Robert Brindley

Not much is known of Robert Brindley besides him being the artist and engraver of the map below for The Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Directory in 1830 which was also published by Byers.

William Byers was printer, bookseller and bookbinder with various addresses in Fore Street from 1823 to 1852[1]  although he originally registered his press in 1818 (19/2/1818, DRO Q/S 52). He was the proprietor and publisher of Devonport Independent and Plymouth and Stonehouse Gazette from about 1840 to 1852 and published later editions of A Walk Round Mount Edgcumbe.a popular guide (see Byers / Cooke). He was also one of the leading producers of lithographs of local scenes.

He published the second and subsequent editions of Henry E Carrington‘s The Plymouth and Devonport Guide with issues from 1830 to 1850 (c.f. below and Becker 1). He advertised himself as Bookseller &c to Duke of Clarence 1828-1830 and subsequently as Bookseller etc. to (late) King William IV (up to) 1843. Byers is also noted in Somers Cocks for a number of Devon scenes, some after leading artists such as J D Harding and Louis Haghe, sometimes in association with S Saunders[2]. 

Brindley 

Size: 180 x 243 mm.                                                           Scale of Miles (1 = 76 mm) 1 Mile.

 THE THREE TOWNS OF PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE AND DEVONPORT.  Signatures[3]: Drawn and Engraved by Robt Brindley Architect & Surveyor Devonport (AeOS) and Engraved by Lionel James Pelham London. Scale bar (Ba-Ca) with Scale of Miles below.

Plan of the three towns with Torpoint shown (Aa) and the Breakwater (Ce) and as far as "New line of Road" to the new Laira bridge (Ed).                                                  (E). 

1. 1828          The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by Henry E Carrington ... with Lithographic Views by Worsley [4]

                      London: Longman & Co. Devonport: Byers.1828.        FB.

The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by Henry E Carrington ... 2nd edition [5]

 Devonport. Byers. 1830                                                                      KB.

                        The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by Henry E Carrington ... 2nd edition [6]

                        Devonport. W Byers. 1833.                                                                       KB, BL.

                        The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by Henry E Carrington ... 3rd edition

                        London: Longman & Co. Devonport: Byers. (1836).                        [assumed].

                        The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by H E Carrington... Fourth Edition [7]

                        London: Longman & Co. Devonport: W Byers. (1840).                          E, KB.

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[1] First at 109, Fore Street, Dock 1823; then 32, Fore Street, Devonport 1830-1844; and 116, Fore Street 1850-1852.

 [2] See for example Somers Cocks S.91, S. 97, S.111, S.114.

[3] Both signatures are very badly executed and sometimes virtually illegible.

[4] BL 579.a.40 lacks map; last date 1827 (p.5). Somers Cocks lists an 1829 edition as well as copies for 1837 (probably 4^th edition below) and 1843 (see Becker 1).

[5] Bookseller and Printer to HRH The Duke of Clarence. Text has been reset and updated: last date in text is 1828 (p.4, reference to Union Savings Bank).

[6] Bookseller to His Majesty. The 1833 edition is identical to 1830 edition except the Appendix, pp. 291-302, and a final page with list of subscribers (first side) and advert for Byer’s works is lacking. BL copy 10361.a.1 lacks pp. 1-2.

[7] Bookseller to his late Majesty. The last date in text is December 1837 (p.7) and the dedication to King William IV (died June 1838) but there is a note on page 78  that the British Association will honour the town by holding their annual meeting there in 1841; BL dates its copy to 1840 - 10368.aa.22 but this contains a new map by Becker (c.f.). Exeter copy is dated 1837 but probably based on last date in text.

 Francis Paul Becker

 Francis Paul Becker was famous for his Omnigraph (a versatile ruling machine) invented in the early 1840s. This was was designed to apply commonly occuring symbols onto maps automatically, saving the engraver time and effort. Becker sold it  to the Ordnance Survey, claiming that it would save £5000 a year on the staff of forty five engravers. It was used until 1875 when the survey decided that it was actually more costly than hand production because of the great amount of manual retouching required by 'Omnigraph'-produced signs’.[1]

Nevertheless, the company of F P Becker & Co., Omnigraph (litho) Engravers, seems to have been very successful and produced maps for a variety of different publishers besides the two entries below: eg Fisher's County Atlas of England and Wales (thought to be the first to use the omnigraph), Adlard's Ireland, Frederic Kelly's Post Office Directories, the map of England and Wales in Barclay's Dictionary, and Scotland in Reynolds’ Geological Atlas. In addition to the two maps listed below, the company of Francis Paul Becker also produced a number of county maps (see Victorian Maps of Devon entries B&B 120, 121, 128, 132 and 134) and some regional maps for Henry Besley of Exeter (c.f. Besley).

Robert Brindley, who published the original Plymouth and Devonport Guide in 1828, compiled The Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Directory in 1830 which was also published by Byers. William Byers was printer, bookseller and bookbinder with various addresses in Fore Street from 1823 to 1852. He was the proprietor and publisher of Devonport Independent and Plymouth and Stonehouse Gazette from about 1840 to 1852 and published later editions of A Walk Round Mount Edgcumbe, a popular guide (see Cooke). 

He published the second and subsequent editions of Henry E Carrington‘s The Plymouth and Devonport Guide until 1850. He advertised himself as Bookseller &c to Duke of Clarence 1828-1830 and subsequently as Bookseller etc. to (late) King William IV (up to) 1843. Byers is also noted in Somers Cocks for a number of Devon scenes, some after leading artists such as J D Harding and Louis Haghe, sometimes in association with S Saunders.

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Becker 1 below replaced a similar, but slightly smaller, map by Brindley (c.f.) circa 1840. 

Becker 2 is a map of North Devon for a guide to Ilfracombe - click here

The following county maps were prepared by Becker (click to access):

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 120, Fisher´s County Atlas

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 121, Route Map for Besley

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 128, map of Devonshire for Besley

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 132, Post Office map for Kelly

Victorian Maps of Devon entry B&B 134 maps of North Devon and South Devon for Besley

Becker 1

Size: 240 x 305 mm.   (1 = 80 mm) SCALE OF ONE STATUTE MILE. 

THE THREE TOWNS of PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE and DEVONPORT. with imprint: Published by W. Byers, 32, Fore Street, Devonport. (Ee). Signature: ENGRAVED BY THE OMNIGRAPH, F. P. BECKER & CO. PATENTEES, LONDON (CeOS). Scale bar (Ae).

Plan of the three towns with Torpoint shown (Aa) and the Breakwater (Ce) with Oreston just shown (Ec).               

1. 1840  The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by H E Carrington... Fourth Edition

London: Longman & Co. Devonport: W Byers. (1840[2]).        BL, Pl*, [NDL]. 

The Plymouth And Devonport Guide ... by H E Carrington ... Fifth Edition

London: Longman & Co. Devonport: Byers & Son. 1843[3], (1850).     TQ, KB; BL[4].

 

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[1]  Quoted by David Smith; 1985; p. 17.

[2] The last date in text is December 1837 (p.7). Dedication to King William IV retained (died June 1838) and title page Bookseller to his late Majesty; BL dates its copy to 1840 - 10368.aa.22. Author’s copy of fourth edition still has previous map by Brindlay (c.f.).

[3] Text unaltered; the last date in text is a note on page 78 that the British Association will honour the town by holding their annual meeting there in 1841. Dedication to King William IV retained (died June 1838) and title page Booksellers to his late Majesty.

[4] BL 1606/1474.