166. Alfred H Swiss / (John Cary) 1890

REVISED LAYOUT July 2023

A small number of maps of Devon can be found in works on hunting. The Walkers probably produced the first series, issued in Hobson’s Fox-Hunting Atlas and later as Walker’s Fox-Hunting Atlas (see 116). Edward Weller (see 136) also engraved at least one Devon hunting map: a Map of the Stag-Hunting Country in the Counties of Devon & Somerset showing West Somerset and North Devon for Collyns’ Notes on the Chase of the Wild Red Deer, 1862.

When George Frederick Cruchley´s (c.f.) stock came up for auction in 1877, Gall & Inglis bought a large part. Some of the plates sold included those of John Cary that Cruchley had acquired over thirty years previously. Among them were the plates to Cary’s New Map of England and Wales with part of Scotland of 1794 (see also 138A). The 65 sheets, first issued in 1794, covered all England and Wales with sheets 2, 3, 9, 10 and 16 covering Devon. There was minimal up-dating; railways were added and some new conurbations, e.g. Torquay, were revised but the basic map and outlying areas were almost the same as they had been in the 1820s after revision. The maps described below, the fox-hunting maps of Devon produced c.1890 and published by A H Swiss, are transfers from these plates with added railways and hunt information.

Swiss and Co., a firm operating from Devonport, seem to have specialised in hunting maps, producing maps for most English counties with hunts.¹ Alfred H Swiss was registered as printer at 112 Fore Street in White’s Directory of 1878. Swiss & Co. - printers to H M Stationery Office, printers, stationers (retail), booksellers, insurance agents, map publishers and relief stampers - were still registered at that address in 1930.

Swiss and Gall & Inglis must have worked closely together as the imprints and number of counties produced show. Swiss ostensibly produced three maps of Devon. However, the No. 1 Map first only covered eastern Cornwall and western Devon², but later became a map of all of Devon with parts of Cornwall and Somerset: an early copy has not yet been seen although the British Library does have a copy of a post 1900 edition³ and another is illustrated. Devon is more typically covered by two sheets: No. 2 map covers south Devon and the No. 3 map is north Devon. The maps themselves are usually linen-backed, folded and bound to form a small booklet. Although the maps are normally found in plain red covers, sometimes they are in publisher´s printed yellow covers showing a hunting scene signed by Imogen Collier and dated 1891 (not restricted to the earliest state and sometimes concurrent with red covers)⁴. A small booklet containing the names of the various hunts, their sizes and principal officers is pasted on the inside cover. The later maps have a two mile vertical numbered grid and main roads and railways are coloured: the hunt meeting places are numbered in circles or squares and are coloured.

John Heydon (see also 150) published John Heydon’ Map of the Environs of Plymouth which covered most of that of Sheet 2 of Cary’s original. Other local mapsellers and publishers who utilised the same plates were Arthur Westley and L Seeley of Torquay and Beatrix Cresswell wrote at least two books for the Homeland Handbook series.⁵

Map No 1.

Early

Two versions of a hunting map based on Plymouth have been seen. A H SWISS´s HUNTING MAP OF PLYMOUTH & DEVONPORT DISTRICT (BL Maps 5.a.47) in pale pink covers dating to c.1887 (BL accession date) and A H SWISS´s No. 1 HUNTING MAP The Plymouth District (circa 1895) (now at Cambridge UL). Based on original sheet No. 2 it covers an area from Greber Head by Fowey in Cornwall only as far east as Prawle Point, but stretches inland to Stratton and Crediton.

Both have usual railways to date, grid as described and colouring but also have concentric circles radiating from Plymooth: The distance between each circle is one mile. Later maps did not have this feature.

The first map above has Dartmoor (red), Lamerton (green) and Mr Coryton´s hunts (brown). The second map above has Dartmoor (red), Lamerton (green) and East Cornwall hunts (yellow). 

This map seems to have been replaced at a later date.

Later

Although only known from later issues, this was a composite map of sheets 2, 3, 9, 10 and 16 of the original Cary / Cruchley / Gall & Inglis series. However it has been reduced in size to Half an Inch to the Mile (conforming to Gall & Inglis sheets 2 and 9 in their later "Half Inch" Map series).

Cover Title: Swiss & Co.´s No. 1 Hunting Map. The East Cornwall, Devonshire & West Somersetshire District.

