ChRNEWEM/1: ROBERT NORMAN; EDWARD WRIGHT; EMERY MOLYNEUX MAGNETIC INCLINATION; MERCATOR PROJECTION; GLOBESINTRODUCTION
The first Elizabethan Era produced an explosion of entrepreneurs in exploration, mathematics and map making. Exploration was a necessity, a large world unfolded and not only riches but extra land could be gained and thus a universal power base for a country which obtained the most.
Hence we see in the texts and charts of the age available the actuality of the exploration, the World encompassed, and mathematicians endeavouring to give Mariners tools to aid their voyages for both directions and distances.
Latitudes were measured and Longitudes estimated even with the knowledge of the ratio of Latitude to Longitude. Charts were still being drawn either as Portolans, basically the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, expanded to include Africa and the latest landfalls in both West and East, but only as expansions of the Portolan methodology.
Then the Planisphere charts began to be drawn in the very first years of the 16th century, but these were “Square Charts”, Latitudes and Longitudes having the same measurements per degree. These were pictorial representations of the then known World, but not Mariners Charts.
Then at the same time GLOBES were constructed. These GLOBES, truer representations of the Earth as a spherical object appeared with the “Erdapfel” of Martin Behaim in 1492.
(In HOC Vol3 pt1 Ch6, Elly Decker lists 181 GLOBES, Terrestrial and Celestial, of which 99 are Terrestrial, with numbers 145 and 146 being by EMERY MOLYNEUX in 1592)
But, although the explorers could use GLOBES as a visual guide, a chart for use at sea was still a necessity.
The problems of Magnetic Variation was however still a major stumbling block. These “Variations” began to be noted, but the problems of Magnetic Compass manufacture and thus a bias in their “cards” for the various countries they are produced in actually meant that comparing “Variations” was nigh impossible.
This problem had to be obviated to counter the magnetic deviations and one solution was to construct a chart such that the curvature of the Earth was negated and constant course changes obviated by the movement of the Magnetic Pole position apparent on the compasses.
One solution was derived in 1569. This is the Abstract diagram attached there to.
Gerardus Mercator ( 1512-1594) developed a so called, but denied, “Cylindrical Projection” in 1569, the properties of which are generally expressed as follows;
1) Parallels are represented by a set of parallel straight lines
2) All parallels are of the same length as the Equator
3) Parallels are variably spaced on a Meridian; inter-parallel distances increases away from the Equator
4) The Poles cannot be represented in this projection
5) Meridians are represented by a set of Parallel straight lines truly spaced on the Equator only.
6) Meridians are equally spaced on all the parallels and they are of equal dimension as well
7) Parallels and Meridians intersect each other at Right Angles
8)On the map the radius and the Tangential scales are identical at all parts
9)It is an Orthomorphic Projection
10) Direction being preserved in this net, any straight line drawn on this projection intersects the parallels at constant angles.
However, Mercator did not indicate how he arrived at this projection mathematically, for other cartographers to construct the grid required.
Thus it is in 1599 that EDWARD WRIGHT, an English Mathematician sets down in his text the methodology to construct the grid required for such a chart.
However, just before that momentous method was unveiled and given to Mariners, ROBERT NORMAN in 1581 determined MAGNETIC INCLINATION, that is the vertical \direction of the Magnetic Pole into the Earth and varies as the Horizontal Component shown by the Magnetic Compass. That proved to be another component of the Mariners Tools.
But in between these two mathematical ideas, EMERY MOLYNEUX produced a magnificent c25 inch diameter terrestrial globe.
Unfortunately none of the three ideas lasted very long in England.
ROBERT NORMAN
Little is known about ROBERT NORMAN, a 16th century English Mariner and latterly an instrument maker finally living in the “Mariners Enclave” of Ratcliff on the north bank of the River Thames. What we can glean of his life and works comes from his own text published in 1581, entitled ;“The Newe Attractive, Containing a short discourse of the Magnes or Lodestone and amongst other his vertues, of a newe discovered secret and subtil properties concernyng the Declinyng of the Needle touched there-with under the plaine of the Horizon, Now first founde by ROBERT NORMAN, Hydrographer. Here-unto are annexed certaine necessarie rules for the Art of Navigation by the same ROBERT NORMAN, London 1581.”.
