Beatrix Feodore Cresswell

According to Tony Gale on the Crediton Area History and Museum Society website Beatrix Feodore Cresswell (1862-1940) produced dozens of publications on a range of subjects between 1889 and the mid-1920s. Her earliest work to appears to be “The Royal Progress of King Pepito”, published by the SPCK in 1889 with illustrations by the well-established Kate Greenaway. At the turn of the century she produced two books for the Homeland Series: Dartmoor and its Surroundings, cf Cary-Cresswell) and Teignmouth; its Histoy and Surroundings (with two maps described below). It was early in the twentieth century that Cresswell got into her stride as a local historian. In 1908 she published, “Architectural Antiquities of Exeter and the Neighbourhood”. Two volumes appeared in 1910; “A Survey of Devon Churches” and “Chained Books and Libraries in Devon Parish Churches”. Much of her historical research appeared in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association; she transcribed a large number of late mediaeval church texts.

The second local work for the Homeland Series to be published before 1901, Teignmouth: Its History & Its Surroundings, was written in 1900 (the Preface is dated) and published the following year. This volume was No. 15 in the Homeland Handbook series and was copiously illustrated by Gordon Home. This book contained two maps: the first was a small sketch plan of Teignmouth on page 27; the second was a large folding map of the area based on the Ordnance Survey map and inserted into a special pocket at the back of the book. This work also has the name of F B Owen on the title page as publisher. He had premises at the Royal Library in Teignmouth and may have simply been the local sales agent.

Cresswell 1 (Teignmouth town)

Size 90 x 145 mm. No scale.

SKETCH PLAN OF TEIGNMOUTH. (CeOS) with no signature or imprint except a very faint C.H.Sc in the corner (Ee). Border right and left is made up of two simple Greek columns.

Description: The area covered is from The Ness and Shaldon in the west and eastwards to include The Grove and the Catholic College. The plan extends northwards just enough to include all of the bridge. Compass (Ae) orientated with North-South just a few degrees off the horizontal.

Cresswell 2

Size 275 x 350 mm. SCALE 1 INCH TO THE MILE.

Teignmouth: with its Surroundings. (CeOS) with scale (in words) immediately below. Notes: PRINTED BY THE HOMELAND ASSOCIATION / 24, BRIDE LANE, FLEET STREET, LONDON, / FOR INSERTION IN / TEIGNMOUTH: ITS PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT INTERESTS (on four lines AeOS) and Taken from the Government Ordnance Survey by special permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. (EeOS).

Description. The area covered is from just below Torbryan (Be) and Kingskerswell north as far as Trusham (Ba) and Kenton (Ea) and eastwards to the mouth of the Exe.

Both maps found in:

1. 1901 Teignmouth: its History & its Surroundings … by Beatrix F Cresswell
Teignmouth: F B Owen. London: The Homeland Association Ltd. 1901.   BL[1], DevA[2], NDL, TQ, MCL, KB[3].

[1] Paperback BL 10360.p.15/1.
[2] Two copies: one paperback but rebound and map has adverts on reverse; second copy is hardback with plain back folding into pocket at back of book.
[3] Hardback with attractive tooling.

 John Cary - Beatrix Feodore Cresswell 

Beatrix Feodore Cresswell wrote a large number of guide books for the Homeland series and at least two of the books published at or around the end of the nineteenth century for the Homeland Handbook series were on the westcountry. One of these, Dartmoor and its Surroundings appeared as early as 1898[1]; an advertisement for the GWR on the back cover is dated; and there is reference to the heavy snowfall this present year (1898) when convicts at Prince Town prison were used to clear the railway line (p.97). The first edition was published by Beechings Ltd, London. 

Subsequent editions were still published as The Homeland Handbooks but now by St. Bride's Press, London, although local booksellers could include their own names on the cover. The books were originally available paperback at sixpence or bound for 1/- although the price of the latter was increased to 1/6 for the second edition which appeared in 1900. The fully illustrated guidebooks of Dartmoor (photographs, mostly by Blampey & Son) included maps which were transfers from the plates of Cary's Improved Map. 

Cresswell also published a Homeland Guide to Teignmouth click here. 

Cary Improved 6 (Cresswell) 

Size: 162 x 415 mm.                         Scale (10 = 130 mm). 

Two maps: DARTMOOR, NORTHERN SECTION and DARTMOOR, SOUTHERN SECTION. Each title is (AeOS) with the scale bar (CeOS). Both maps have imprint: Gall & Inglis, Edinburgh (EeOS). The northern section shows Okehampton to Exeter with Bovey Tracey. The Southern section shows Dawlish to Tavistock with Totnes and Bickleigh. Illustrated.

1. 1900 Homeland Handbooks No. 8 Dartmoor and its Surroundings by Beatrix Cresswell London. St Bride's Press. (1900). MCL.

Dartmoor and its Surroundings … Second Edition (Revised) London. St Bride's Press. 1900. BL[2], KB[3].

2. 1900 One map with no title. Publisher’s imprint: THE HOMELAND ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF TOURISM (Ae-BeOS). Scale (CeOS) and printer’s signature as before (EeOS).The map shows area from Ashbury Station (Aa) and Plymouth (Ae) in the west to Brampford Speke (Ea) and Brixham (Ee) in the east, i.e. covers a slightly larger area than the two maps above.

Dartmoor and its Surroundings … Second Edition London. St Bride's Press. 1900. DevA, BL[4].

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 Arthur Westley - click here.

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

 

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[1] The author’s copy may have contained a map, if so this is missing. Two companies are named on the cover in a small panel: James G Commin in Exeter and Beechings of London.

[2] BL 10360.p.8/1. This edition has a) an undated “green” cover, b) has a GWR advert dated 1899 on back cover, c) accession stamp on cover is 16 JUL 99, d) has the name of the bookseller, Andrew Iredale of Torquay, in small panel on front cover. Cover has added note: Second Edition revised 1900 and the volume has 132 pages.

[3] The volume in the author’s collection has been bound in green cloth, has the earlier maps but has 144 pages.

[4] BL 10360.p.8/2. This edition has a) a dated “brown” cover, b) has a different GWR advert dated 1899 on back cover, c) accession stamp on cover is 27 MAR 1900 d) has two small panels on front cover, one with Cresswell’s name and “issued in cooperation United Devon Association”. It also has a second accession stamp inside 16 JU 99 (page 6) and has 144 pages. Title page: Second Edition (revised) 1900.