Henry S Eland

Added January 2026

An informative article, Eland the Stationers, is online as part of the Exeter Memories website. I would like to state that most of the following is based on this very informative article.

Henry Septimus Eland

Henry Septimus Eland was from a prosperous Northamptonshire family and travelled Europe on the Grand Tour. His appreciation for art was aroused and he collected items that would later be displayed in his house in Exeter. Henry married an Exminster girl, Emma Jane Pearce, in April 1871, and they toured Scotland in 1871, a journey made popular by Queen Victoria.

Eland purchased Clifford's bookseller´s business at 24 High Street, Exeter, August 1869, but only a year later, in August 1870, he moved to 236 High Street and set up a bookshop with lending library and art gallery. Within a month he had purchased the stock of another Exeter bookseller, E J Arnold. It quickly became a place that the landed gentry would frequent, especially the ladies.

Eland´s in the High Street, Exeter. Courtesy Exeter Memories website.

From 1890, Eland's instituted two annual art shows, one for local artists and one for invited work. Some 200 water colours and paintings were on permanent display for purchase. However, Henry Eland was also printer and publisher. Although the majority of works were theological in nature or dealt with art and architecture, sometimes in cooperation with London publishers, many books appeared of local interest: Devonshire celebrities by Thomas Lawrence Pridham was probably one of his earliest ventures in 1869; Art in Devonshire: with the biographies of artists born in that county by George Pycroft (1883): We Donkeys in Devon originally penned by Volo non valeo (1885), was republished two years later and attributed to Maria Susannah Gibbons and the companion We donkeys on Dartmoor; Hannah Cox O'Neill´s Devonshire idyls, etc. (1892/1893); the Second edition of Devonshire antiquities ... With illustrations, etc by J. Chudleigh (1893); and The visitors' guide to Exmouth With map. This originally appeared in 1882 and a New edition followed c. 1887. Eland's had opened a branch at the Strand, Exmouth which was still trading in 1960 (and a third branch at Axminster).

Henry Septimus Eland died on the 1st July 1901, leaving the business in the hands of trustees until his two sons, Frank and Fowler were 25 in 1909. The publishing side of the business seems to have ceased with his death.

In the Second World War Eland's shop was completely destroyed in the raid of 4th May 1942. After a number of relocations, in 1997 they moved into Mol's Coffee House, Cathedral Close. In 2006, a notice in the Express and Echo announced they were to close, after 136 years of providing Exeter with stationery, books and artwork.

The visitors' guide to Exmouth originally appeared in 1882; although undated a text on royal visits clearly indicates date - ... last year (1881) ...; a New edition followed c. 1887, likewise dated on the text. The map is described below. Two other maps sold by Eland were maps based on Cary´s Improved Map. The first is held at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee as part of the American Geographical Society Library. Eland's new cycling and touring road map of 60 miles about Exeter including north Devon. The second, Eland's cycling and touring road map of Exeter is in the author´s collection. Both have the half-mile circles seen on other maps and this time based on Exeter.

1. Title (top left): Map to Eland's Exmouth Guide (all capitals). Artist´s signature (bottom right below map): Charles Pinn, Surveyor, Exeter. printer´s signature bottom left: Eland, Litho Exeter.

The map covers an area from Marpool Hall in the north, and the coastline and the beach in the south. The Exe River is the western boundary with the promontery with the Docks. Lime Kiln Lane forms the eastern boundary with two roads to Budleigh Salterton shown. The railway to Railway Station and Docks is shown. Size: 28 x 32 cm.

Eland´s Visitors´ Guide to Exmouth, with map. Henry S Eland, Exeter and Exmouth (1882). Sixpence. (all capitals). KB.

Eland´s Visitors´ Guide to Exmouth, with map. New Edition. (1887). BL.

   

Sources used by original author (illustrations): Besleys and Kellys Directories, an unpublished memoir by Henry Holladay, Geraldine Eland for the interior of the shop, Exeter Burning by Peter Thomas and the Devon Libraries Local Studies webpages and the Holladay Family Archive for the photo of Septimus Eland. Books published found on JISC Discover. Map information from Kit Batten.

For Cary´s Improved Map of England and Wales as issued by Cary and others - click here.

To return / access the Catalogue of Maps in this work - click here

John Cary - Gall & Inglis

Added December 2025

Gall & Inglis were successful publishers who had bought part of the stock of George Frederick Cruchley when it came up for auction in 1877. Some of the plates sold included those of John Cary that Cruchley had acquired over thirty years previously. These were again revised and issued in cooperation with local companies such as A H Swiss of Devonport. Other late examples of Gall & Inglis exploiting their stock of old Cary maps are maps of the Exeter area prepared for local companies. 

