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Camden 1610
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NOTES from CAMDEN'S BRITANNIA, HAMPSHIRE
FA1998.24  
 These notes and transcription are made from the descriptive text for Hampshire, pp.258-273, from Britannia by William Camden, translated from the last Latin edition, the 6th edition 1606, by Philemon Holland, 1610. The pages studied are in the Map Collection of Hampshire CC Museums Service, item HMCMS:FA1998.24.
map type: HantsMap & Camden 1610
Camden, William & Holland, Philemon (trans): 1610 (trans) & 1607 (6th edn, latin): Britannia

The museum service has since acquired a complete copy of Britannia, the Gough translation published 1789 with maps by John Cary.

WILLIAM CAMDEN'S BRITANNIA
William Camden (1551-1623) published Britannia, its text in Latin, 1586. The description of Great Britain was translated into English, and edited, and improved, and published many times.

1607
The 1607 edition is the 6th, still in latin, much enlarged; the first which has county maps:-
Britannia, / sive / florentissimorum / Regnorum Angliae, / Scotiae, Hiberniae, et / Insularum adiacentium ex intima antiquitate / Chorographica descriptio: / Nunc postremo recognita, plurimis locis magna accessione / adaucta, & Chartis Chorographicis / illustrata. / Gulielmo Camdemo Authore. / Londini, / Impensis Georgii Bishop & / Ionnis Norton. / M.D.CVII.
The preface notes that maps by Saxton and Norden are included:-
..., illae additae ex Christophori Saxtoni & Ianne Noredni Chorographorum peritissimorum descriptionibus
41 of the maps are by Saxton; 6 are by John Norden, including the map of Hampshire:-
Hamshire. Io: Norden descripsit. W. Hole sculp.
This map has text pages 187/188 on the reverse. The maps were reprinted in the English editions of Britannia, 1610 and 1637.

1610
The 1610 edition is the first English translation, by Philemon Holland (1552-1637). The maps are from the same plates as the 1607 edition, but have no text on the reverse. Before the 1622 edition plate numbers were added to the maps.
Britain, / Or / A Chorographicall / Description of the most / flourishing Kingdomes, England, / Scotland, and Ireland, and the / Ilands adioyning, out of the depth of / Antiquitie: / Beautified with mappes of the / severall Shires of England: / Written first in Latine by William Camden / ... / Translated newly into English by Philemon Holland / ... / Finally, revised, amended, and enlarged with sundry / Additions by the said Author. / ... / Londini, Impensis Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton. M.DC.X.

