John Murray - Handbook for Travellers

John Murray's Handbook for Travellers in Devon and Cornwall was first published in 1850, but the early editions only contained county maps (B&B 116 and 135). In 1863, with the appearance of the fifth edition, a map of Exeter was included for the first time although this was replaced by a map by Edward Weller for the ninth edition. Although a plan of Plymouth appeared in 1872 (8th edition), this too was replaced very quickly, and by 1879 (9th) a new map was included. In 1895, the eleventh and final edition of the Handbook was published. This had a large number of new maps produced by John Bartholomew & Co.

Dating the individual Murray editions is not as simple as it seems. Although all issues have a date on the title page, this can sometimes be misleading. John Lister, in his very good listing of the Murray guides, has used the publisher’s date as given on the title page and has noted that there are no extant examples of a seventh edition, suggesting that it was never issued for some reason. However, individual examples of Murray’s other guides often have dates on other pages suggesting either earlier or later publishing (or sales) dates. For example, one copy of a fourth edition of Devon and Cornwall with a title page date of 1859 actually had endpapers dated October 1858. A copy of the ninth edition in the author’s collection has a title page dated 1879, endpapers dated June 1881, and an advertising section for 1882-83 with railway adverts dated as late as May 1882.

John Murray published a total of 12 different maps of parts of Devon in his guides. 

For Murray´s plan of Exeter (1863) - see below.

For Murray´s plan of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport (1865) - click here.

For Murray´s plan of Exeter (1879) - click here.

For Murray´s plan of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport (1879) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Exeter and Dartmoor (North) (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Torquay and Dartmoor (South) (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Plymouth and Dartmouth  (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Kingsbridge, Start Point and Bolt Head (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Lynton, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Torrington, Bideford and Clovelly (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Torquay (1895) - click here.

For Murray´s sectional plan of Ilfracombe (1895) - click here.

For a more detailed account of John Murray company see my Introduction - Centres of Production: London.

Murray 1 - Exeter 

Size: 125 x 100 mm. No scale. 

EXETER (Aa). Area from St Thomas (SW) to Cavalry Barracks (NE). Bottom right, the road is marked: TO VEITCH'S NURSERY. List of 7 buildings below map. To face page 17. (EeOS). Illustrated.  

1. 1863 A Handbook for Travellers in Devon and Cornwall. Fifth Edition
London. John Murray. 1863. DevA, KB, C, [Bid].

2. 1865 Map now has page references etc. above top border: 6 (AaOS), Route 1 - Exeter (CaOS) and Sect.1 (EaOS). List of 7 buildings below map. To face page 17 deleted.


A Handbook for Travellers in Devon and Cornwall. Sixth Edition,
London: John Murray. 1865, 1865 (1867), 1865 (1871). [NDL], [DevA]; DevA, TM; DevA.

3. 1872. To Veitch's Nursery erased (Ee). Albert Museum added to list of buildings.

A Handbook for Travellers in Devon and Cornwall ... Eighth Edition revised [1]
London. John Murray. 1872, 1872 (1875). DevA, KB, BL; KB.


NOTES:

[1] W B C Lister (1993): A bibliography of Murray's handbooks for travellers and biographies of authors, editors, revisers and principal contributors  (p. 69) states there was no Seventh Edition. The Sixth Edition was revised as late as 1871, but the DevA copy is torn and the central section is missing.

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