Peter Orlando Hutchinson

Self Portrait c.1848**

Peter Orlando Hutchinson moved to Sidmouth with his family in 1825 at the age of 15.[1] Due to ill health he was largely educated at home or at local schools. Later in life he toured widely, visiting America and Canada as well as France and Belgium. He was always a keen historian who kept copious records of his discoveries. The Devon Archives possesses his manuscript notes which comprise at least three drafts of his work; they begin in 1830; were redrafted from 1852; and there are revisions, or a final transcription, written between 1870 and 1880. These include numerous maps and plans, many in manuscript.

The first map below was possibly specially commissioned by the town and was subsequently sold as a separate publication (eg broadsheet) as the imprint suggests. Maps two and three below were produced for inclusion in Hutchinson’s guide book to Sidmouth, originally published as A New Guide to Sidmouth and the Neighbourhood. 

Richard Lethaby printed and published The Sidmouth Journal and Directory from 1858 until 1885.

Hutchinson 1

Size: 365 x 200 mm. (1 = 111 mm) One Mile.

A map OF THE TOWN AND PARISH OF SIDMOUTH IN THE COUNTY OF DEVON reduced by P. O. Hutchinson, Esqre FROM THE LARGE MAP In the Possession of the LORD OF THE MANOR. (Aa). Signature below this: W. Spreat, lith, Exeter. Imprint: Published and Sold by J. HARVEY, (Library.) Sidmouth. (CeOS). North point with TRUE NORTH (Ea).
Plan of both town – in block style with no details – and the parish of Sidmouth. Very few places are named: Lime kiln, Bickwell and Woolbrook Farms and the Vicarage and a few fields.


1. 1850      Loose sheet

                A map of the Town and Parish of Sidmouth
                Sidmouth. J Harvey. (1850). DevA.


Hutchinson 2 & 3

Maps two and three were produced for inclusion in Hutchinson’s guide book to Sidmouth. This was originally published as A New Guide to Sidmouth and the Neighbourhood and published by Thomas Perry, but reissued as A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth from the second edition of 1862 and now published by Richard Lethaby. In the Preface to the third edition Hutchinson writes: The present Edition differs materially from the two preceding. More than half of it has been entirely rewritten. Writing in the Preface to the 7th edition of 1885 he wrote: The later editions have been enriched by the addition of much valuable local matter, contributed by Mr Lethaby himself, the Proprietor and Publisher, and the late Mr James Sutherland.

Culverwell & Sons reprinted the text verbatim for their later editions but did not include these maps. The Eighth Edition included a small sketch map of the town; the Ninth Edition (and later) contained a map published originally by Wallis in 1822 and a crude sketch map of the town.


Hutchinson 2

Size: 130 x 160 mm. No scale.

SIDMOUTH, DEVON AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. (CeOS). Signature: P O Hutchinson, fecit in cupro (Ae). Attractively hachured map of Sidmouth and the surrounding area: from Otterton Rock (Ae) across to Weston House Ruins (Ee) and inland as far as Fen Ottery (Ba).

1. 1857      A New Guide to Sidmouth and the Neighbourhood: ... First Edition [2]
                Sidmouth. Thomas Perry. (1857). TQ, DevA, BL[3].

                A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth; ... Second Edition
                Sidmouth. Richard Lethaby. (1862). [TQ], [DevA].

                A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth; ... Third Edition
                Sidmouth. Richard Lethaby. (1865). BL, KB, DevA.


Hutchinson 3

Size: 235 x 250 mm. (1 = 90 mm) Mile.

A MAP OF THE ENVIRONS OF SIDMOUTH. (Ee). Signature: Stanford's Geographical Establishment. London. (EeOS). Imprint: Published by R Lethaby, Sidmouth. (CeOS). Scale (Be-De). L&SWRy Sidmouth Branch added ending at Railway Terminus.
Sidmouth, centrally, with neighbouring parishes. Attractive hachuring. Harpford Wood (Aa) and Peak Hill (Ad) west to Sidford (Ea) and Salcombe Hill (Ec) eastwards.

1. 1875    A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth; ... Fifth Edition [4]
                Sidmouth. Richard Lethaby. (1875). DevA.

                A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth; ... Sixth Edition
                Sidmouth. Richard Lethaby. (1879). BL[5].

                A Guide to the Town and Neighbourhood of Sidmouth; ... Seventh Edition
                Sidmouth. Richard Lethaby. (1885). DevA, TQ, KB.


Acknowledgement of self-portrait: Peter Orlando Hutchinson (1810-1897) - Picture credit: Culture24, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27861319

[1] For a short biographical overview of the life of Hutchinson, see Peter Orlando Hutchinson of Sidmouth, Devon 1810 – 1897, by Catherine Linehan, published privately (and undated).

[2] The edition and date of publication is taken from the Preface for the 7th edition. Each preface is dated and later editions list the previous editions.

[3] British Library has 1st edition BL 10368.a.24 and third edition BL 10368.bbb.20.

[4] The fourth edition apperaed in 1868.

[5] British Library has 6th edition BL 10352.e.20; the 8th edition BL 10368.cc.54 has a new map (see Culverwell).

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