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"The Isle of Man", 1693 by Captain Greenvile Collins

This decorative/collectible item is a reproduced print of a classic nautical map, made from an original archived document currently kept within the Archives of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) in Taunton, Somerset.

An attractive chart of the Isle of Man, it is dedicated to William Earl of Derby, and lord of the island. It also includes a small view of Peel castle.

The seafaring community in the late 17th century, due to the total lack of domestically created maps, were forced to rely on the published works of Dutch surveyors and cartographers when it came to sailing in waters close to home. This changed forever in 1681, when Secretary of the Navy Samuel Pepys issued an Admiralty order for a naval captain named Greenville Collins to produce a charted collection of maps for the coast and harbours of the British Isles.

His tools of choice were a measuring chain, a compass and a leadline, and within seven years Collins had completed his his work, publishing it as Great Britain's Coasting Pilot in 1693. Within its pages were detailed nautical charts on forty eight harbours of the British Isles, including the Isle of Man. It was considered inferior to other atlases of its day, but it proved to be invaluable to British seamen. Republished in new editions throughout the 18th century, despite noted inaccuracies, Great Britain's Coasting Pilot is a historical landmark in British Hydrography, setting the template as the first fully-comprehensive pilot-book of the full expanse of the British coast. 

Size: 48 x 38.5 cms (19" x 15")*

*Disclaimer: Sizing of charts may vary, please contact us for specific chart dimensions.

Code: 6985