Mystery of Maps talk for family history group

History and Mystery in Maps was the title of Tony Painter’s talk for the Frome Family History group’s May meeting.

The group reports, “This excellent talk began with Tony giving a little of his background and how his interest in maps began. We went on to look at examples of very early maps including the Mappa Mundi. The Hereford Mappa Mundi is a medieval map of the known world, dating from c. 1300. It is displayed at Hereford Cathedral in Hereford and is the largest medieval map still known to exist. 

“The Gough Map or Bodleian Map is a late Medieval map of the island of Great Britain. Its precise date of production and authorship are unknown but thought to date to around 1360.The map is named after Richard Gough, who bequeathed it to the Bodleian Library in 1809. These early maps feature prominent religious sites including Bristol and Wells Cathedrals.

“The Mercator Atlas was an important navigation tool. Gerardus Mercator was a 16th-century Southern Dutch cartographer, geographer and cosmographer. He was renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing as straight lines, an innovation that is still employed in nautical charts.

“In the seventeenth century John Speed and John Ogilvy contributed coloured town maps and maps showing county boundaries and in the eighteenth century Ordnance Survey maps started to appear.  

“The origins of OS maps lie in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising 1746. It was realised that the British Army did not have a good map of the Scottish Highlands. One of the assistants mapping the Highlands was William Roy who later had an illustrious career in the Royal Engineers and was responsible for the principle triangulation of Great Britain which led to the creation of the Ordnance Survey. This was a national military survey starting with the south coast of England and begun In 1790. By 1840, good accurate maps of the British Isles were becoming available.

“Tony’s talk concluded with a look at the Godfrey maps. These maps are invaluable for historians and genealogists. There are now more than 3,000 titles in this major series of reprints of Old Ordnance Survey Maps of towns throughout Britain and Ireland. Old maps can also be sourced online and, in Tony’s opinion, the best site is, https://maps.nls.uk

“Tony was thanked for a brilliant evening and for donating a Godfrey map as a raffle prize.

“Our next talk will be on Tuesday 25th June where Mike Hobbs will tell us about the involvement of the Army at the three Dehli Durbars 1877-1911. Family history advice sessions continue on the first Saturday in the month in the library from 9.30am-11.30am.”