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The Countye of Monmouth by John Speed

£345.00 Approx $435.06, €402.57

Code: 53200



Author: John Speed

Publisher: Sudbury and Humble

Date published: 1646

Long title:The Countye of Monmouth with the sittuation of the Shire-towe Described Ann 1610. Copper engraving, later hand colouring. Overall size : 52.8cms.x 41.8cms. Image size : 508 x 382mms. Decorative cartouche containing county name. Plan of Monmouth at top left. with medallion portrait of Henry the Great (V)below : triumpher over France (born in the castle). The Prince of Wales feathers in the bottom right indicate the English/Welsh nature of Monmouth which was the last of the English shires to be created, being formed in 1536 by joining Gwent with the district of of Gwynllwg beyond the river Usk. English text to verso describing the county. Scale of distance at bottom right. Centre fold as published. Old strengthening bottom 17.7cms of centrefold ; centrefold browned on verson and some areas of thinness where backstrip has been removedand one small abrasion to the left of USKE; nick bottom margin else good condition. Until his late thirties, John Speed was a tailor by trade but his passion for history and map-making led him to gain a patron in Sir Fulke Greville, the poet and statesman, who found him a post in the customs and helped subsidize his map-making, giving him "full liberty to express the inclination of my mind"". He became aquainted with the publisher William Camden