RICHARD NICHOLSON of CHESTER

A WORLD OF ANTIQUE MAPS AND PRINTS

The Cartographer

THOMAS JENNER

Flourished 1618 - died in 1673

Thomas Jenner was a bookseller, engraver and publisher working in London. He was also a Freeman of the Grocers' Company.

Addresses:

Whit Beare in Cornwale (Cornhill) from 1618
White beare by ye Exchange from c.1622 to 1624
South Entrance of the Royal Exchange 1643, 1644, 166
At the Royal Exchange 1672

After his death in 1673 the shop and business were acquired by John Garrett who continued to issue his maps. To collectors of British maps and plans he is best known for his work A Direction fro the English traveller published in 1643 and 1668. John Garrett published it again in 1677 and 1680

Thomas Jenner had acquired the thirty seven plate showing a small county map and distance table engraved by Jacob van Langeren used by Matthew Simmons for his book with the same title in 1635. See Matthew Simmons The small thumbnail maps were erased from the plates and replaced with a larger and more detailed map for the traveller. From 1668 all the plates had been retouched and printed on larger pages with the text below.

Jenner title page dated 1657
Title page dated 1643
How to use the tables on Thomas Jenner maps

Editions of A Direction for the English Traveller

1635. Published by Matthew Simmons with reprints in 1636
1643. Reprinted and published by Thomas Jenner. New larger maps. Three new maps added - England, Wales and Yorkshire. Further editins in 1657, 1662, 1668, 1677 and 1680.

The maps also appeared in
1649 A Booke of the names of all the Hundreds contained in the Shires of the Kingdom of England printed for Thomas Jenner
1657 A Book of the Names of Parishes, Market Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Smallest Places in England by M.S. (Mary Simmons, wife of Matthew Simmons) for Thomas Jenner [Illustration above]

Map Gallery

Map of Berkshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Bedfordshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Buckinghamshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Cambridgeshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Cheshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Cornwall by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Cumberland by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Derbyshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Devonshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Dorsetshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of County Durham by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Essex by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Gloucestershire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Hampshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Hertfordshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Huntingdonshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Kent by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Lancashire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Leicestershire and Rutlandshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Lincolnshire by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Middlesex by Thomas Jenner, 1657
Map of Norfolk by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Northumberland by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Nottinghamshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Oxfordshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Shropshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Somersetshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Staffordshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Suffolk by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Surrey by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Sussex by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Warwickshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Westmorland by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Wiltshire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Worcestershire by Thomas Jenner 1657
Map of Yorkshire by Thomas Jenner 1657

References:

Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers Revised Edition E - J
Antique Maps of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by R. C. E. Quixley, Expanded by J. M. E. Quixley
The Printed Maps in the Atlases of Great Britain and Ireland. A Bibliography, 1579 - 1870 by Thomas Chubb
Miniature Antique Maps by Geoffrey King, 1996

Just my personal opinion

These maps are really quite special. Known as thumbnail maps it is exciting to imagine how they were used by the 17th century traveller. A handy size atlas to slip into your pocket and have the distances between towns neatly laid out. Certainly a must for the county map collector.

RICHARD NICHOLSON
of CHESTER

Stoneydale
Pepper Street
Christleton
Chester
CH3 7AG

Telephone

01244 336004

International 44 1244 336004

I have been buying and selling antique maps since the early 1960's during which time I had a gallery in Watergate Street, Chester for 30 years. I am now able to offer through my websites a personal service to map and print collectors.