4.    Individual Counties c. 1797 or later.

Example of watermark. 

Illustration courtesy of the author.

 

Towards the end of the century and in to the early 1800s, individual counties started to appear with a range of new title pages. Many of these referred not only to the Rev. Cox but also to Elizabeth Nutt, M Nutt and even to J Morphew and giving the address “In the Savoy”. Publication details (date and identity of the publisher) remain obscure. The number of different title pages (even for one county) gives the impression that many printers were involved, and hence, many sellers (rather than publishers).

The dates and the publishers given on these title pages show knowledge of the history of the text sheets but there are occasional errors. Examples 1 and 2 are dated MDDCC and 1700 but A New Description did not appear until 1701 (with maps in their original original state) and many counties have a date which predates their actual (series) publication.

Precise dating of these issues is almost impossible; however, two copies of Example 1 below have been found with watermarks. One copy of Lincolnshire in a private library reported by Carroll has a GR watermark above the date 1797. The author´s copy of Devonshire, also Example 1 below, has a Britannia watermark (see above). In this example Britannia is holding the spear or lance at the top. Maxted has illustrated a similar watermark on a document, possibly printed by James Liddell of Bodmin, circa 1790. This document also has a watermark of GR under a crown.[i]

Titles 1-5 are listed by Carroll (1996) and 1, 2a, 4, 3 (resp.) by Hodson (entry 129). No. 6 is previously unrecorded. In examples 1-3 the space for the county name may be left blank, or the county inserted in manuscript or a later (i.e. non-matching) type face.

 Various title pages for later county issues.

1. Title: A Topographical, Ecclesiastical, and Natural History Of [county] With PEDIGREES of all the noble Families and Gentry, … By The Rev. Thomas Cox.
Text: Block text, last line aligned to left. Date in Roman numerals.
Imprint: In the Savoy: Printed by Eliz. Nutt; and Sold by M Nutt, in Exeter-Exchange in the Strand and J Morphew near Stationers-Hall. MDCC.[ii]

 

Example of 1; Devonshire. 

Illustration courtesy of the author.

2. Title: A Topographical, … and Natural History Of [county].
By Thomas Cox. [iii]
Text: Title identical to 1, but last line is centred. Date in Arabic numerals.
2a Last 3 lines finish the, com- and extant, i.e. com-posed is split.
2b Last 3 lines finish with, and and extant, i.e. composed not split.
Imprint: In the Savoy: Sold by M Nutt, in Exeter-Exchange. 1700.

Example of 2a; Cumberland. 

Illustration courtesy of WeBuyBooks.

Example of 2b; Devonshire. 

Illustration courtesy of North Devon Studies Library.

3. Title: Magna Britannia Et Hibernia, Antiqua & Nova Or A New Survey of Great Britain … Collected and Composed by an impartial Hand. with  [The Rev. THOMAS COX.] [county]
Text: Title is the same as for the original 6 Volume work. [iv]
Imprint: In the Savoy: Printed by E and R Nutt; and Sold by T Cox at the Lamb, under the Royal Exchange, Cornhill. MDCCXX – XXXI. [v]

 

Example of 3; Devonshire. 

Illustration courtesy of the author.

4. Title: Magna Britannia; Or Topographical, … and Natural History of [county][vi] … By The Rev. THOMAS COX. 
Text: As 1-3 above but name of county printed in same type.
Imprint: In the Savoy: Printed by Eliz. Nutt; and Sold by M Nutt, at Exeter-Exchange in the Strand and J Morphew near Stationers-Hall. MDCCXX.[vii]

Example of 4; Devonshire. 

Illustration courtesy of North Devon Athenaeum.

5. Title: Magna Britannia; Or Topographical, Historical, Ecclesiastical and Natural History of [Lincolnshire] …
Text: Includes the line With a Map of the County by Robert Morden …  and By The Rev. THOMAS COX.
Imprint: In the Savoy: Printed by Eliz. Nutt; and Sold by M Nutt in Exeter-Exchange in the Strand, and J Morphew near Stationers-Hall. MDCCXX.[viii]

Example of 5; Lincolnshire. 

Illustration courtesy of Lincoln Archives.

6. Title: The History and Antiquities of the County of [Oxfordshire]
Text: Text taken from original volume title page Wherein to the Topographical Account given by Mr Cambden, and the late Editors of the Britannia, is added … Collected and composed by an impartial Hand.
Imprint: In the Savoy: Printed by Eliz. Nutt; and Sold by M Nutt, at Exeter-Exchange in the Strand and J Morphew near Stationers-Hall. M.DCC.XX.[ix]

Example of 6; Oxfordshire. 

Illustration courtesy of Ezra the Bookfinder.

Appendix I: Changes made to smaller Morden map by Hermann Moll 1708.

Return to Introduction.

(click title to access)

NOTES:

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[i] Ian Maxted; 2014. The watermarks are illustrated at his Bookhistory.Blogspot under Devon-watermarks-Britannia.

[ii] Title usually blank. Devonshire at DEI (m/s county title), KB (county title blank). Other reported copies: Keoghs Books, Skipton (2023) had Glocs; Yorks at York Minster; Norfolk was sold at Key´s Auctions (2021); Wilts in the Schulich-Woolf Library at Queens University Library, Ontario; Durham sold at Rooke Books, Bath (2023); and Oxfordshire at the Bodleian is online.

[iii] Sold with blank title space but has been seen with two variants of type, e.g. Lincolnshire in both Baskerville at Grimsby RL and Bodoni in a private collection. Other counties with this title are Yorkshire (at York Minster); Glocs at Pendlebury Books, University of Aberdeen and Cambridge; Dorset seen on Flickr courtesy of Alwyn Ladell; Cumberland was on sale by Rosley Books, Wigton (2023); Leics at Notts Uni.; and Somerset at Univ. of Keele. Devonshire state 2b at North Devon Studies Library.

[iv] Full title is the same as for the original 6 Volume work (see UCL copy) but reset retaining original line length.

[v] KB; Devonshire added in typeface. Other counties of Magna Britannia Et Hibernia with this imprint are Westmoreland held at the National Trust; Yorks and Kent at Winchester College Fellow´s Library; Lincolnshire at Lincoln R Library and Grimsby RL lacking map; Norfolk (private collection); Berks sold by Rooke Books, Bath; and Notts on sale (2023) at Clarendon Books, Leicester.

[vi] Continues as example 1.

[vii] Title pages have county name in same type as TP text. Devonshire at NDA: other counties reported are; Yorks at York Minster; Cheshire at Bangor University; and Kent at Univ. of Leics; Surrey at Longland Books, Totteridge. Note Carroll lists three copies of Lincolnshire (but omits date) but the Louth RL copy listed has only a photocopy TP but conforming to this entry (i.e. dated). Barnstaple RL has a copy of the Devonshire text but with a title page belonging to Buckinghamshire. This is crossed out and Devonshire added in manuscript.

[viii] Lincs at Lincolnshire Archives Office. Only known copy with this title.

[ix] Only known copy with this title. My thanks to Ezra, the Bookfinder for permission to use the image of Oxfordshire.