Map Notes -- BICKHAM1.txt

	Map Notes

Bickham 1750	NOTES from BICKHAM'S MAP of HAMPSHIRE, 1750
FA1999.77.1 FA1999.77.2	These notes are made from a first edition page of the map of Hampshire by George Bickham, 1750. The map studied, and its accompanying sheets, are in the Map Collection of Hampshire CC Museums Service, item HMCMS:FA1999.77.1.
	map type: HantsMap & Bickham 1750
	The map size is: wxh, sheet = 202x316mm; wxh, plate = 154x254mm; wxh, map = 138x219mm.
	The map is in the height of fashion, reflecting the spirit of its age; great landowners wanting picturesque landscapes civilised with grottoes, gothic ruins and classical temples.
	MAP FEATURES
map maker	Printed at the bottom is:- According to Act of Parliament by G. Bickham 1750
title dedication	Printed at the top of the map is:- A MAP of HAMPSHIRE. West from London. / Humbly inscrib'd to the Lord Limington, Lord Lieutt. of ye County At the top right is:- before page 57 and the succeeding pages, which were loosely attached, are pages 57-59, the descriptive text about Hampshire.
orientation	The map is a perspective view of the county rather than a true map. Up is west; Hampshire is seen from the east beyond Havant as if standing on a high [very high] vantage point graced with ruins - urns, columns, pyramids, and all. The view stretches to a horizon just beyond Poole, Dorset, it includes a distorted county inland to Andover and Whitchurch, but Basingstoke is obscured behind the ruins, Alton, Petersfield, and Portsmouth are in view; it includes the Isle of Wight. Working with a scanned image of the map in a computer graphics program it has been possible to show how poor the perspective is. All attempts at projective transformations fail to make the map conform to reality. This is lamentable at this late date, when artists had a thoroughly accurate knowledge of perspective.
not to scale	This is a drawing, not a map, so no formal scale would be apt. However, using town positions and comparing known town-town distances a sort of 'scale' can be suggested:- 1 to 1100000 15 miles to inch to give an idea of the size of the 'map'.
sea area sea shaded anchorages ships	The sea is shaded by horizontal lines. Off the west coast is labelled:- The English Channel Spit Head is labelled, and:- St Helen's Road is labelled off the east of the Isle of Wight There are various square rigged ships in the seas.
coastal defence castles	Two of the coastal castles are labelled:- Hurst Cast. Calshot Castle It is possible to imagine hints of polygonal style fortifications in the drawing at Calshot: this is one of Henry VIII's castles, built before the period of angle bastions.
rivers	Rivers are drawn greatly out of scale, much too gross. Hampshire's chief rivers are labelled, eg:- Test R. Itchin R. Avon R
relief	Hills are drawn realistically, in perspective, but exagerated. Do not trust the drawings as a guide to Hampshire's landscape.
woods	Trees coat the hills:- and other vegetation is drawn as romantically as the rest.
settlements
city town	The towns are shown by smaller or larger drawings, each a small but unreliable prospect of the place. Some are labelled:- Petersfield, Portsmouth, Havant, Farham, Waltham, Alton, Alresford, Winchester, Whitchurch, Southampton, Stockbridge, Rumsey, Andover, Lymington, Ringwood, Fording Bridge, Christ Church, Pool

roads road distances distances from London	A road stretches down from the vantage point through Havant to Winchester, then via Southampton across the New Forest, to Christchurch and perhaps Poole. It is not drawn realistically. Printed at the bottom of the map sheet is a list of distances of stages on the road from London to Poole:- From Alton to Alresford 9.5. to Winchester 3.4. to Rumsey 12.1 to Ringwood / 17.5. to Pool 14. in all 56.7. from London 54 Miles. The distances are given in miles.furlongs, and the stages add up correctly as stated. But where is 54 miles from London? These are not the distances along the road in the drawing.
	DESCRIPTIVE TEXT
	There are three pages of descriptive text. The text pages are item HMCMS:FA1999.77.2. Transcriptions:-
	Page 57
	The first page is headed by an imaginery scene; a cottage by the bank of a river in which a horseman lets his mount drink, just outside a gateway. In the sky two cherubs hold up the coat of arms of Winchester.
	Hampshire
	Hampshire (properly the County of Southampton, from the principal Town) is bounded on ye North by Berkshire, on the East by Surry & Sussex, on the South by the British Channel, and on the West by Dorsetshire & Wiltshire.
	The Air is mild & wholesome, but towards the South subject to Sea Vapours. The Soil is rich. The chief Commodities are Corn, Cattle, Wool, Wood, Iron, excellent Honey, and the best Bacon in England. Kersies, Stuffs, and some Cloths, are here manufactured. Rivers are the Tees, Avon, Stowre, Itching, and some others.
	The People in general have ye Advantage of ye more westerly Counties from their greater Vicinity to London: but in ye New Forest one may expect as much simplicity & want of Breeding, as in any Part of the Kingdom.
	Page 58
	Besides the Knights of ye Shire, & the Citizens of Winchester, Hampshire chuses tow Burgesses for each of ye following Towns,
	Southampton, Stockbridge, Whitchurch, Portsmouth, Christchurch, and Petersfield, Limington, Andover.
	To which if we add the Six Members for the Isle of Wight (a Part of this County) chosen at
	Newport, Yarmouth, Newton,
	the whole Number of Representatives will be Twenty-Six.
	Winchester is famous for its Cathedral & College, ye former finished, and the latter founded, by ye famous Bishop William of Wickham. A Palace was begun here by King Charles II, but never finished.
	Southampton has been more considerable than at present; but is still a good Town, and a County in itself. But the Place in this County now most worthy of notice is Portsmouth, the best Fortification in England, the chief rendezvous of the Royal Navy, and a great marine Arsenal. It is of late Years vastly increased. The Haven may contain a thousand large ships.
	New Forest, between the Avon & Hampton Water, was made by William the Conqueror, who laid waste for that Purpose thirty six Parishes.
	Silchester, on ye North Edge of this County, now only a Farmhouse and a Church, is the antient Vindonum of ye Romans, whose Walls, almost entire, are two Miles in Compass.
	Noblemen's Seats here are Basing-House & Abbotson,
	Page 59
	the Duke of Bolton's; Rockburn-house, Earl of Shaftesbury's; Hursborn, Earl of Portsmouth's; Farnborough-house, Earl of Anglesea's; Eadesworth. Lord Dormor's; Whorwell, Lord Delamere's; and the Earl of Peterborough's, at Southampton.
	...

	map type Bickham 1750 -- menu of resources
	source item -- HMCMS:FA1999.77.1 -- map
	source item -- HMCMS:FA1999.77.2 -- descriptive text

	list of map notes

	HantsMap Notes -- BICKHAM1.txt MN: 4.5.1995 last edit: 11.3.2001

NOTES from BICKHAM'S MAP of HAMPSHIRE, 1750

MAP FEATURES

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Page 57

Page 58

Page 59