Henry Besley

Few local printers published extensively but Henry Besley of Exeter could probably claim to have been one of the most prolific of a family of local publishers. The family-run business had a long tradition. Thomas Besley (Senior) was born in 1760 and married Jane Andrew Strong of St. Sidwell on 26th September 1790. They had 6 children including Thomas who married in 1814 and who also became a printer in Exeter; Robert, born 14th October 1794 (died 1876), a typefounder in the firm of Thorowgood and Besley and who became Lord Mayor of London 1869-70; and Henry (baptised 15th June 1800 at Holy Trinity) who eventually became partner and successor to the family business. Thomas had various business addresses as printer, bookseller and stationer or bookbinder (1823). He is listed in various directories of the time as being registered at Southgate Street (1801 and 1811), Holy Trinity (1803), Bell Hill (1816 and 1832) and at 76, Bell Hill, South Street (1822 and 1834). Thomas died on 27th October 1834 aged 74.

However, it was Thomas senior's younger son, Henry, who took over the business of his father. He had become a partner and succeeded to the firm in 1834. The company had already been trading as T Besley & Son according to directories of 1825 and 1828 and they were listed as T & H Besley in 1828 and 1834 Fig. 9). Henry Besley was born in 1800 and baptised on 15th June at Holy Trinity, Exeter. He married Caroline Lifton of Exmouth on 2nd April 1834 at Littleham. They had a son Henry John, baptised 8th March 1835. He married Redelpha (born Cambridge 1820/21) and one of their children was called Robert Henry, still alive in 1886. Henry was taken into partnership by father Thomas c.1825 and the business was transferred to him on 9th May 1834. He died on 18th July 1886 in Exeter and was buried three days later at St. Mary Major.

Note: Many of Besley´s publications are not dated: however, if an advertising section is included there is often a number in brackets, e.g. (71), bottom right of first page indicating a date, i.e. 1871 in this example. For more information on Besley see Centres of Production - Exeter. 

Besides the county maps issued with the various Route Books of Devon from 1845 to 1877 there were many area maps including two of Dartmoor. Nine maps and plans are listed here. 

Click to access directly.

Besley 1 - Plan of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport by Brown and Keeble - see below

Besley 2 - Exeter by Warren and engraved by F P Becker

Besley 3 - Exeter specially prepared for the Royal Agricultural Society´s Meeting in 1850

Besley 4 - Plan of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport by Becker c.1852

Besley 5 - Plan of Torquay by Becker & Son

Besley 6 - South East Devon by Trott for the Route Books 1871 and 1877

Besley 7 - Coast of North Devon by King for the Route Books 1871 and 1877

Besley 8 - Dartmoor 1 c.1875

Besley 9 - Dartmoor 2 c.1879

Besley 1 

Size: 155 x 275 mm.                                                             Scale of Half a Mile (4 = 40 mm). 

PLAN OF PLYMOUTH, STONEHOUSE and DEVONPORT (Ed). Signatures: R Brown, Architect, Delin within title panel (in form of Maltese Cross) and W Keeble, sculp. London just below. Only railway is the Dartmoor Rail Road through Cat Down. Barracks at Mill Bay. Attractive compass in form of an anchor. Panel (Ed) with text Plymouth Royal Victoria Spa, Mineral and Medical Spring.                                             

1. 1841  The Stranger's Handbook to the Western Metropolis               Devonport. W Wood. 1841.                         KB

 2. 1845   Imprint added: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South Street, Exeter. (CeOS). Map has been updated: Moons Cove redrawn; barracks at Mill Bay removed and now reservoir; Mutley Lane and other roads upgraded from paths and now without the tree-lining; panel (Ed) has disappeared and new roads drawn; inclusion of railways to Mill Bay and Morice Town.

 

The Route Book Of Devon ....

Exeter. H Besley. (1845[1]).       BL, KB, DevA.

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... Second Edition 

Exeter. H Besley. (1846[2]).       [BL], DevA, KB.