A second reprint is in 1585, 1592, 1596, 1614 and 1720
The work was high-jacked by William Gilbert in his book, “De Magnete”, published in London , 1600, and who used much of ROBERT NORMAN’s work without in-fact acknowledging the origins.
ROBERT NORMAN was obviously an experimenter with regard to the Magnetic Needle, as his first chapter describes experiments in which magnets float on water using cork. He designs an “Inclinometer” which measures the dip of the magnetic pole at any place required.
That he was a cartographer is evinced by the 1581 chart of the position of the Azores with respect to the West coast of Portugal/Spain. He included the south coast of England and Ireland and the west coast of France on this chart, although rather awry. He produced a second chart of the South West coast of Ireland held now in the British Library.
It is also pertinent to note that the preface of his book is addressed to, “The Right Worshipful M. William Borough, Esquire, Comptroller of Her Maiesties Navie”.
Thus in a later section of this text it explains some of the personages known to ROBERT NORMAN and who may well have aided his career as a Mariner, which he himself notes, “18 or 20 years that I have travelled the seas”.
But more importantly, William Borough writes his own text, “Discourse of the variation of the Compass or Magneticall Needle”, that in all editions was annexed to ROBERT NORMAN’s text.
The chapter of his book which gives us an insight into his life is as follows:
Chapter IX: “Of the variation of the Needle from the Pole or Axeltree of the Earth: and how it is to be understood.”. In this chapter Pages 32-38 are the following texts.
Page35 overall lines 3 to 22; Lines 3 to 5
“For in going from Silly to Newfoundland, which is not 600 leagues, it is found that the needle doth varie more in 200 leagues, when you come neere that countrey, then it doth in 400 leagues on your first way.” Side note; “Because of the line of the Needle that sheweth the Pole artick, and point respective, by virtue of the stone, passeth between Sillie and Newfoundland.”
Comment; The Scilly Isles are basically 50N and 6° 21’W and Newfoundland is at 46-50°N and 55°W, hence by sailing due west along the 500N Latitude it is a simple matter of Longitudinal difference, 43.65° multiplied by the length of a degree of Longitude at 500N, which is 39.764 statute miles. Hence a direct distance on the surface of the N. Atlantic of 1735.7 statute miles or 578.5 Leagues. Thus in 1581 the distance was correct enough!
Page 35, lines 6 to 10
“And also going to Meta Incognita, It varieth more in parte of the last of the way, then in 3 parts of the first, and in those partes it is found to be suddaine.”
This shows where ROBERT NORMAN as a mariner sailed. Meta Incognita is a Peninsula of South Baffin Island, the North West Territories of Canada and it lies between Frobisher Bay and the Hudson Strait.
Page 35 lines 10 to 17.
“Further it is found between the North Cape and Vaygatz very strange, in recoiling and coming back again to the westwards of the Pole, before it hath fully accomplished two points of Variation in the compass. So that at Vaigatz it varyeth to the westwards as it doth at Newfoundland. And this coming back again before it hath accomplished four points of the compass, is very strange, and against the opinions of all that have before written.”
The North Cape is 71° 10’ 21” N and 25° 47’ 04” E and in Stephen Borough’s text he states he Named it. Hence it is safe to opine that ROBERT NORMAN was there. Viagatz, which is actually the Island of Vaygach, Russia, off Novaya Zemla in the Kara Sea, all of which are discussed in Stephen Burrough’s text. (see later)
Page 36 lines 3 to 14
“For in 18 or 20 years that I have travelled the Seas, being daylie conversant with many of them, and diligent in enquiring the Variation of the places where I have not been myself. I could never find two of them in one trueth, except for the travailes from hence Northwards and Northeastwards. But I suppose the greatest occasion thereof is by lacke of exact instruments for that purpose. Wherefore I have devised one very necessaire.”
