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SENEX, John : The Roads through England Delineated or Ogilby’s Survey

John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill, London, 1762

Oblong quarto (180 x 235 mm), recent half green morocco, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers. With engraved title, eight pages of text and explanation, general map of England and Wales and 101 road strip maps printed back to back. With some light offsetting, occasional fox mark, water stain to last few leaves, light crease to centre indicating that probably it was originally in a limp binding, otherwise in good condition.

John Senex (c.1678-1740) was geographer to Queen Anne and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He began his career as a bookseller, later becoming an engraver and publisher. In 1714, he published the large folio 'English Atlas' which was followed by the folio 'New General Atlas' of 1721. In 1719 Senex published a pocket version of John Ogilby’s 'Britannia' road book, just two days after that of Thomas Gardner's 'Pocket-Guide'. It contained reductions of the originals suitable for carrying. Senex died 30 December 1740 and his widow continued the business, re-publishing the work in 1742. A further issue introduced a general map dated 1744. At an unknown date the publication was sold to John Bowles and Son. They reissued it as 'The Roads Through England Delineated' in 1757 for which the plates were reworked quite heavily. The most noticeable alteration is the plate numbers are now in both the upper corners. This particular example is the 1762 edition with the imprint of John Bowles alone. A further general map now states below that ‘The figures on these Roads refer to the Page where they are shown’. There were several ensuing editions through c.1792. Provenance: private English collection. Bennett (1996) pp. 37-9; not in Chubb; Fordham (1924) p. 18; Smith (1991 a & b); Shirley (2004) T.Sen 3e.

SENEX, John : The Roads through England Delineated or Ogilby’s Survey

John Bowles & Son, London, 1759

Oblong quarto (180 x 230 mm), recent half calf, marbled paper boards, with ornate gilt ribbed spine, gilt red calf title label. With engraved title, eight pages of text and explanation, engraved general map of England and Wales and 101 engraved road strip maps printed back to back, with light crease to centre indicating that probably it was originally in a limp binding, some general browning particularly to the final few leaves, otherwise in good condition.

John Senex (c.1678-1740) was geographer to Queen Anne and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He began his career as a book seller, later becoming an engraver and publisher. In 1714 he published the large folio 'English Atlas' which was followed by the folio 'New General Atlas' of 1721. In 1719 Senex published a pocket version of John Ogilby’s 'Britannia' road book. It contained reductions of the originals suitable for carrying. It was published again by his widow Mary in 1742 after which the plates were acquired by John Bowles & Son. It was issued by them c.1753, then as 'The Roads Through England Delineated' in 1757 and again in 1759 as offered here. Further editions were to appear in 1762 and c.1768 by John Bowles alone. There were even later editions at the hands of Robert Wilkinson. Provenance: private English collection. Bennett (1996) pp. 37-9; Not in Chubb; Fordham p. 18; refer Shirley BL T.Sen 3a (this edition not in the BL); Smith ‘Road Map Confusion Revisited’, in 'IMCoS Journal' no. 45, pp. 6-11 & no. 47 pp. 29-39.

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