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition

Exeter. H Besley. (1850[3]).               DevA.

 

Hand Book of Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse, &c. Extracted from the Route Book of Devon   

Exeter. H Besley. (1851[4]).               KB.

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[1] Advertised in Besley’s West of England, Or, Improved Almanack of 1845 as Shortly will be published. BL copy is BL (796.d.30); BL second edition is BL (796.d.51).

[2] Includes many dates in 1840s but last date in text refers to Wesleyan Chapel in Teignmouth, erected 1845-46.

[3] Last date in text is reference to basin at Devonport to be opened in 1851 (p.313). Author’s copy has advert for a New Edition of the Hand Book of Exeter especially in time for the Royal Agricultural Society’s visit to Exeter in July, 1850.

[4] Has been bound together with four other contemporary guides, hence has no cover. This was one of the earliest parts extracted from the Route Book, repaginated and bound in paper covers. Very few of these cheaper and smaller guides included a map. Reference to basin at Devonport to be opened in 1851 (p.37).

 Besley 9

 Dartmoor 2

Size: 520 x 395 mm.         SCALE OF MILES (1+5 = 100 mm).

DARTMOOR. (underlined). Imprints: Printed & Published by H. Besley & Son, Directory Office, South S^t. Exeter. ENTERED AT STATIONERS HALL (CeOS). Title (Ee); North point (Aa); Scale bar of five lines (Ee). Villages and bartons in lower case, sites in upper case, eg tor or cross. Two line border (both lines have same thickness) with round shaping in corners. Large map folding into plain green boards.

Concentrates on the area of the Forest with outlying areas left blank. Map is essentially identical to an earlier map of Dartmoor by Besley (see Besley 8) but better executed, crisper lines, stronger hill shading. Railways shown from Yeoford Junction (Ea, with directions to Exeter and to N. Devon shown) as far as Plymouth (Ae) meeting the line from Totnes (Ee). The Buckfastleigh railway to Ashburton is also shown, Moretonhampstead Branch (2 words) as are the Lee Moor, Hey Tor (sic) and Dartmoor railways. 

1. 1879 Dartmoor ....

Exeter. Besley & Son. (1879).           KB[1].

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[1] Inside cover has manuscript date Chagford – Augt 79.

Besley 8 

In the 1870s, some time after Besley junior became a partner, the company produced a map of Dartmoor. For some reason, father and son were unhappy with the map or perhaps the plates became damaged, but only a few years later a second, almost exact copy was printed and published. It is very difficult to identify any additions, only towns seem to have been represented rather more effectively on the later map with more buildings represented, e.g. at Okehampton (Oakhampton in earlier map - see below). Otherwise all the information is the same but the font used is better and also the standard of printing. See Besley 9 for the later map.

 Dartmoor 1

Size: 520 x 395 mm.       SCALE OF MILES (1+5 = 100 mm). 

DARTMOOR. Imprints: Printed & Published by H. Besley & Son, Directory Office, South Street. Exeter. ENTERED AT STATIONER'S HALL (CeOS). Title (Ee); North point (Aa); Scale bar of three lines (Ee). Plain two-line border (thicker outside line). Place names in upper case throughout. Large map folding into plain green boards.

Concentrates on the area of the Forest with outlying areas left blank. Railways shown from Yeoford Junction (Ea, with directions to Exeter and to N. Devon shown) as far as Plymouth (Ae) meeting the line from Totnes (Ee). The Buckfastleigh railway to Ashburton is also shown, Moreton Hampstead Branch (3 words) as are the Lee Moor, Hey Tor (sic) and Dartmoor railways.

 

1. 1875    Dartmoor ....

Exeter. Besley & Son. (1875).        KB, MW.

 Besley 7

Four very similar maps appeared about the same time covering the area of north Devon between Ilfracombe and Lynton. All three cover exactly the same area from Hartland to Minehead and include smaller maps of Ilfracombe and of Lynton with Lynmouth and all three are of similar size. The coast section is taken from Besley's map of North Devon (see B&B 134 North) of 1857. This later map was included in editions of the Route Book and in the Hand Book of North Devon which both have advert pages with the notation (71) on the first page: a typical dating technique of Besley’s, indicating publication in 1871. 

