PETTY, Sir William. A Map of the County of Downe from Sir William Petty’s Hiberniae Delineatio. Hand-coloured in outline. Depicted are towns, villages, parishes, baronies, rivers, lakes, bays, islands, mountains, woods, churches, castles. Title within a decorated cartouche. On the sea a galleon. Scale in Irish and English miles. 44 x 58cms.

Printed in Dublin by George Grierson in 1732 from the original copperplates of the 1685 first edition. In fine condition.
Sir William Petty (1623-1687), political economist, physician to the Parliamentary army in Ireland, and Surveyor-General of Ireland, was one of the most successful adventurers to benefit from Irish confiscation and one of the greatest benefactors to Ireland with his survey and economic writings. Major General Larcom said of Petty his “survey will always remain one of the most remarkable undertakings of which we have any record. We are not to estimate its merits as a topographical work by the precision which has been attained in modern times ... as well as the circumstances under which it was executed, and the short time (13 months) in which the whole operation was performed.”

[Cat 160]