Edward Croydon, Senior and Junior

For more information on Croydon, see my article on Torquay booksellers. Click here.

Edward Croydon and his two sons, Henry George (Teignmouth) and Edward (Torquay) published (at least) four maps.

Croydon 1 - see below.

Croydon 2 - The Teignmouth Guide (later also The Torquay Guide) - click here.

Croydon 3 - Torquay and its Neighbourhood - click here. 

Croydon 4 - A Plan of the Town of Teignmouth -  click here.

In 1817 Edward Croydon printed and sold a most attractive guide books of Devon. The Guide to the Watering Places, on the Coast, Between the Exe and the Dart; … consisted of sixteen (and occasionally found with 17) coloured aquatints (of which four are folding) by D Havell, T Shury, and J C Stadler, after drawings by W B Noble (JVSC S.64). This was originally issued in three parts published in 1817 and 1818 with a map engraved by J Smith of London when bound complete[1]. Although all title pages to the first printing are dated 1817, at least seven of the views included are dated June 15 1818 suggesting the title page was issued with the first instalment and bound in after the series was completed. The text to this work was enlarged and appeared again in 1830 in The Teignmouth, Dawlish, And Torquay Guide suggesting that the original text was also written by N T Carrington (see Croydon 2). Croydon also published The Natural History of the District by W Turton & J F Kingston which lists the different species of flora, fauna and minerals of Devon and is believed to be Part II of Watering Places circa 1820.

William Bonneau Noble (1780-1831) was a landscape painter in water-colours who began life as a teacher of drawing. For some years he was very successful, but although he had two views in the exhibition of 1811 he became dejected and after failing to commit suicide in 1825, he finally died of decline in 1831.

Edward Croydon was printer, bookseller, publisher, stationer, engraver, ran a print and music warehouse as well as managing a circulating library. Throughout his career he was associated with premises at Regent Place in Teignmouth and is listed in many directories from c.1823.

George Henry Croydon also became a printer, working in Teignmouth from his father's address at Regent Place from c.1848. The two Teignmouth Croydons were trading as Edward and George Henry Croydon from about 1848 to 1862. The Teignmouth Guide, which continued to be reissued from 1826 when it was published until about 1875 was published by E Croydon & G H Croydon until circa 1863 or 1875. Click here to go to Croydon 2. However, the Plan of Teignmouth (Cockrem 4) published precisely during this period is only Published by Edward Croydon. Click here to go to Croydon 4.

Edward, fourth child and eldest son of Edward Senior would appear to have opened his own business in Torquay rather than take over his father's business. He also worked as stationer, bookbinder, librarian, music seller and, like his father, ran a Berlin Repository (1840). His Torquay premises were on Victoria Parade (1840-1866). In 1866 his Berlin Repository was registered at 5 Torwood Street and his Royal Library with printseller, bookseller and stationers activities in Victoria Parade. His Handbook for Torquay appeared in 1854 complete with map and a second edition circa 1860 sometimes included engravings. Click here to go to Croydon 3.

 Croydon 1

Size: 400 x 340 mm. Scale of Statute Miles (8 Furlongs + 3 = 100 mm).                                                                                                                                                                     

A MAP OF TEIGNMOUTH and its vicinity Copied from the Ordnance GRAND MAP OF Devon By Special Permission from the Right Honble THE BOARD OF ORDNANCE, Granted to Edwd Croydon, June 1817. (Ec). Imprint: Published by E Croydon, Teignmouth. (CeOS). Signature: Engraved by J. Smith, St Clements Inn, Strand.  (Ec below title). The coast is shown from the Mouth of the Ex (sic) along the coast to Berry Head. Inland the map covers everything east of Little Hempston and Bovey Tracey. The whole has a piano-key style frame.

 

1. 1817            A Guide to the Watering Places, on the Coast, Between the Exe and the Dart; Including Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Torquay, embellished with a general view of Teignmouth and Dawlish, and the various seats around them, with a short description of the neighbourhood

       Teignmouth. E Croydon. 1817 (1818), 1819.       DevA, BL[2]; KB[3].

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[1] This was first published complete in 1818. The work was reissued in 1819 (map) and 1821 (no map). The BL copy 10360.d.10 has title page:  also to be had of Knighton and Westcott, Dawlish, and Cole, Torquay with date below.

[2] BL 10360.d.9 is dated 1817 and lacks the "Trafalgar Cottage" plate; it conforms to R V Tooley’s entry 347.

[3] Previously unrecorded copy; not in Tooley or Abbey. The title page ends: Sold also at Gore's Dawlish, and Gilbert's, Torquay and with date below – 1817 as usual. However, the printed cover is identical except for: Sold also at Knighton's, Dawlish, and Cole's, Torquay. Date below is 1819. The pages are uncut, hence the publishing dates of all the folding aquatints can be seen (not in Tooley).

 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.