Three of these maps were lithographed by Charles King of Exeter. The first version appeared in 1868, published by John Banfield for his Shilling Guide-Book to North Devon, now in its fourth edition (see Banfield 7). The map is dated 1868, so predates Besley by two years. William Stewart began publishing guides to north Devon and Ilfracombe about the same time and his first map, which must be assumed to be a direct copy, appeared in 1872, is signed and dated by Chas. King of 8 Alma Terrace, St Sidwells, Exeter but was redrawn some six years later, this time lithographed by F J Halfyard of Exeter (see Stewart 1 and 2). 

Size: 310 x 400 mm.          Scale of English Miles (10 = 80 mm).               

COAST OF NORTH DEVON (Aa) together with maps of  ILFRACOMBE (below left; scale 20 chains = 50 mm) and LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH (below right; same scale). Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South St, Exeter.  (CeOS). Lithographer's signature below the scale bar to Ilfracombe plan: C. King, Lith, 8 Alma Terrace, Exeter, 1870.

Map of North Devon shows coast from Hartland to Minehead. Projected railway to Ilfracombe is through Heanton Punchardon and Braunton with "S" curve to Ilfracombe. Projected railway Taunton-Barnstaple. Sketch plans of Ilfracombe and Lynton with Lynmouth. 

1. 1871 The Route Book Of Devon
Exeter. H Besley. (1871). BL[1], KB.

The Hand Book Of North Devon, Bude, Launceston, Tavistock, &c. with a trip on the Crediton and North Devon Railways
Exeter. H Besley. (1871). KB.

2. 1874  Railway to Ilfracombe is through Heanton Punchardon and Braunton with gentle curve ("C") to Ilfracombe. Projected second route Barnstaple to Ilfracombe passing Bittadon. Printer's signature deleted. 

The Hand Book Of North Devon, Bude, Launceston, Tavistock, &c. with a trip on the Crediton and North Devon Railways

Exeter. H Besley. (1874). KB. 

3. 1877  Imprint: Printed & Published by H Besley & Son, Directory Office, South St, Exeter.  (CeOS). Taunton to Barnstaple line completed. The easterly railway to Ifracombe has been deleted. Both lower maps show substantial signs of reworking, especially Ilfracombe; note especially the different script (except for streets most names are no longer in capitals) and different shading technique. Station replaces previous PROPOSED RAILY STN and Belgrave Cottage becomes Belgrave House (Ae). Illustrated. 

The Route Book Of Devon
Exeter. H Besley. (1877). BL, KB.

The Hand Book Of North Devon, Bude, Launceston, Tavistock, &c. with a trip on the Crediton and North Devon Railways

Exeter. H Besley and Son[2]. (1880)[3]. KB. 

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[1] BL (10368.aaa.49),

[2] Besley was using the company of Adams and Francis (W J Adams & Sons) to distribute his books and views in London (p.17 of adverts).

[3]  This edition has text dated to Sept. 1877 (p. 32) and a reference to Bideford Grammar School expected to be completed Michaelmas 1878 but the adverts section appears to be dated 1880, ie 80 printed on first advertising page.

 Besley 6 

Size: 280 x 382 mm.                                                  Scale of English Miles (7 = 88 mm). 

SOUTH EAST DEVON. Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South  Street, Exeter (CeOS): and signature Engraved by W E Trott (AeOS) 2 Tysoe St London EC (EeOS). Graticuled border from Dawlish to Lyme and inland to Cullompton. No railway to Hemyock (1876). Thick dashed line Feniton to Sidmouth and thinner dashed line from (approx.) Harpford to Budleigh and Exmouth.

1. 1871 The Route Book Of Devon
Exeter. H Besley. (1871). KB.

2. 1876 Both parts of the signature have been erased.

