[North Wales].: Wales - Evans' large-scale map of North Wales To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart. LLD, Member Of Parliament, Lord Lieutenant And Custos Rotulorum Of The Counties Of Denbigh And Merioneth, Colonel Of The Antient British Fencible Cavalry, Steward Of The Hundr

Lwynygoes,, 1795.. (1560 by 1770mm. (61.5 by 69.75 inches).. Folio (by) large-scale engraved map, on nine sheets, fine contemporary hand-colour, original full-calf, title lettered in gilt to spine. The small population of the area combined with the mountainous terrain predetermined the type of map that would result from Evans' survey, a task that must have proved enormous over such difficult ground. The thoroghness of this survey is indicated by the way he continues the detail on the east of the map, into Cheshire and Shropshire. It is interesting that the engraver of the map , Robert Baugh, adopted a similar approach for the only other large-scale survey he was involved in - that of Shropshire. The whole of the lower left hand sheet of the map is taken up with the large view of Vale Crucis Abbey and the dedication to Sir Watkin William Wynn, Lord Lieutenant of Denbigh and Merioneth, who purchased 100 copies himself. With hills and mountains dominating the map, Evans gives little attention to the usual large-scale detail, but the number of towns and villages shown is remarkable. It is possible that the sheets were published separately, the Flintshire and Denbighshire sheet being dated 1794, with May 1st 1795 on the Caernarvonshire sheet. The largest map to appear prior to the publication of the Ordnance Survey, it is surprising Evans' only major cartographical contribution: a highly competent survey that deservedly received recognition from the Society of Arts. Scale: 3/4 inch to one statute mile Roger 559