Saxton's Map of Cheshire

County cartography begins with Christopher Speed who undertook the first survey of England and Wales. Saxton surveyed and drew careful maps of every county having been given special facilities by order of the Privy Council and in 1579 his complete set of maps were published in a volume.The Royal Arms and Cartouche containing the title are replaced by a plan of Chester (copied from Speed) and on the right of this is a scroll containing a list of the churches and streets on the plan. The new title, a piece of drapery nailed at two corners, takes the place of the arms of Thomas Seckford. On the right, below the scale, a row of nine shields has been inserted, seven of which bear the arms of "Hugh Lupus Earl""Richard the sone of hu""Ranulph Meschines""Ranulph Gernones" "Hugh Ceuelioc ES" "Ranulph Blundewill" "Iohn Scot Earle" and two are blank. On the map the symbols for the respective towns have been augmented by the addition of crosses to indicate the holding of markets; the hundreds are shown and a few extra place names have been added.

Published in "All the Shires of England and Wales" Additions and corrections by Philip Lea