Hand Book Of South East Devon
Exeter. H Besley and Son. (1876). BL[1].

South East Devon folding into dark blue covers
Exeter. H Besley. (1876). KB.

3. 1877 Railway from Feniton to Sidmouth. Illustrated.

 
The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition
Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1877). BL, KB.

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[1] BL (10360.b.1). Exeter Westcountry Studies Library lists a copy of a Besley guide to South East Devon c.1872 but it lacks the map.

 Besley 5 

         

Size: 365 x 215 mm. Scale of Miles (2 = 45 mm).

PLAN OF TORQUAY, From the Ordnance Survey (Ea). Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South Street, Exeter.[1] (CeOS). Signature: Engraved by Becker & Son, Stationers' Court, London. (EeOS). Torquay Branch Railway (to Torre which is not named). Direction from Cockington (Ac). Most houses are numbered. Illustrated.

1. 1856 South of Devon and Dartmoor
Exeter. H Besley. (1856[2]). TQ, KB.

2. 1865 Torquay Branch Railway (Torre not named) then dotted, Intended Railway from Dartmouth. Direction from Cockington and Paignton (Ac). House numbers deleted. Reservoir added on Warberry Hill.

The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition
Exeter. H Besley. (1865), (1869[3]). KB, RGS, DevA; DevA.

3. 1864 Dartmouth Railway to Torquay; neither station named. St Mathias Church at near Kents Cavern; the Manor House added at the Lincombes. Scale bar altered: 40 Chains = 60 mm.

South of Devon and Dartmoor
Exeter. H Besley. (1864). KB.

4. 1870 Railway to Torquay; neither station named. Development at Wellswood near Kents Cavern; the Lincombes extended with new roads and houses.

South of Devon and Dartmoor
Exeter. H Besley. (1870). DevA.

5. 1871 Large areas now developed, eg Tor and Wellswood. Torre station named and railway continues to edge of map. Windmill Hill added and old name deleted. Developments at Tor Abbey and Pleasure Grounds with two New Roads (eg today's Belgrave Road) and west of St. Marychurch Rd.

The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition
Exeter. H Besley. (1871). KB[4].

6. 1873 New title: TORQUAY, ST. MARYCHURCH AND BABBACOMBE (Ae). Becker signature removed. Size: 370 x 245 mm. Babbacombe and St Marychurch included. Illustrated.

South of Devon and Dartmoor ..
Exeter. H Besley. (1873). KB.

South of Devon and Dartmoor ...
Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1875). KB.

The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition
Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1877). BL, KB.

South of Devon and Dartmoor ...
Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1880). KB.

7. 1897 Signature now: H, B, & S., E. (i.e. Henry Besley & Son).  Sea is printed pale green. Large areas have been developed, eg area behind Torre Abbey, Upton and beginnings of Chelston and Shiphay. Parish Boundary in key.

A New Pictorial and Descriptive Guide To Torquay, Paignton, Totnes ...
Torquay. Andrew Iredale[1]. (1897). KB.

8. 1900 Imprint: WARD, LOCK & Co LTD, WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY Sq EC (CeOS). Cary Park has a few more houses and is now named, Cockington is named, directions at Torquay station altered (now To and not From), Shag Rock and Thatcher Stone included and the Public Gardens at Meadfoot become Manor Gardens.

A New Pictorial and Descriptive Guide To Torquay, Paignton, Totnes Third Edition
London, New York and Melbourne. Ward, Lock and Co., Ltd. (1900).   KB.



[1] The imprint is approx. 11 mm below the lower border and is sometimes cut and sometimes cut off.

[2] The final page is an advert for Besley’s works Patronised by the Queen and relates to Her Majesty’s visit to the county in August 1856. Last text date 1856 (p.69). Map is cut narrowly at bottom, removing any imprint.

[3] Contains advertising section in which two pages have (69) in the bottom right corner.

[4] Page trimmed losing (possible) imprint.