Size: 740 x 965 mm

It covers the area from Lannsalloes and St Garis to Budleigh Salterton and Watchet in the east with an inset map of the Continuation East Of Watchet. The whole of the county north to south is shown. Later railways such as the route to Appledore, Exmouth to Budleigh and Ashton to Exeter are depicted. 

Map has a characteristic grid A-T+ top to bottom and 1 to 14+ left to right. Map in full colour. Title in panel echoes cover: Swiss & Co.´s No. 1 Hunting Map, reference to scale, and note on roads and railways. Imprint: SWISS & Co., Publishers, Fore Street, DEVONPORT.

Examples - MW illustrated on image page. Illustration courtesy of Malcolm Woodward. A copy formerly in possession of Tony Burgess dated to 1910-11. Further copy at BL: now priced 7/6 and tentatively dated to 1924.

Map No. 2.

Covers most of South Devon. Size of South Sheet: 620 x 872 mm. Scale of Miles (35  =  450 mm).

Imprint: COPYRIGHT. A. H. SWISS, Printer and Publisher, 111 And 112 FORE STREET, DEVONPORT. Signature: Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh (EeOS). Notes outside the border: THE NUMBER OR MILES BETWEEN ANY TWO PLACES CAN EASILY BE ASCERTAINED BY REFERENCE TO THE ABOVE SCALE OF DISTANCES (DeOS) and A CORRESPONDING MAP, UNIFORM WITH THIS, EXTENDING TO ILFRACOMBE, TAUNTON, &C., MAY BE HAD AT THE SAME PRICE (CeOS).

Cover Titles:

No. 2 Hunting Map Copyright  Showing the Meets of ... Hounds (yellow boards).

SOUTH DEVON including a portion of East Cornwall (plain red covers). 

No. 2 Hunting Map Copyright  Showing the Meets of ... Hounds (red boards).

It covers the area from Lannsalloes and Kilkhampton to Beer and Yarcombe in the east. Railways such as the route Launceston to Halwill are depicted. 

Map has a characteristic grid of 2 mile intervals numbered 2 to 68 across the printed map area top to bottom. Map uncoloured except for main roads, hunt meets and pale pink wash at county borders. Title bottom right within map: A H SWISS´ ROAD & RAILWAY HUNTING MAP of SOUTH DEVON INCLUDING A PORTION OF EAST CORNWALL.  Imprint: A H SWISS & Co., Printer and Publisher, 111 & 112 Fore Street, DEVONPORT.

Examples - KB illustrated on image page. Other examples in Plymouth Library and Francis Bennett (now sold).

Map No. 3.

Covers most of North Devon. Size of North Sheet: 520 x 872 mm. Scale of Miles (35 = 450 mm).

Imprint: COPYRIGHT. A. H. SWISS, Printer and Publisher, 111 And 112 FORE STREET, DEVONPORT. Signature: Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh (EeOS). Notes outside the border: THE NUMBER OR MILES BETWEEN ANY TWO PLACES CAN EASILY BE ASCERTAINED BY REFERENCE TO THE ABOVE SCALE OF DISTANCES (DeOS) and A CORRESPONDING MAP, UNIFORM WITH THIS, EXTENDING TO PLYMOUTH, DARTMOUTH, &C., MAY BE HAD AT THE SAME PRICE (CeOS).

Cover Titles:

No. 3 Hunting Map (yellow printed covers). Exmoor hunt shown (red rectangles).

North Devon Including a Portion of West Somerset (red boards). Exmoor hunt not shown.

It covers the area from Caroe and Hartland Point to Stockland Bristol in Somerset. Railways such as the route Launceston to Halwill are depicted. 

Map has a characteristic grid of 2 mile intervals numbered 2 to 68 across the printed map area top to bottom (only). Map uncoloured except for main roads, hunt meets and pale pink wash at county borders. Title top left within map: A H SWISS´ ROAD & RAILWAY HUNTING MAP of NORTH DEVON INCLUDING A PORTION OF WEST SOMERSET.  Imprint: A H SWISS & Co., Printer and Publisher, 111 & 112 Fore Street, DEVONPORT.

Examples - KB illustrated on image page. Other examples were in collections of Francis Bennett, Eugene Burden and Tony Burgess (all since sold). All circa 1890-95.

[1] See especially Tony Burgess´ entry on Swiss maps at OldKentMaps. (Go to Hunt ref. page.) He lists a total of 15 different maps and describes many more.