Friday, 28 October 2011

Maps of South Coast Harbours 1698

South Coast Harbours 1698 - this site has a collection of beautiful hand drawn maps from a survey carried out in 1698. Edmund Dummer was appointed Surveyor to the Navy at Portsmouth, Hampshire and was the officer in charge of dockyard stores and ship maintenance. In 1698 he initiated a plan to survey harbours on the south coast, at a time when war with France, and possible invasion, was a real threat. The survey was allowed only 2 months for 18 harbours, and involved Captain Thomas Wiltshaw of the navy and Captains Conaway and Cruft of Trinity House. 

A lo-resolution example of the map of Falmouth is shown. The original is 202 x 316mm giving a scale of about 1:52000.





The set of harbours mapped is shown below.