[5] The signature is an abbreviation for Henry Besley & Son, Exeter. This map replaces a simple sketch map used from 1884 (see Ward & Lock 1). This volume was actually part of Ward & Lock's Pictorial Guide series (it has the usual red cover with London, Ward, Lock & Co. on the spine), but this issue has a title page attributed to Andrew Iredale - a local bookseller at The Library at 13, The Strand.

 Besley 4 

Size: 220 x 360 mm.                                                                         SCALE OF YARDS(1500 = 78 mm). 

PLYMOUTH, DEVONPORT AND STONEHOUSE (Ed). Imprint: Printed & Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South Street, Exeter.  (CeOS). Signature: Engraved by BECKER'S Patent Process on Steel, 11 Stationers' Court, London. (EeOS). The railway is shown as solid line to Plymouth. 

1. 1852

Hand Book of  Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse Extracted from the Route Book

Exeter. H Besley. (1852[1]).       KB.

 

 The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition

Exeter. H Besley. (1854[2]), (1856[3]).      FB, KB; KB.

 

2. 1871

Addition of roads and places, eg castle on Mount Batten. New premises above Mill Lake. New developments north and east of Sutton Pool. Church and area for Dissenters added at cemetery (north).

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition

Exeter. H Besley. (1871).          BL[4], DevA, NLS, KB.

 

3. 1877

Printer’s signature deleted (EeOS). Addition of railway information, eg Mutley Station, North Road Joint Station and Devonport Station added. East of Sutton Pool the new Devon and Cornwall line has been added together with Friary Goods Station. Addition of St Jude’s Church. 

The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition
Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1877[5]). BL, KB. 

4. 1885

Original Dartmoor Railway line at Sutton Pool has added name: Sutton Harbour Branch of GWR and Sutton Harbour station added (all in capitals). Illustrated.

 

Plan of Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse (printed label) folding into blue covers

Exeter. H Besley. (1885).      KB.

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[1] This would seem to pre-date the Route Book entries that follow: there are four views (Somers Cocks 125, 126, 129 and 130), none of which are dated. The expected completion of basin and lock at Devonport is planned for 1853 (p. 50). The date may have been altered (from the 1850 text) when the part was repaginated.

[2] Last date in text relates to expected completion of a basin and lock at Devonport in 1851 (p. 313); this implies no change to 1850 text. Engravings are dated 1853 and 1854 and there is an advert for Cooper’s Lynton (1853).

[3] Text as 1854, advert for second edition of Rowe’s Perambulations of Dartmoor (1856).

[4] BL (10368.aaa.49).

[5] BL 10360.aaa.68. Last date in main text is 29^th May 1876 (p.333) but may be later (no adverts).

 Besley 3

The agricultural show in Exeter in 1850 was obviously a big occasion and Besley seized the chance to produce a guide specially for the show. Although he could easily have included the map of Exeter that he had been using since 1845 (and continued to use until circa 1900) he had a new plan made which also included the plan of the showground itself. The map is slightly unorthodox as it goes back to the Hooker orientation of showing the River Exe from left to right. This is, in fact, quite a pleasing perspective as Fore Street with High Street and Sidwell Street is now vertically central and North and South Streets intersect forming a cross.

The map had an outline of the showground to the right with a larger plan below. A note at the end of Sidwell Street guides the visitor to the heavy soil trial field and another at the end of Heavitree and Magdalen Roads has to the light soil trial field. The first section (to xxxvi) are devoted to the show and this is followed by a general guide to Exeter, mostly reprinted from the Route Book pages dealing with Exeter.Many of the adverts at the end have a farming bias.

Besley was not the only publisher to seize an opportunity to sell guide books to fair visitors; Llewellynn Jewitt had written guides to four previous agricultural fairs and also wrote a guide for the Exeter event (c.f.). The British Library has a copy of Besley's Hand Book for the Archery Meeting, and Visitor's Guide to Exeter, held in 1858.

 

Size: 230 x 280 mm.     No scale. 