If you happened to visit Exeter in the short period between 1997 and 2006, you may have walked into the lovely bookshop which occupied the even lovelier premises of Mol´s Coffee House opposite the cathedral. At that time the shop was being run by the Eland family. Eland´s business opened on 28th August 1869 and would continue operations, at various Exeter adresses, until it closed in 2006. An informative article, Eland the Stationers, is online as part of the Exeter Memories website. Henry S Eland died in 1901, so both the Eland maps below predate 1900. He also published a Guide to Exmouth with map 1882.

Two maps published on behalf of Eland have been located which were based on Cary´s Improved map. The first is held at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee as part of the American Geographical Society Library. Eland's new cycling and touring road map of 60 miles about Exeter including north Devon. The second, Eland's cycling and touring road map of Exeter is in the author´s collection. Both have the half-mile circles seen on other maps and this time based on Exeter, as might be expected. Milwaukee tentatively date their map to 1880, which ties in with the date of acquisition by Gall & Inglis of the plates.

1. The map covers an extensive area from Morte Bay across to just east of Watchett in the north, Plymouth is shown in the bottom left corner, breaking the border, and the coastline is shown to Branscombe. Only the South Hams below Totnes and small portions of the west and east county borders are lacking. Most of the fathom depths remain. The railway to Ashton Station is shown, then there are signs of removal before a dotted line continues to Exeter. Title above map: Eland's new cycling and touring road map of 60 miles about Exeter (all capitals) and publisher´s imprint below map to left: Eland, Newsagent, Bookseller, Stationer, & Circulating Library, Exeter and Exmouth (all capitals). Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh printer´s signature bottom right. Size: 82 x 71 cm.

Eland's new cycling and touring road map of 60 miles about Exeter including north Devon with one mile circles (cover title).              University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Online

2. The map covers a smaller area from Torrington to just east of Wellington in the north, and from Egg Buckland in the bottom left corner, to Brixham and then the coast to Seaton. All of the fathom depths removed. The railway to Ashton Station is shown as above. Title above map: Eland's new cycling and touring road map of Exeter and District (all capitals) and publisher´s imprint below map to left: Henry S Eland, Exeter and Exmouth (all capitals). Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh printer´s signature bottom right. Size: 82 x 71 cm.

Eland's new cycling and touring road map of Exeter and District with one mile circles (cover title).               Kit Batten

Early in the 1900s (1910) Gall & Inglis printed a map especially for Standfield and White of Sidwell Street, Exeter. They were Automobile Engineers and Motor Body Builders. The map, 390 mm x 525 mm (borders) covers an area from Paignton to Bampton and Chulmleigh to Honiton and has the usual radiating circles centred on Exeter. Folding into blue covers with details of the firm´s activities, the scale is shown as 10 miles to 130 mm.

An obituary of Sebastian Morton White can be found in Grace´s Guide. He acquired another business in 1901 and established the company. At first car builders, they gave this part of the business up about 1913 and became dealers including agents for Wolseley. A film of an outing in 1932 can be seen at Exeter Memories.

3. The map again covers a smaller area: from South Molton to just east of Wellington in the north, and from Brent Station in the bottom left corner, to Paignton and then the coast to Sidmouth. Most of the fathom depths remain. The railway to Ashton Station continues to Exeter with Christow Station. Title above map: Standfield & White, Ltd., 8 Sidwell Street, Exeter (all capitals) and continues below map: Automobile Engineers and Motor Body Builders (all capitals). Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh printer´s signature bottom right. Size (not including text): 39.5 x 52.5 cm.

Standfield & White, Ltd., 8 Sidwell Street, Exeter (cover has no title).               Kit Batten

For Cary´s county maps refer to The Printed Maps of Devon entries  51, 54, 55, 69, 71, 73 and 92. Click reference number to open directly.

For Cary´s New Map of England and Wales so-called "square atlas" - click here.

For Cary´s Improved Map of England and Wales as issued by Cary and others - click here.

For the section of Improved Map of England and Wales as issued by John Heydon - click here.

For the section of Improved Map of England and Wales as issued by A H Swiss - click here.

For the section of Improved Map of England and Wales as issued by Thomas Doidge - click here.

For the 2 sections of Improved Map of England and Wales as used by Beatrix Cresswell - click here.

For the section of Cary´s Reduced Ordnance Map of England and Wales as issued by G F Cruchley to show Dartmoor Maneouvres - click here.

To return / access the Catalogue of Maps in this work - click here