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VII. The Cartographic Works of John Cooke

NEW MAP 1A - Added 2023

1. Seven Sea Charts for David Steel

1A. Title: A Mercators Chart from ENGLAND TO GREENLAND – DAVIS`S STRAITS & HUDSON`S BAY Including all the Islands from Actual Surveys

 Date: August 1st 1789.

Size: Approx. 660 x 1670 mm (border on 4 sides).

Imprint(s): Published London, D Steel, 1789, see below.

Signature(s): I Cooke Sculpt Morgans [Buildings?] / New Road St. Georges.

Location(s): BNE. 

Comments: Very large folding blue back chart, in exactly the same style as the six charts of Ireland (see 1B below). The imprint is Printed for D Steel, Bookseller, little Tower Hill, Augt 1st 1789, as the Act directs. The signature, left and right of the imprint, is I Cooke but obviously refers to John Cooke; the address here is difficult to read and the word after Morgans has been transcribed as Bradlgs (Buildings?) at the National Library of Spain where the map is available on-line. The address seems to carry on after the date and is New Road St. Georges. This address is not listed on any other maps seen and is probably the New Road in Whitechapel not far from St Georges Church and St Georges Gardens.

The chart covers a very wide area as the title suggests with Hudson´s Bay being shown in the west and the whole of the Baltic Sea in the east. There is an inset map of Spitzbergen and New Greenland. All of Disko Island and part of James Island in the north are shown and south as far as the northern tip of Newfoundland and the whole of the British Isles with the British Channel. The right-hand third could have been sold separately: it has its own title panel, A Chart from England to the North Cape and a second imprint reads Pubd Feby 14th 1789 By D Steel Bookseller Tower Hill.


Click on image to access file at National Library of Spain.

New 1B. 

1B. Title: A New Mercators Chart of the Coast of Ireland or A New Mercators Chart of the Irish Coast.  Set of six charts covering the complete coast of Ireland.

Sline Head to Kerry Head

Date: Four of the six charts are dated between January and July 1790.

Size: Six sheets made up of 2 half-sheets each approx. 760 x 655 mm (border on 4 sides).

Imprint(s): Published London, D Steel, 1790, see below.

Signature(s): J Cooke Sculpt Clare Court (or Ct) Drury Lane.

Location(s): BNE, P.[1]

Typical imprint

Kerry Head to Kilmury

 Comments: This consists of a set of six large folding blue back charts, each on 2 sheets joined with title A New Mercators Chart of the Coast of Ireland (or Irish Coast) from [Drogheda] to [the Skerries]. (Numbers are as the BL copy, see below.)

1) Kilmury Head to Drogheda (75 x 132 cm)

2) Drogheda to the Skerries (77 x 133 cm)

3) The Skerries to Balliconel ... June 1, 1790 (77 x 132 cm)

4) Balliconel to Slyne Head ... July 1st, 1790 (77 x 132 cm)

5) Sline Head to Kerry Head ... Janry 1st, 1790 (includes plan of River Shannon) (76 x 131 cm)

6) Kerry Head to Kilmury ... April 1st, 1790 (69 x 154 cm)

Balliconel to Slyne Head

 The four maps with Cooke´s signature are maps 3-6. The signature is always J Cooke Sculpt Clare Court (or Ct) Drury Lane. The imprint is either Printed for D Steel, at his Navigation Warehouse, Union Row, Little Tower Hill, followed by the date (maps 3 and 6), London. Printed for D Steel, Bookseller, Union Row, Little Tower Hill, followed by the date (map 5) or Printed for D Steel, Bookseller, Little Tower Hill, followed by the date (map 4).

1B.2. Six sheets as described above (border on two or three sides) with new title A New Mercator´s Chart of the Coast of Ireland from [Drogheda] to [the Skerries]. Surveyed by Murdoch Mackenzie. / A NEW EDITION / London. Published as the Act Directs. Jan 1st 1821 by J W Norie & Co. At the Navigation Warehouse. No. 157 Leadenhall Street. Sheet 1-2 (BL numbering) has also & Naval Academy in address. All references to John Cooke deleted but sheets 3-4 have London. Published as the Act directs. Jan 1st 1800 by D & E Steel at the Navigation Warehouse, Little Tower Hill (CeOS both sheets)[2]. BL.

The Skerries to Balliconel


The six charts complete a coastal map of all Ireland.


[1] BNE: The complete series is held at the National Library of Spain and can be accessed by clicking the overview of David Steel charts in their collection here. The measurements are according to those on their web pages. The chart of England to Greenland is reference MR/4/1 SERIES 36/6. The set of six charts have references MR/5/1 SERIES/ #; # being numbers 7, 8, 19, 21, 27 and 28. P: Sold (lot 61) at Sotheby´s May 4th 2007 to Bernard Shapero, Rare Books. I am grateful to Susanne Fisher for contacting me with this information, and to Daniel Crouch and staff at Shapero Rare Books who kindly checked the charts and for providing  illustrations. Photos of 3-6 by Lovie Fasciolo at Bernard Shapero, Rare Books.

[2] This indicates that this BL copy might even be a 3rd edition. BL copy is 10975.(36.)


Link to Map 2.

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