Arthur Westley 1

 NEW - Please note Westley 1 and 2 are now Cockrem 6 and 7.


Arthur Westley took over much of Edward Cockrem´s stock and rights to publish when Cockrem died in 1872. He was certainly keen to make the most of the tourist trade and general interest as his publishing output shows. One of the maps below still has its original covers and proves that Westley was offering all of the following for sale at the same time: Westley’s Tourist Guide to Torquay & Neighbourhood (certainly later editions of Cockrem’s guide); Westley’s Large Scale Plan of the Town of Torquay at 12 miles to the inch; Westley’s Map of 25 Miles Round Torquay; as well as books of views and also Westley’s Sixpenny Guide to Torquay & Neighbourhood (no known copy survives). His Westley’s Plan of the Town of Torquay at 8 inches to the mile (price 1/-, see below) as well as the same map but with a special index of over 1000 Villas, Terraces, &c. (price 1/6) were clearly later examples of Cockrem´s map Produced to accompany the Torquay Guide (which he continued to sell with amended imprint, see Cockrem 6 and 7).

The map described below was certainly drawn before 1886. It identifies the Great Western Hotel: this was built in 1881 and retained that name until 1885 when it dropped the “Great“ (in 1902 it became the Grand Hotel). The Admiralty Experiment Works are clearly labelled in Chelston: this was the brainchild of the engineer William Froude who designed a huge test bed to experiment with ship hull designs. The test centre started in his house in 1872 but moved to Gosport in 1886.[1] The approximate dating of 1883 also ties in with the imprint. Edward Stanford had premises at 55 Charing Cross until c.1886.[2]

The fact that the map was drawn up by Stanford´s suggests that Cockrem may have commissioned it about the same time as his two smaller maps for the later editions of his Guide to Torquay. 


Size: 445 x 720 mm (map only). SCALE (1/2 mile = 100 mm) MILE.            

A PLAN OF THE TOWN OF TORQUAY Published by ARTHUR WESTLEY 10, Strand Torquay. Printer's signature: STANFORD LITH, 55 CHARING CROSS, LONDON, S W. (EeOS). Signature: W PARKER, DELT (CeOS). Scale is eight inches to the mile. Grid A to R vertically and 1 to 28 horizontally (to locate dwellings and streets in the list).

The area covered is from Livermead and Shiphay Bridge (west) and to Hope’s Nose and Anstey's Cove (east). Map is coloured to show the various suburbs. Two indexes (Ea) and complete street index below map adding 150 mm to height of sheet. Illustrated.

1.1883             A Plan Of The Town Of Torquay 

Torquay. Arthur Westley. (1883). BL[3], KB[4].

 2.1883             Title, imprint and signature as before. Size is now 640 x 755 mm with panel below adding 150 mm to sheet size (800 x 800 mm complete). Scale bar now 145 mm (1/2 Mile).  

The whole sheet (including the index) is an enlarged copy of the above. However, the eastern side has been cut off and all of Hope’s Nose and Flat Rock and northwards to Anstey’s Cove is now lost (part of the latter sacrificed to include the index list). Hence, the grid is now A to R as before but only 1 to 20. The index has not been changed to exclude Hope Farm at 21L which has been cut off. 

A Plan Of The Town Of Torquay                        

Torquay. Arthur Westley. (1883). BL[5].

 3. 1886     The map is identical to state 1 except that the number 55 has been cleanly erased from the printer's signature.

Cover title simply TORQUAY. Cut, pasted onto linen and folding into 18 sections inside embossed green board covers.

 A Plan Of The Town Of Torquay 

Torquay. Arthur Westley. (1886). KB.

 

[1] See https://historicgosport.uk/haslar-admiralty-experimental-works/.
[2] Stanford’s moved to 26-27 Cockspur Street and the last date seen on maps with 55 Charing Cross is 1886.
[3] BL Maps 2140.(9.). Rebacked: Original orange paper label cover pasted on reverse; Westley’s Large Scale Plan of Torquay (From the Ordnance Survey), corrected to the Present Time… folding into six unequal sections. Largest section is 510 x 320 mm.
[4] Cover title Westley’s Plan of Torquay. From the Ordnance Survey, Corrected to the Present Time ... Scale 8 Inches To The Mile folding into orange paper covers.
[5] BL Maps 2140.(8.). Rebacked: Original cover pasted on reverse (front only), white paper label (180 x 115 mm) with title Westley’s Large Scale Plan of Torquay (From the Ordnance Survey), corrected to the Present Time ... Scale Twelve Miles to the Inch… folding into six unequal sections. Largest section is 510 x 320 mm.

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