I was curious to know if you know of anyone or maybe yourself that may know anything about this map... I have a few questions, like how many originals were made, did they ever make reproductions, how can I tell if this map is authentic. There is an antique store here in the states, the owner is from England and is selling this map she says it is original but I doubt it. Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Ryan Griggs
Florida
Dear Ryan,
ReplyDeleteyour enquiry has been forwarded to me by our Librarian at the LHS. The Chadwick map was the first detailed plan of Liverpool when the town was surveyed by John Chadwick in 1725. The Pool had been filled in to form streets. Its route can be traced today along Byrom Street, Whitechapel and Paradise Street. The Worlds first dock opened in 1715, with a new Customs House, the third in Liverpool, nearby. Local industries included refining salt (from Cheshire), glass making and ropeworks.
Liverpool was rapidly becoming the commercial centre of the area. Daniel Defoe, in his 'Tour through England and Wales', described Liverpool as "one of the wonders of Britain."
The map was published in 1725 and they can sometimes be found on sale. I do not have any quantities for the number printed and it was also published as an insert for some books of the period. As the map has been around for nearly 280 years it has been reproduced many times. There are lithographs of original map that were reproduced in 1860. The authenticity of the map would be difficult to ascertain as it may be a later print and I suspect it can only be determined by a specialist antique map expert. Liverpool Record office holds a copy of the original 1725. However, Liverpool links with the East coast and Southern states of America are long standing and it is possible that the map may be early but if it is a first print is something only experts would be able to determine.
Regards
Rob Ainsworth
Programme Secretary & Web Administrator
Liverpool History Society