John Smith

The Eyre Brothers were publishers with premises at 10, later 26 & 27, Paternoster Square, Paternoster Row, London. Their output seems to have been limited (only a handful of entries under COPAC) but they did produce some works relevant to Devon. The George Philips map of Devon (see B&B 149) was used in a number of works designed for both tourist and local resident published by Eyre Brothers of London: The Watering Places of the South of England (1877); Eyre’s Guide to the Seaside and Visiting Resorts of Devon & Cornwall (1878); and Eyre’s Hotels of the United Kingdom (1879, 1881). In 1880 they produced a directory for the Plymouth area and Eyre Brothers’ Post Office Plymouth District Directory, embracing Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse, and the District Five Miles Round (First Edition, 1880-81)[1] included the Philip map of the county.

The Post Office Directory was reissued at two year intervals (with slight change of name) by other publishers from 1890 until 1904 but appeared annually from 1895[2]. The Directory was taken over by A H Swiss from 1905. Only the first edition has a map of Devon, subsequent copies included a map of the Plymouth district. The area maps by Maddock and Brendon were used in 1882-83 and 1885-86 respectively, post-1890 directories used a map lithographed by John Smith of Plymouth with the Eyre imprint first appearing c. 1896.  

Size: 405 x 550 mm.  Scale 6 Inches to a Mile  (1 = 150 mm) mile. 

Title in panel (Ce):  Map of PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. Signature: JOHN SMITH, LITHO. PLYMOUTH (EaOS). Scale bar (CeOS).

Area shown is between Hamoaze and Cattewater only, but north to include all of Compton Ward. Extends east only to Little Efford. 

1. 1890    Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory, ... Fifth Edition

                London. W H Hood. 1890-91.        NLS, DevA.

                               

                Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory, ... Sixth Edition

               London. J G Hammond & Co. 1893.          KB.

 

2. 1895    Size: 415 x 620 mm. 


             Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory, ...7th Edition

             London. J G Hammond & Co. 1895.                 DevA.

 3. 1896   EYRE`S DIRECTORY MAP OF PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE, AND NEIGHBOURHOOD added above the top border. Frame to title removed. Scale changed to upper case. Signature now bottom right (EeOS). Numerous new developments especially at Royal Naval barracks north of Keyham Lake, at Mannamead south of Hartley Reservoir and at Cattedown. Size: 410 x 552 mm. Illustrated.

                Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory, ...8th Edition

                London. J G Hammond & Co. 1896.                 NLS.

 

4. 1897    Size: 370 x 556 mm. Map now shows both Little Efford and Efford Manor. New ward names, e.g. Compton, Frankfort and Mutley wards added (capital letters). Drake’s Island added below border. Smith signature deleted. Previous boundary lines deleted.

 

                Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory, ...9th / 10th / 11th Edition

                        London. J G Hammond & Co. 1897, 1898.         WDRO; NLS; BL.


For a complete overview of the Eye Brothers and the man behind the company - George P Butcher - go to my special web blog at:

The Eyre Brothers

RETURN to Main Catalogue

NOTES:

[1] I would like to thank the staff, and especially Jenny Parkerson, at NLS for their assistance concerning these directories.

[2] West Devon Record Office have a complete set of copies from the 1st  to 16th editions. It was later taken over and renamed by Swiss & Co. Only the 4th and 5th editions have a map (4th with plan of Cattewater and Sutton Harbour). Theophilus Creber of Plymouth issued the 12th to 16th editions and included a new map in some or all of these.

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