The fact that ROBERT NORMAN states he has been at sea for 18/20 years and there appears to be no record of him, particularly on the ships of the Muscovy Company and those captained by Stephen Borough, and he is acquainted with Stephen Burroughs younger brother William Burrough only serves to make this research rather strange indeed.
Page 36 lines 21-33(p37) 1 to 20.
“I have grossely gathered of some Travellers, reckoning, or beginning at the ancient bound or great Meridian, that passeth by the Isle of Saint Michael in the Acorres; where it is said that the Needle sheweth directly the Pole, and the respective point both in one line. But this is not found to be so.
True it is, that the North point of the Common Compass, sheweth the Pole very neere in that Meridian, but the bare Needle sheweth about 4 degrees 50 minutes to the eastwards of the Pole. So that you must understand always the difference between the common Compass and the Needle, so be at least 1 third part of a point, and of some more; because the greatest parte of the common Sayling Compasses, hath the needle set in the Flye, half a point, or 2 third parts, to the eastwards of the North, and some 3 quarters of a point, and others at a whole point; and some again are set directly under the Flower-de Luce, or North of the Compass: those are called Meridional Compasses, because they shewe directly the Pole, in the great Meridian; as the bare Needle doth, which Meridian must needs be at the least an hundred, or an hundred and twenty leagues to the Westwards of the Ilse of S. Michael”.
Chapter X; “Of the Common Compasses and of the divers different sorts and making of them with the inconveniences that may grow by them and the Plats made by them.”
In this paragraph ROBERT NORMAN details the compasses made in various cities and their variations of the setting of the “NORTH” of the compass. He comments that these compasses are only good for use with charts drawn in the same cities! Thus the foregoing text is explained in detail.
In his later years, having been at sea for 18/20 years he settles in the seafaring district of Ratcliff on the north bank of the River Thames, London, as a maker of navigational instruments and Marine Compasses. Situate between Limehouse and Shadwell in the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney, 51.512054° N and 0.038946°W, his actual whereabouts are unknown even to the Museum Of London.
There are 2 published works and scattered fragments of text attributable to ROBERT NORMAN, an in HOC 3 Part2 chapter 58, Sarah Tyacke writes as follows;
“William Burough encouraged another instrument maker and chart maker, ROBERT NORMAN, in his work on the magnetic variation of the compass, and I have already noted his exhortation to others to describe their voyages in charts. Norman was a shipmaster who had been in the employ of the Merchant Adventures Company for twenty years before he set up as a compass-maker and chart-maker in Ratcliff by the Thames. He was rightly famous for his experiments on the variation of the compass at different degrees of longitude, the results of which he published in “The Newe Attractive” in 1581. He made Borough’s own instruments of variation for him, when he died in 1583, Richard Poulter, who followed Borough as Master of Trinity House in 1599, referred to the great loss to Seamen his death would cause 91 . Only two charts signed by Norman survive: one of the Thames Estuary of 1580 and the other of the south western approaches to the Channel (fig 58.9) 92.
91) Richard Poulter, The pathway to perfect sayling. ( London: E Allde for I Tappe, 1605), Diii.
92) ROBERT NORMAN, Thames Estuary, Hatfield House, CPM.II.37a; ROBERT NORMAN, Azores to Beachy Head ( southwestern approaches to the Channel), Burghley House, Stamford and (ROBERT NORMAN ?), Southwest coast of Ireland, ca1580 and before 1583, BL, Cotton AUG.L.ii.27.
Note, I have not been able to confirm that ROBERT NORMAN was employed by the Merchant Adventures Company and unfortunately Sarah Tyacke deigned no to reply to my message.
THE 1581 CHART BY ROBERT NORMAN HELD IN BURGHLEY HOUSE, STAMFORD.
ChRNEWEM/1/D01 and D02
This chart is bound into a copy of Ortelius’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum which belonged to the then Lord Burgley, Treasurer of |England under Queen Elizabeth 1st.
