The early cartography of Renfrewshire to 1864

Moore, J.N. (1999) The early cartography of Renfrewshire to 1864. Other. Renfrewshire Local History Forum.

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Abstract

With their detail of past geographical distributions, early maps can be valuable documents in assisting many fields of local study. Much of Scotland's distinctive cartography was channelled into the brief period between the publication of the Blaeu atlas in 1654 and the Ordnance Survey six- and twenty-five inch sheets which first appeared in the 1840s and 1850s. Despite a scarcity of maps, particularly prior to the mid-eighteenth century, Scotland has a uniquely rich cartographic history and the work of early map-makers has contributed to placing "Scotland among the best mapped countries in the world". Unfortunately, this archive of Scotland's past remains largely untapped and study of the maps themselves has been noticeably limited, particularly in the field of cartobibliography (or listing what exists), where few areas have been investigated in detail. This work attempts to fill the gap for Renfrewshire and its burghs of Paisley, Greenock and Port Glasgow. The selected maps are mostly topographical, illustrating the county either as a separate unit or as a major part of a larger area. Maps which cover the whole of Scotland are not discussed, thereby excluding the one-inch Ordnance Survey sheets. Also omitted are large scale plans of estates or significant portions of the county. As the intention is to be as comprehensive as possible, both printed and manuscript maps are listed. Relatively few thematic maps were published before the middle of the nineteenth century but those relating solely to the county are again discussed.

Item Type:Research Reports or Papers (Other)
Additional Information:2014 revised edition of the Renfrewshire Local History Forum publication of 1999. ISBN: 0952919559
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Moore, Mr John
Authors: Moore, J.N.
College/School:University Services > Library and Collection Services > Library
Publisher:Renfrewshire Local History Forum
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 1999 The Author
Publisher Policy:Reproduced with permission of the author.

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