Edward Croydon 3

Handbook for Torquay 

The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood was originally published in 1854 with dated title page. There may have been two variations – with or without map – as many libraries do not mention a map. The book was probably published by Croydon for the visitors to Torquay, but he used Hamilton & Adams for London distribution as he had done for other works and the London printers Bradbury and Evans of Whitefriars. The work was slightly revised 15 years later and reissued. All copies of this “second edition”so far seen have no date on the title page but they do have an advert for Stewart‘s Handbook of the Torquay Flora on the back endpaper: this was published by Croydon in 1860 with Hamilton, Adams and Co., as co-publisher.[1]

The original text was probably written between 1852 and 1853: the first edition mentions a visit by Queen Victoria to Tor Bay in July of the last year, but this is amended in the later text to in July 1852; in a reference to a stream near Chudleigh Rock there is reference to this last Spring (1852); and a reference to temperatures states this present summer (1852). The later edition has been seen in three different versions: one version is text only; a second is with text and map; and the third volume has text, map and six vignette illustrations and a folding view of Torquay from the Pier.[2] 

Size: 500 x 315 mm.    SCALE OF MILES (2 = 90 mm).                   

TORQUAY AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD, PUBLISHED AT CROYDON'S ROYAL LIBRARY AND READING ROOMS; TORQUAY. Taken from the Ordnance Survey. (Ee).

The whole of the coast from Teignmouth as far south as Fishcombe Point at the south end of Tor Bay is shown, together with the western areas as far as Newton Abbot. Railway to Torre only (Station and Tor Moham named but not station name as such).

Revised September 2022

1. 1854    The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood, with the natural history of the district  

                Torquay: E Croydon. London: Hamilton & Adams. 1854.    KB, Bod, LoC, California (Sutro).

                 The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood, with the natural history of the district 

                Torquay: E Croydon. London: Hamilton & Adams. (1860). KB, Bod, Lei.[3]

For more information on Croydon, see my article on Torquay booksellers. Click here.

Croydon 1 - Watering Places - click here.

Croydon 2 - The Teignmouth Guide (later also The Torquay Guide) - click here.


[1] This “second” edition has 287 pages of text and includes the map described above. The 1854 edition had vii + 293 pp.

[2] These seem to be unrecorded by Somers Cocks. All lithographs bear the words Pub(lished) by E Croydon together with some reference to The Library or Royal Library.

[3]  Copies are recorded at Bideford and Totnes but not seen. Tavistock Library also has an 1825 Croydon guide to Tavistock on its catalogue.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Besley 6   Size: 280 x 382 mm.                                                   Scale of English Miles (7 = 88 mm).   SOUTH EAST DEVON . Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South  Street, Exeter (CeOS): and signature Engraved by W E Trott   (AeOS) 2 Tysoe St London EC (EeOS). Graticuled border from Dawlish to Lyme and inland to Cullompton. No railway to Hemyock (1876). Thick dashed line Feniton to Sidmouth and thinner dashed line from (approx.) Harpford to Budleigh and Exmouth. 1. 1871 The Route Book Of Devon Exeter. H Besley. (1871). KB. 2. 1876 Both parts of the signature have been erased. Hand Book Of South East Devon Exeter. H Besley and Son. (1876). BL [1] . South East Devon folding into dark blue covers Exeter. H Besley. (1876).
Read more
Image
  John Bartholomew –  Imperial Map 2 W H Smith was   founded c.1820 by Henry Edward   and his brother William Henry (who actually ran   the company). But it was not until Henry’s son, also William Henry (1825-1891), became a partner in 1846 that the firm became the well-known booksellers and stationers. In 1848 he started a newsagent shop at Euston with a concession from the L&NW Railway. This was soon to be converted into a virtual railway book-stall monopoly. The firm soon became the largest newsagent in the country and expanded further into circulating libraries.   William Henry later entered Parliament and became the First Lord of the Admiralty in 1877 (Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore was supposedly based on him). [1] W H Smith used to have an estate in Rewe in east Devon where he had a stable built opposite St Mary the Virgin church for the use of the parishioners so that they could tie up their horses. [2] At the same time as the maps below were on sale a similar
Read more
Image
 John Bartholomew 8 -  for Charles Pearson   Charles Arthur   Pearson produced a number of Gossipy Guides   at the beginning of the 20th century. Styled along the lines of the Ward and Lock series of guides they were full of photographic material in a handy pocket size. The two guides relating to Devon were the Guide to Ilfracombe and District (cover title; number 4 in the series)   and Guide to South Devon (number 8 in the series).   Both British Library volumes have accession dates of 1901. It is interesting that Pearson took maps from different sources to include in his two Devon guides. The map of South Devon included in the South Devon Guide was a transfer of Bartholomew’s map: however, the map of North Devon is taken from the plates prepared by Ravenstein for George Philip & Son   in 1899. The scale reveals that this is a Philip’s map (see Pearson 1 ) .   Bartholomew Imperial Map 8 (Pearson)   Size: 257 x 385 mm.                                    English Miles (8
Read more