Cartouche for A New Map of North America Shewing its Principal Divisions, Chief Cities, Townes…&c. Dedicated to His Highness William Duke of Glocester [Gloucester]

Oxford: 1701. Engraved cartouche only. 12 x 13 cm.Wells produced a lavish school atlas on the occasion of William Duke of Glouchester's schooling at Oxford. As such, this map rarely appears in early color. This wonderful and curious example of the map has no centerfold and may well have been issued separately as a teaching aid. The map is richly annotated with manuscript notes, including the course of Drake's Voyage to California and extensive notations concerning the date of d discovery of at least 15-20 locations. Since th last of the notations show the ceding of the region just east of the Mississippi River along the Gulf Coast to the English in 1763 and a similar note and date near Quebec, it would seem that the map was used at approximately this date. The majority of the notes reflect late 16th to mid 17th Century discoveries. Wells map is a fascinating mix of contemporary information and inaccuracies. In identifying California as an Island, Wells was behind the times. His location of the Misssissippi River as originating in Texas is also very inaccurate. However, his map is largely based upon the work of the Recollet missionary Louis Hennepin and faithfully displays Hennepin's discoveries. The shape of Florida is very odd. Along the East coast, many of the early English settlements and American Colonial cities are shown. From the collection of Hon. Gerald Henry Brabazon Ponsonby (1829-1908), Private secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland; son of 4th Earl of Bessborough.