John Speed

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John Speed (1552-1627) was a historian and cartographer under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I. His maps were notable for their accuracy and for his town plans. Speed’s most famous work, "Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine" (1611) contains the first set of county maps of England and Wales, as well as maps of Ireland and Scotland.

Just before his death in 1627, Speed published "A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World", the first world atlas produced by an Englishman. On the back of the maps are English texts describing the areas shown; a rare edition had Latin text, possibly because it was intended for the Continental market. Much of the engraving for the maps was done in Amsterdam at the workshop of Speed’s friend, Jodocus Hondius.

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John Speed

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