EXETER, ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S MEETING, 1850 (Aa). No imprint or signature. Plain single line border. Shows the location of the show yard (Ec) and there is an enlarged plan of the same occupying the bottom right corner with the border reduced to the river so that it can fit. South Devon Railway with Railway Station. Churches and Chapels are listed left. 

1. 1850

The Hand Book Of Exeter, and Visiter's Guide to the Show ...  

Exeter. H Besley. 1850.          DevA, KB.

 

 Besley 2 

Size: 235 x 280 mm.   SCALE (10 + 30 = 40 mm).

 EXETER, Corrected to the Present Time, BY J. WARREN, SURVEYOR (Ed). Imprint: Published by Henry Besley, Directory Office, South St, Exeter.  (CeOS). Signature: Engraved by the Omnigraph, F P Becker, & Co. Patentees (AeOS) and address 12, Paternoster Row (EeOS). Plain three line border Title (Ba); North point (Ca); Reference table (Ad); Scale bar (Ee). Shows the Bristol and Exeter Railway Station on the South Devon Railway. 

1. 1845  

The Route Book Of Devon ...                                                           

Exeter. H Besley. (1845).            DevA, BL[1], KB.

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... Second Edition                                             

Exeter. H Besley. (1846).          [DevA], [BL], KB.

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition

Exeter. H Besley. (1850).        [DevA], KB. 

Hand Books of Devonshire. Exeter and Neighbourhood 

Exeter. H Besley. (1852[2]).          KB.

 

2. 1854            

Two roads break the bottom border: To Pince's Nursery and To Veitch's Nursery added outside lower border. Victoria Park added off the New North Road.                                                                 (DevA).

 

The Route Book Of Devon ... New Edition

Exeter. H Besley. (1854[3]), (1856[4]), (1865).     FB, KB; KB; DevA.

                    

   

3. 1869     

J Warren removed. The South Western Railway added from northeast to Queen Street and St. Davids stations necessitating removal of nursery and stream (Cc). 'To Veitch’s Nursery’ erased. Public Hall added next to prison. Additional developments, eg in SE and along Workhouse Lane. 

   Hand Books of Devonshire. Exeter, The Cathedral; Institutions ... etc   

     Exeter. H Besley. (1869[5]).                 KB. 

  The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition

     Exeter. H Besley. (1871).         BL[6], NLS, KB, DevA.

 

Folding map in covers with title label PLAN OF EXETER.     P.

 

4. 1877            

Title simply EXETER (20 mm below border). Becker’s signature erased. 

Hand Books of Devonshire. Exeter, The Cathedral; Institutions ... etc 

 Exeter. H Besley & Son.1877[7]).          KB.

5. 1877    

Title simply EXETER (10 mm below border). Rougemont Hotel replaces City Prison. A new note added FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY’S ESTATE (Ae). Illustrated. 

 The Route Book Of Devon ... A New Edition

Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1877[8]).         BL, KB.                                                                                                                                                                   

6. 1878            

Becker signatures reinstated. Rougemont Hotel shows signs of erasure.

                       

Hand Books of Devonshire. Exeter, The Cathedral; Institutions ... etc 

Exeter. H Besley & Son. (1878[9]).           BL.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter ... 1881 with a plan of the City ...Two Shillings....

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1881.      BL[10], B.

 

The Hand-Book to Exeter

 Exeter. Besley & Son. 1881.         [Bid].

 

7. 1882

Note FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY’S ESTATE lacking.

                       

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1882 with a plan of the City ...Two Shillings....

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1882.                       BL.

                       

8.  1883

From c.1883 the map was lithographically altered. Larger size: 310 x 370 mm. The title is now: EXETER AND SUBURBS (Ea). Imprint: PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY H BESLEY & SON, SOUTH STREET, EXETER.  (CeOS). New imprint: ENTERED AT STATIONERS’ HALL (EeOS). A plain three line border; North point (Cb).

