Add MS 69459

SUFFOLK ESTATE MAP: 'A map of Madm Margaret Bonnell's land lying in the parishes of Brent-Eligh and Preston in the county of Suffolk surveyed by Isaac Causton'; 1719. Scale circa 1:3200. 'A scale of chains and poles'. [18 chains = 113mm.] The map is oriented with North at the top: the main windrose appears in the centre of the map with two smaller roses in the upper left and lower right hand corners. The map shows the Bonnell landholdings in the parishes of Brent-Eleigh, seven miles north-east of Sudbury, and Preston, two miles north-east of Lavenham, both in West Suffolk. A grid has been drawn over the map in red and black ink, numbered from 1 to 67 west to east and 1 to 47 north to south; the numbers refer to a table in the right-hand corner with the heading 'A table which shews ye fields names with their several respective areas or content in acres roods & perches (of ye land in the occupation of John Woods) and also referring figures for ye more speedy finding any one of them'. The scale bar is surmounted by a pair of dividers, geometrical drawings, and allegorical figures representing Geometry and Algebra, and the whole enclosed within a stylised floral border. Fields are boldly outlined in ink and watercolours, and are all named, the larger ones in a calligraphic hand with penwork ornamentation. Roads are marked in brown and keyed by letters to an explanation at the foot of the map. Houses, gates and woodland are shown in perspective. There are two further tables at the foot of the map detailing the landholdings of Richard Death and John Jacob. The title, which extends along the top edge of the map, is enclosed by an elaborately decorated border in the rococo style, with clawed foliate end pieces, the tables by geometrical patterned borders in colours. The entire map is surrounded by a double-ruled border of roses over a foliage background. Isaac Causton is recorded as active in Suffolk, 1720-1725, in P. Eden (ed.), Dictionary of land surveyors and local cartographers of Great Britain and Ireland 1550-1850 (Folkestone, 1975-1979), Vol. 1, p. 57. Purchased from Christie's, 26 April 1989, lot 139.

Ink and watercolours on vellum. 730 x 910mm., on sheet 760 x 915mm. The top 30mm. has been folded over backwards and has a row of regularly spaced holes, suggesting that the map was once attached to a bar for display or storage.