The River Avon from the Severn...by Captain Grenville Collins

Code: 54084

Date: 1693/1774

To the Right Worshipfull/Robert Yate, Esq/Mayor of Bristoll/ and Master of the Merchants Hall in that City/This Mapp is Dedicated and Presented/ by Capt Greenvile Collins. Two sheets joined. Overall sheet size:            95.8cms x 43.5cms; image size 918mm x 399mm.  Copper engravings with very attractive early hand colouring. Repair to tear top left blank , not noticeable from front; band of strengthening top and bottom and bottom of one fold strengthening damage top left. Old folds as issued.  Faint waterstain around Bristoll; overall toning.  Striking and dramatic map with twelve ships in the Severn and one huge ship in the centre of the stunning title cartouche. ‘ Surveyed by G Collins’ bottom right.  Gorgeous item being a strong impression and with very attractive colouring and much nicer than the description sounds.

The Reign of Charles II was interspersed with wars against the Dutch, principally fought on the high seas.  It was soon realised that the Dutch navy had access to better sea charts of English waters than the English themselves.  Accordingly, in 1681 Charles II commissioned Captain Greenville Collins to make a survey of the coasts of Great Britain, a task accomplished between 1681 and 1687.  During this survey Collins completed 120 manuscript draughts, of which forty-seven were engraved for the Coasting Pilot.  The engraving was carried out by some of the leading practitioners of the art, principally John Harris Sr and Herman Moll with James Collins and Nicholas Yeates engraving most of the cartouches..see Wardington Library Sale Catalogue  ]
("Great Britain's Coasting Pilot: being a new and exact survey of the sea-coast of England and Scotland from the river of Thames to the westward and northward; with the islands of Scilly and from thence to Carlisle; likewise the islands of Orkney and Shetland, describing all the harbours, rivers, bays, roads, rocks, sands, buoys, beacons, sea-marks, depths of water, latitude, bearings and distances from place to place. The setting and flowing of the tides; with directions for the knowing of any place, and how to harbour a ship in the same with safety. with directions for coming into the Channel between England and France.")