Map of Farringdon Ward by Emanuel Bowen printed 1772

Farringdon Ward without, with its Divisions into Parishes, from a Late Survey.

This is one of my first pieces to my map collection. This map shows the area of Farringdon ward on the western edge of the city of London. In this map it includes famous streets such as Holburn and Fleet Street. The map is decorated with a rococo cartouche. The map was originally produced for the "London Magazine" in 1772, however, this version was utilized in John Noorthouck's "A New History of London including Westminster and Southwark" (London:1772-1773).

What is quite interesting about this map is the detail that went into naming specific buildings, gardens, and courtyards, etc. If you can see from the images I provided there is several buildings labeled. Below I have a few listed with a excerpt from John Noorthouck's book.

Hatton Garden-

Formerly there were about 40 acres of orchard and pasture belonging to Elyhouse; which falling to the crown at the death of bishop Cox, queen Elizabeth gave that inclosed land to lord chancellor Hatton and his heirs for ever. The chancellor built a large house upon the premises; which being removed, the ground was afterward laid out into streets, and covered with very good and genteel buildings; among which that called Hatton Garden is reputed one of the handsomest in or about London

Bernard's inn-

On the same side of Holborn, between Fetter-lane and Castle-yard, is Bernard's-inn, an inn of Chancery, belonging to the dean and chapter of Lincoln, as says the record of Henry VI. the twenty-third of his reign; and was founded by inquisition in the Guildhall of London, before J. Norman, mayor, the king's escheator. The jury said, that it was not hurtful for the king to license Thomas Atkins, citizen of London, and one of the executors of John Mackworth, dean of Lincoln, to give one messuage in Holborn, in London, with the appurtenances, called Mackworth's-inn, but commonly known by the name of Bernard's-inn, to the dean and chapter of Lincoln, to find one sufficient chaplain, to celebrate divine service in the chapel of St. George, in the cathedral church of Lincoln, where the body of the said John is buried. This inn is subordinate to Gray's-inn, and consists of three small courts, the largest of which has a passage into Fetter-lane.

King's new printing house-

For above a century past the king's printing house was situated in Black-friars. But Mr. Basket's patent expiring in January 1770, and the new one coming into the hands of Charles Eyre, Esq; of Clapham, and Mr. William Strahan an eminent printer in New-street Shoe-lane; they removed the business to a large convenient building they had erected for that purpose near the house of the latter, in Goldsmiths-row behind Gough-square Fleet-street, now called the king's new printing house. Here bibles, common-prayers, acts of parliament, king's speeches, proclamations, &c. are printed by

These excerpts have a great sense of detail that make this map a wonderful piece to my collection.

Now a little about the mapmaker, Emanuel Bowen. I would like to make it known that the map I have in my collection was printed after his death. This practice of using other mapmakers engravings was common. As you will see Bowen's son Thomas would take over his father mapmaking enterprise and thus most likely used his father's engraved plates for printing.

Emanuel Bowen (1714-1767) had the high distinction to be named Royal Mapmaker to both to King George II of England and Louis XV of France. Based in London from 1714 onwards, Bowen was highly regarded for producing some of the largest, most detailed, most accurate and most attractive maps of his era. He is known to have worked with some of the most prominent cartographic names of the period including Herman Moll, John Owen, and Thomas Kitchin. Despite his renown and success, Bowen, like many cartographers, died in poverty. Upon Emanuel Bowen's death, his cartographic work was taken over by his son, Thomas Bowen (?? - 1790) who also died in poverty.