Lot 5: SAXTON (CHRISTOPHER) Fine Books, Manuscripts, Atlases & Historical Photographs

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THE FIRST PRINTED MAP OF NORFOLK, AND THE FIRST COUNTY MAP COMPLETED BY SAXTON. One of only four maps showing the county divided into 'hundreds', it is the only one with these areas indicated by an alphabetical key with a separate index. It is also the only map engraved by Cornelis de Hooghe, who was a pupil of Philip Galle in Antwerp, and the only known work by him during his time in England. The map offered here is in Evans and Lawrence's State II. This was preceded only by the proof state of the map in Lord Burghley's atlas, with the additions of the Royal Arms, Seckford's motto and three place names ('E. Somerton', 'Heringbye' and 'Oxned'). Seckford's motto is present in its earlier state ('Pestis Patriae Pigrities'), before it was replaced in 1576, whilst the amendments to place names, including those above, point to a printing date of around 1583. Saxton's maps set the standard of cartographic representation in Britain and remained the basis for much English county mapping until after 1750. Commissioned by William Cecil Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, his atlas reflected the increasing use of maps in affairs of government and the desire to have the whole country properly surveyed for the first time. The financier of the project was Thomas Seckford, Master of Requests at the Court of Elizabeth I, whose arms and motto appear, along with the royal crest, on each map.