Weller whose name is associated with many maps prepared in the middle of the nineteenth century. Edward Weller’s maps engraved for the Weekly Dispatchwere very successful (see 136). He also engraved the maps for McLeod's Physical Atlas (140) and produced some maps for Philips' Atlas of the Counties of England (141).

Francis inherited his father’s interest in geography and in 1894 an atlas appeared with his signature on the maps; this was Mackenzie's Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales. The plates from which the transfers were taken appear never to have been used for direct intaglio printing. The maps have either the county name or "Plan of ..." - there were 14 city plans including one of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport. The maps, 39 English county maps and 10 Welsh counties, were produced between 1893 and 1895¹ and include large areas of adjoining counties. Most have a key to railways, roads and canals. There is overprinted colour to identify Parliamentary divisions. The text refers to the census returns 1881 and agricultural figures for 1893.

Size: 216 x 278 mm.                                                                                                                                                   Scale of Miles (20 = 55 mm).

DEVONSHIRE (Ee) with scale below and Key to railways, roads and canals. Signature: F S Weller F R G S (EeOS). Imprint: WILLIAM MACKENZIE, LONDON, EDINBURGH & GLASGOW (CeOS). Eddystone lighthouse appears in the graduated border. Longitude West of Greenwich is also in border (Ce). Though the railway is shown to Turnchapel  and Plymstock the line was not completed until 1897.