1695
A new translation was made 1695, with more editorial comments and additions, published by Edmund Gibson (1669-1748).
Camden's / Britannia, / Newly Translated into English: / with large / Additions / and / Improvements. / Publish'd by Edmund Gibson, of / Queens-College in Oxford. / ... / London, / Printed by F. Collins, for A. Swalle, at the Unicorn at the West-end / of St. Paul's Church-yard; and A. & J. Churchill, at the Black / Swan in Paternoster-row. 1695.
A preliminary page has a portait of William Camden engraved by R White.
The plan of the new translation, involving several translators, has Holland's insertions of the 1610 edition removed to footnotes keyed by numbers to the main text, and has Gibson's comments and additions at the end of each county, keyed by letter to the main text. Gibson's editorial additions include information which:-
Several Gentlemen return'd out of most Counties (either upon a general notice of the Design, or in answer to some particular Queries)
Although planned for about 1692 the book was delayed, and was eventually published in 1695. This included maps of a larger size then first proposed.
THE Maps mentioned in the former Proposals (though they were Design'd according to the newest Surveys very Correct, and contained all the Towns that were mentioned in Cambden's yet) were not thought Large and Comprehensive enough, by some Judicious and Ingenious Gentlemen that assist in the Work, Who think it proper and Necessary to have the Maps of every County full as Large as this Sheet will admit, and to Comprehend every Town, Village, &c. throughout.
The Undertakers therefore to Comply with these and many other Gentlemens Desires, have Resolved to have the Maps so done; with all the Roads, and the Degrees of Longitude and Latitude, and other considerable Additions and Corrections never done before. Though the Expence will be at least 500l. Extraordinary.
Besides which, many Additions will be made to the Book more than were mentioned; particularly a curious Collection of all the Publick Coins of England, supplying what are wanting in Mr. Cambden's of the Britains and Romans, and adding those of the Saxons, Danes, &c. which will be done by an Eminent Hand. And all the Coins fairly Engraved on Copper.
And for these Reasons we are obliged to raise the Price to Thirty Two Shillings, which cannot be esteemed Dear, considering the great Charge extraordinary, in Graving the Map so Large, and the excessive Price of Paper at this time, the Maps alone being worth the Money.
It is believed that Morden's smaller maps were only about 16.5x20.5cm. The Hampshire sheet of this small series was engraved by Sutton Nicholls, and has a three 10 mile scale lines. They were published by Morden in The New Description and State of England, 1701.
The larger maps used for the 1695 edition were based on earlier mapping, with corrections invited from local knowledge. The Hampshire sheet, Hampshire by Robt. Morden., is based on John Norden's map of a century earlier. It does not mention engraver or booksellers at its foot; there is little decoration, just the shell style title cartouche with title and map maker's name.
According to Dr Harley:-
the process of revising ... place names to accord with contemporary usage had begun .... Quite a number of our present-day parish and township names were first 'modernized' on a printed map due to the efforts of Gibson and Morden, though in some cases thay had done no more than to restore Saxton's names which Speed had abandoned.
Gibson expressed concern about place names and other mapping problems in his preface. The maps got some criticism fairly promptly.
Rev Francis Brokesby, 16 May 1711:-
... the Unaccurateness of the Maps, even when they are copied from such as were made with great Exactness, as in that of Stafford-shire ...
He observed:-
Errors in other Maps, when I consulted them about Places I travell'd in ...
The 1695 edition has been published in facsimile:-
: 1951: Camden's Britannia 1695: David and Charles (Newton Abbot, Devon):: ISBN 0 7153 5101 X


1722
The description of Great Britain was translated into English, and edited, and improved, and published many times. One more, typical, edition, 1722, had a title page:-
BRITANNIA / OR, A / Chorographical Description / OF / GREAT BRITAIN / AND / IRELAND, / TOGETHER WITH THE / ADJACENT ISLANDS. / Written in LATIN / By WILLIAM CAMDEN, / Clarenceux King at Arms; / And translated into ENGLISH, with / ADDITIONS and IMPROVEMENTS; / By EDMUND GIBSON, D.D. / Late Lord BISHOP of LONDON. / This FOURTH EDITION is printed from a Copy of 1722, left corrected by the BISHOP for the Press. / M.DCC.LXXII.

1789
Another translation was made by Richard Gough (1735-1809) published in 1789. This edition has maps by John Cary.

Transcription
In the transcription, italics and other font variations have been ignored, as have the marginal notes. Greek text has been left out, shewn by [ ] as this ascii text cannot handle such. As for errors - we have done our best.
The transcriptions are presented page at a time as in the printed text. Camden's (or Holland's) paragraphing is not especially controlled, and the pagination seems a better option even though some words are split across pages.
button map type Camden 1610 -- menu of resources
button page 258 -- CAM258.txt
button page 259 -- CAM259.txt
button page 260 -- CAM260.txt
button page 261 -- CAM261.txt
button page 262 -- CAM262.txt
button page 263 -- CAM263.txt
button page 264 -- CAM264.txt
button page 265 -- CAM265.txt
button page 266 -- CAM266.txt
button page 267 -- CAM267.txt
button page 268 -- CAM268.txt
button page 269 -- CAM269.txt
button page 270 -- CAM270.txt
button page 271 -- CAM271.txt
button page 272 -- CAM272.txt
button page 273 -- CAM273.txt
button source item -- HMCMS:FA1998.24 -- descriptive text
button list of map notes
HantsMap Notes -- CAMDEN1.txt
JandMN: 20.12.1997
last edit: 25.7.2000