Antique Map of North Northamptonshire with Peterborough, Weller, 1885

This is an original antique map of the northern division of Northamptonshire, printed by lithography with original hand coloring and dated 1885 by the atlas it comes from. The title in the lower right reads "NORTHAMPTONSHIRE," over "(NORTHERN DIVISION)", followed by "REDUCED FROM THE ORDNANCE SURVEY." and "Divided into 5 mile squares", with a scale of British Statute Miles and a short key to railways, stations and borough boundaries.

The sheet is laid out in landscape, and the division runs diagonally across it from Market Harborough and the edge of Northampton in the southwest to Stamford and Peterborough in the northeast. It is washed by hand in pale blue green, and within it lie Kettering, Rothwell, Wellingborough, Thrapston, Oundle and Kings Cliffe. Crimson borough washes mark Peterborough and Stamford at the upper right. The ground to the southwest, around Daventry and Northampton, is left uncolored as the other division of the county. Leicester stands at the upper left, with Leicestershire lettered down the left side and Rutlandshire across the top and "LINCOLNSH." along the upper edge. Cambridgeshire runs down the right with Thorney, Whittlesea and the fens, Huntingdonshire fills the lower right with Ramsey, Huntingdon and St. Ives, and Bedfordshire is lettered along the foot. The sheet is divided into five mile squares with letters and figures in the border, and railways, canals and rivers are drawn throughout.

No maker's name is lettered on this sheet; the cartouche carries no credit line. A printed note explains that "The official names of Railway Stations are all engraved in a special character, thus, Clayton; except where indicated by the name of the town being in bold letters and identical with the name of the Station." A sheet number at the upper right is cut by the trimmed edge.

It comes from The New Large Scale Ordnance Atlas of the British Isles, published in London by G. W. Bacon and Co., and is dated 1885 by the volume it was taken from; no date is printed on the sheet itself. Edward Weller (1819 to 1884) was a London map engraver and draftsman and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Vertical fold down the center from binding. Even age toning. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the top and bottom at the fold.

This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.