Publisher: Cary (John, plus George, and then John & George as well)

Introduction

John Cary & his family were major map makers in the 1780s to 1840s. John Cary went into business in 1783, working as a publisher of maps and road books, and also as a surveyor - notably of all Turnpike and Post Roads on behalf of the postmaster general, the first time these had been systematically surveyed since William Ogilby in the 1670s.

His brother George joined him in the firm, and they were succeeded by John's sons, also called John and George. Items published by "J Cary" are by the first John; those published by "J&G Cary" are by the second generation.

Cary is perhaps the single most prolific county map maker of all, with six different publication, which themselves were often reissued very many times. The publications are listed below, together with some example images at the bottom.

Title Notes

New and Correct English Atlas
Scale - 1:360,000

1787 Starting as a 12-part work, it was then republished as an atlas five times, printing so many
copies that new plates were cut in 1809; there were something like 10 to 13 further issues.
The plates were eventually sold to GF Cruchley in the 1850s, who used them for his County Atlas.

Camden's Britannia
and later as New British Atlas
Scale - 1:175,000

1789 Richard Gough produced a new translation of teh 1607 Latin text, and Cary engraved new
maps (drawn by E Noble). The maps were then reused unchanged in Cary's New British Atlas in
1805, 09 & 12.

Travellers Companion
Scale - 1:c850,000 (varied over
time)

1792 Amazingly successful publication, that had to have new plates cut for it twice (1806
& 1822). In the recuttings the scale got slightly smaller. By 1862 the plates were being used in
Cruchley's Railroad Companion to England and Wales.

Cary's New Map of England
and Wales
Scale - 1:316,800

1794 An atlas of 53 pages, at 5 miles to the inch - ie at the same scale throughout. This ran to
a further six issues.

New English Atlas
Scale - 1:175,000

1801 The Essex plate was created in 1801, but the Atlas did not appear until 1809 - whereupon
it also ran to many issues. The plates went to Cruchley in the 1850s, who used them for his
Railway & Telegraphic County Atlas of England and Wales.

Cary's Improved Map of
England and Wales
Scale - 1:126,720

1832 Another Atlas despite the name, but this time at 2 inches to the mile. This may have not
have been as successful as the other publications, as these maps are mainly seen when used
by AH Swiss for Fox Hunting maps in the 1890s.

Example of the New & Correct English Atlas maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
Thumbnail: Cary 1787

Cary
New and Correct English Atlas

1787         211mm x 264mm
The first of the (very) many Cary maps.

Example of the Camden's Britannia maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
Thumbnail: Cary 1789

Cary
Camden's Britannia

1789         427mm x 534mm
100 years after the preceding version of Camden's Britannia.
Thumbnail: Cary 1805

Cary
New British Atlas

1805         427mm x 534mm
Re-use of an existing map.

Examples of the Travellers Companion maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
        Thumbnail: Cary 1792        

Cary
Traveller's Companion

1792 - 1828         145mm x 93mm
Small maps that kept being reprinted again and again.

Example of the Cary's New Map of England and Wales maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
      Thumbnail: xxx      

Cary
Cary's New Map of England and Wales

1794         262mm x 204mm
Pages 26 & 27 from his atlas.

Example of the New English Atlas maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
  Thumbnail: xxx  

Cary
New English Atlas

1801         484mm x 540mm
Cary's largest county maps.

Example of the Improved Map of England and Wales maps

Thumbnail maps Notes
  Thumbnail: xxx  

Cary
Cary's Improved Map of England and Wales

1822         484mm x 540mm
Cary's 2nd, and larger, standard scale atlas.

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© Peter Walker 2017