John Feltham

A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places was written by John Feltham (fl. 1797-1830). This was illustrated with copious maps and views but only one includes areas concerning Devon. The first edition called for 51 maps and plates and even the final editions, 40 years later, included over 40 different illustrations. The guide alphabetically covers the pleasure resorts of the day, including the spa resorts as well as seaside towns. These descriptions are detailed, eg with admission charges for assembly rooms and sea bathing charges, lists of inns and amusements as well as a brief history and present state of each place. Devonshire was included with approximately 30 pages covering Sidmouth, Teignmouth and Shaldon, Torquay,etc. John Feltham was also the editor of The Picture of London (reissued until c.1821).
Many of the plates in the early editions were by John Nixon, a pioneer topographical artist of his day.


Size: 77 x 127 mm. Scale (5 = 25 mm).

SIDMOUTH EXMOUTH DAWLISH TEIGNMOUTH and SHALDON. (Dd). A sketch map with only main roads named. No imprint, signature. No plate or page number. No hills shown. 


1. 1803 A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places
London. Richard Phillips. 1803[1]. BCL, Edin, Leics.


2. 1804 Plate number Pl. 21. (AaOS) and Page number P.200 (EaOS). No hills. 


A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places
London. Richard Phillips. 1804[2]. 1806[3].
NLW, Leeds, GL, V&A; V&A, NLS, NLW, B, BRL.

3. 1810 Plate and page number. Three parks now clearly added by Chudleigh: Mamb now Mamhead; and Powderham on west bank of Exe. Hill shading northeast of Chudleigh.


A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places
London. Richard Phillips. 1810[4], 1812[5], 1815[6].
BRL, V&A, B, NLW; B, NLW; NLW, B, GL, KB.

4. 1820 Plate number only. Hill shading near Chudleigh named Gt Haldon Hill with Lit. Haldon Hill added just below. Nutwell Court added on east bank of Exe. Extensive revision to roads: turnpike (?) from Teignmouth to Starcross with Sackmalaon (?), Mt Pleasant and Stareross [sic] added; road from Newton Abbot to Torquay upgraded with addition of Coffinswell; road upgraded to Teignmouth from Newton; road north of Nutwell Court; road to Sidmouth with Sidford added.


A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places – A New and Improved Edition
London. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. 1820[7]. B.

5. 1825 No plate or page number. 

A Guide to all the Watering and Sea Bathing Places
London. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. 1825, 1830[8]. GL; KB.




[1] Has an advertisement dated May 31, 1803. Usually iv plus 434 pages. Various pages misnumbered (e.g. 157 and 920 for 175 and 320).
[2] Now has 450 pages plus a number of extra pages inserted at certain sections making 466.
[3] Now has 500 pages. An advertisement after title page is dated 1806.
[4] Now has 528 pages. An advertisement after title page is dated 1810.
[5] Publisher’s boards are dated 1812.
[6] Now has 560 pages.(pp. 447-470 twice with different text). A copy is recorded in French at Wellcome Library.
[7] Now has 486 pages. Both the 1825 and 1829 editions have 3 more pages at 489.
[8] Last date in text is 1829 (p. 340) but population figs. are for 1821.


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