I am lucky enough to have in my own collection an incomplete pack of Robert Morden playing cards published circa 1676. Yes I am still lucky even if the pack is incomplete as these cards are now quite rare and I did read somewhere that there is only one complete set in existence. This information maybe out of date as things do sometimes unexpectedly turn up. The complete set contains 52 spot cards, an explanation card and a card showing England and Wales divided into counties. My set lacks the card showing England and Wales.
The numbers on the cards are shown as natural numbers and Roman numerals. Some of the natural numbers are hidden by the stencilled suit marks which have been added. In 1680 there was another edition with small changes including the naming of adjoining counties. The cards measure some 94 x 57 mm and are printed on thin but stout card. As mentioned in the explanation the small maps include roads. This was just a year after Ogilby's Britannia was published so for some counties these would be the first county maps to show roads. The early edition showed towns with a circle symbol. This was later changed to a square and to a pictorial symbol. Beneath each map is a panel displaying the Length, Breadth and Circumference of the county along with its Distance from London and its Latitude. My set is uncoloured but specimens with early outline hand colouring do exist.
The King cards each display a circular engraving of Charles II and the Queen cards show his wife Catherine of Braganza. The four Jack or Knave cards bear four different portraits.the Queen cards show his wife Catherine of Braganza. The four Jack or Knave cards bear four different portraits.
The four Suites are the 4 parts of England, the 13 Northern Counties are Clubs, the Western are Spades, the Eastern are Hearts, and the Southern are Diamonds, in each Card you have a Map of there County, with the chief Towns, and Rivers, a Compassions for the Bearings, and a Scale for Mensuration. there is also given the Length, Bredth, and Circumference of each County. the Latitude of the Chief Citty or Towns, and its Distance from London. First the Reputed and then the Measured Miles by Esqr. Ogilby with his leave we have Incerted. there is also the Road from London to each Citty or Towne, the great Roads are drawn with a double line, the other Roads a single line. as also the chief Hills and other Remarks The use of these Cards are the same with the Common Cards in all respects only using the Numbers in these instead of the spots in the Other
Explanation from Robert Morden's pack of playing cards
Morden Playing Card showing counties of England and Wales
Morden Playing Card with map of Monmouthshire
Morden's playing card of Radnorshire, Queen of Spades of Spades 1676
Morden's playing card of Anglesey, Knave of Spades circa 1676
Morden's playing card of Pembrokeshire, c.1676, Ten of Spades
Robert Morden's playing card of Carmarthenshire, Nine of Spades
Morden Playing Card with map of Glamorganshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Breconshire, Seven of Spades, 1676
Robert Morden's playing card of Cardiganshire, Six of Spades, 1676
Robert Morden's playing card of Montgomeryshire, Five of Spades, 1676
Robert Morden's playing card of Merionethshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Denbighshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Caernarvonshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Flintshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Middlesex
Robert Morden's playing card of Huntingdonshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Rutlandshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Surrey
Robert Morden's playing card of Kent
Robert Morden's playing card of Hertfordshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Essex
Robert Morden's playing card of Suffolk
Robert Morden's playing card of Norfolk
Robert Morden's playing card of Cambridgeshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Bedfordshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Buckinghamshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Notthamptonshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Herefordshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Worcestershire
Robert Morden's playing card of Gloucestershire
Robert Morden's playing card of Cornwall
Robert Morden's playing card of Devonshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Somerset
Robert Morden's playing card of Dorsetshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Wiltshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Hampshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Sussex
Robert Morden's playing card of Berkshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Oxfordshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Warwickshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Yorkshire
Robert Morden's playing card of County Durham
Robert Morden's playing card of Leicestershire
Robert Morden's playing card of Shropshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Staffordshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Lincolnshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Nottinghamshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Northumberland
Robert Morden's playing card of Derbyshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Cheshire
Robert Morden's playing card of Lancashire
Robert Morden's playing card of Cumberland
Robert Morden's playing card of Westmorland
Some hundred years later Robert Morden's playing cards appeared in a pocket atlas A Brief Description of England and Wales Printed for H. Turpin, No. 104 St. John's Street, West Smithfield. The images are printed on small pieces of paper which are then stuck down to blank pages of the book. The suite marks are gone and the towns are now denoted by a pictorial symbol. It is possible by this time the plates had been melted down but Homan Turpin, a publisher and bookseller at 104 St. John's Street had acquired a stock of old printed sheets. The book is undated but thought to be in the early 1780's. An extremely rare later edition was published by Robert Bassam circa 1796 who had premises in the same street but at number 53.
I am illustrating the plates from a copy of the book in my own collection. The hand colouring is modern.
Homan Turpin titlepage A Brief Description of England and Wales
How to use the Morden / Turpin cards
Bedfordshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Berkshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Buckinghamshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Cambridgeshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Cheshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Cornwall Morden / Turpin playing card
Cumberland Morden / Turpin playing card
Derbyshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Devonshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Dorsetshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Durham Morden / Turpin playing card
Essex Morden / Turpin playing card
Gloucestershire Morden / Turpin playing card
Hampshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Herefordshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Hertfordshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Huntingdonshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Kent Morden / Turpin playing card
Lancashire Morden / Turpin playing card
Leicestershire Morden / Turpin playing card
Lincolnshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Middlesex Morden / Turpin playing card
Monmouthshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Norfolk Morden / Turpin playing card
Northamptonshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Northumberland Morden / Turpin playing card
Nottinghamshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Oxfordshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Rutlandshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Somerset Morden / Turpin playing card
Staffordshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Suffolk Morden / Turpin playing card
Surrey Morden / Turpin playing card
Sussex Morden / Turpin playing card
Warwickshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Westmorland Morden / Turpin playing card
Wiltshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Worcestershire Morden / Turpin playing card
Yorkshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Anglesey Morden / Turpin playing card
Breconshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Cardiganshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Carmaethenshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Caernarvonshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Denbighshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Flintshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Glamorganshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Merionethshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Montgomeryshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Pembrokeshire Morden / Turpin playing card
Radnorshire Morden / Turpin playing card
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