Ralph Agas - Maps

Maps

He is best remembered for his maps—really bird's-eye views—of London, Oxford, and Cambridge. The earliest was the plan of Oxford, dated 1578, of which a copy is preserved in the Bodleian Library. A copy, probably unique, of the plan of Cambridge, dated 1592, is also preserved there. These maps were bequeathed to the Bodleian Library by Dr. Rawlinson. The plan of Oxford was re-engraved by Robert Whittlesey, at the charge of the university, in 1728. This plate was destroyed in the fire at John Nichol's works in 1808. Of the plan of the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent, two copies were preserved, one of in the Pepysian collection at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and the other the property of the Corporation of London. There has been much dispute as to the exact date of this view of the metropolis of England as it existed in the time of Queen Elizabeth; William Henry Overall, F.S.A., came to the conclusion that it could not have been prepared earlier than about the year 1591.

The map is 6½ feet long and 2 feet 4½ inches wide, and is printed from wooden blocks. In 1737 George Vertue, the engraver and antiquary, published a pretended copy of Agas's map of London, stating that it was executed in 1560, and that it gave a true representation of the metropolis as it existed at the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Vertue crowned his pretended copy with the date 1560 in Roman numerals, made palpable alterations and omissions in order that he might retain the delusive date, and took other unwarrantable liberties with the object of disguising the fraud. The unhappy result of this tinkering of the original design was that numerous subsequent antiquaries were victims of the deception. Mr. Overall is of opinion that Vertue, having become possessed of the parts of a copy of the map made by some unknown Dutch engraver in the reign of William III, caused them to be "tinkered," probably for the purpose of deceiving his antiquarian friends. A correct facsimile of Agas's original plan was published.

Agas likewise executed a plan of Dunwich in Suffolk, which was engraved for Thomas Gardner's history of the town (1744). The original later came into the possession of David Elisha Davy, the Suffolk antiquary. Agas's ‘Supervisio Manerii de Comerde Magna, alias Abbas Haule, co. Suff.’ is preserved in MS. Sloan. 3664.