                        Extends out to Exwick, St. Thomas and Wonford. Certain lettering is redone and places are retitled (HM Prison instead of County Gaol) etc.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1883 with a plan of the City ... Three shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1883.            BL, B.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1884 with a plan of the City ... Two shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1884.          DevA[11].

 

9. 1885 

Minor changes, e.g. St Anne’s Well Brewery deleted behind the Rougemont Hotel and Victoria Hall and a nursery added by Velwell Villas (Bb). Deletion of T.G. stations.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1884 with a plan of the City ... Two shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1885.             BL.

 

10. 1886

Minor changes, e.g.”Field” markings deleted at Pennsylvania Park, Combs Farm deleted (Da), Trews Weir added (Ce), Grammar School (Dd) changed from L-shape structure to small buildings.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1886 with a plan of the City ... Two shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1886.                             BL.

 

11. 1889

Minor changes, e.g. STREET becomes ST in imprint. Higher Barracks becomes Cavalry Barracks, New developments replace Polsloe House and Recreation Ground, changes to roads and buildings at the Devon C. Constabulary – New North Road.

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1889-90 ... Two shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1889.                                         BL.

 

12. 1890

Minor changes, e.g. title redrawn (more floral), STREET in imprint and many names show signs of reengraving. The area at St Thomas shows developments: Pince’s name removed at nursery; county ground added; and Cowick Road added at Union Street with change in depiction of buildings. 

 

The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs for 1893-94 with a plan of the City ... Two shillings and sixpence

Exeter. Besley & Son. 1893.                                      BL.

 

13. 1895

Imprint: PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY BESLEY & DALGLEISH SOUTH STREET, EXETER (CeOS). Size: 300 x 375 mm. A new note added FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY’S ESTATE (Ae). Illustrated. 

Besleys Illustrated Hand Book of Exeter, the Cathedral, etc 

Exeter. Besley & Son. (1895). P[12].

Worth's Guide to Exeter. The Cathedral Handbook (Third edition) by Thomas B Worth[13]
Exeter. T B Worth. 1900[14]. P, KB.

 

14. 1900

No imprint. 

    

Besleys Illustrated Hand Book of Exeter, the Cathedral, etc     

Exeter. Besley & Son. (1900).      TQ.

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[1] BL (796.d.30).

[2] Last date in main text is August 1852 (p.45). Includes 4 vignette views which are undated. Hardback.

[3] Text is as 1850 work but the additional engravings are dated 1853 and 1854. In addition, Cooper’s Lynton and Lynmouth is advertised as “just published” (appeared 1853).

[4] Text is as 1850 work but the additional engravings are dated 1853 and 1854. In addition, Rowe’s Perambulations of Dartmoor is advertised as “just published in a cheap edition” (pub. 1856).

[5] Last date in main text is February 1869 (p.32) and the advertising section has typical number, (69), on first page, lower right. Paperback.

[6] BL (10368.aaa.49).

[7] Last date in main text is March 1871 (p.55). However, advertising section has typical number, (77), on first page, lower right. Paperback.

[8] BL 10358.aaa.63. Last date in main text is 29^th May 1876 (p.333) but may be later (no adverts).

[9] BL 10360.aaa.68. Last date in main text is March 1871 (p.55). Dated (1880) by BL but advertising section has typical number, (78), on first page, lower right.

[10] All BL copies of the Directory are stored at BL P.P.2507.yb; not all contain the map.

[11] Exeter also has Directory copies for 1885, 1894 and 1900 lacking the map.

[12] Map printed in sepia not black as usual.

[13] It is possible that the work was published by the author as an advertising vehicle for his Art Gallery, formerly the Mol's Coffee House. Reference to it being the third edition is made in the Preface. The work was printed by William Pollard & Co.

[14] Reverse is a plan of the Cathedral. The map is imprinted Besley and Dalgleish who were active c.1899-1911.The guide has a list of memorials inside the cathedral and there is no mention of those erected in 1902; the latest being that for Logan 1898. The Appendix is dated 23^rd April 1900.