This work by Ortelius is exhorted by Richard Hakluyt as the book atlas to be carried on voyages and actually has details of distances noted at the bottom of the main page. The chart has the south coast of England and Ireland, the west coast of France, the Bay of Biscay and the west coast of Portugal/Spain with far to the west the Isles of the Azores with a description of those islands produce as follows;
St Mary’s, corne and catell; Formigas a;rocks; S Mighell, corne wood and good sugar; Tresera, corne, catell, Wine and goods wood; Gratiosa, corne and catell; S George, wood and catell; Fiall , moche wood and some catell; Flores some catell and ye best wood; Corvo litell wood.
In the north west corner of the chart is the endorsement; ROBERT NORMAN fecit a0 dominj 1581. The sacle bar is noted as a “Scall of 60 mills par degree”
An Aside; However 60 miles per degree appears to have been adopted out of many used by various nations and of course is not representative of the Portolan Charts Milliaria. It is in fact 60 x 5000 feet ( i.e. the Roman Mile) but that produced c56 English Miles ( and one of the measurements which if in Arabic Miles was surveyed on the Plain of Sinjar, in the 8th century). But if Strabo’s 8 1/3rd stadia ( furlong) is used , it is 500 stadia which is Ptolemy’s measurement. Strangely though, The English Nautical Mile is 60 per degree, being 2025.66 yards or 1.1509 Statute Miles.
ChRNEWEM/1/D01/RND02
The chart is c337 x 489mm and has a slight ruckle in the centre shown on the photographs and although the research was carried out on a black and white copy which has a minor ruckle it did not materially affect the measurements as the research was carried out on a full size copy of the chart.
The chart has a latitude scale bar from 36N to +52N and they are surprisingly accurate. However, there are no corresponding longitudinal scales. Thus using Portugal/ Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar with 5W to 9W at Cape St Vincent, the measurement is exactly the same as the Latitude degree, but from 9W to 25W, the Azores, the scale reduces to 0.78 and then from 25W, St Maria/Sao Miguel to Corvo/Flores at 31W it reduces to 0.9 latitude. This suggests the correct latitudinal adjustment for longitude at 36N of 0.8 was intended. However, it also implies that the North Eastern part of the chart is seriously awry. That is borne out when the south of England and Ireland as well as the Breton peninsula are located longitudinally. They are set several degrees west of their geographical position which if corrected would mean they nearly disappear by being moved at least 4 degrees eastwards.
With the longitudinal degrees for the south of Spain/Portugal being the same as the latitudinal degrees this implies the use of a “Square Chart”.
But, looking at the chart I do wonder if ROBERT NORMAN has sacrificed longitudinal accuracy in the North East to include a pictorial view of the whole West Coast of Europe such that the position of the Azores was actually appreciated as being well out in the Atlantic Ocean.
William Borough and Stephen Burough, cross paths with ROBERT NORMAN.
I have already introduced William Borough (1576-1598) and it is pertinent to mention a plaque erected by the then London County Council in 1922 which states:
“This tablet is in memory of Sir Hugh Willougby, Stephen Borough, William Burough, Sir Martin Frobisher and other navigators who in the latter half of the sixteenth century set sail from this Reach of the River Thames near Ratcliff Cross, to explore northern seas.” ( Thames Path, King Edward VII Memorial Park).
Unfortunately Ratcliff is now a lost Hamlet.
ROBERT NORMAN has written concerning the North Cape and Viagatz Island, as already mentioned and thus he is linked to both the Borough Brothers with William Borough even placing an “advert” at the end of his text stating that ROBERT NORMAN makes compasses etc., at his house in Ratcliff.
Willian Borough is also the cartographer for two charts held at Hatfield House, CPM 1/69 showing Frobisher’s voyage and CPM 1/56 being a plan of the Thames dated 16th November 1596.
But we are informed, Stephen Borough (1525-1584) was employed by the Muscovy Company and was Master of the first English Ship to reach the White Sea in 1553. In 1556 he led an expedition to the White Sea and discovered the Kara Strait between Novaya Zemla and Vaygach Island, carefully noting their latitudes..
Apropos ROBERT NORMAN and his Inclinometer, and the zero movement of the magnetic compass i.e. it shows north in the Azores, the Magnetic Pole c 1590 was at 73.9230N and 111.8310W of Greenwich and gradually moves northwards until 1632 when it retreated south again passing the 1590 position until 1730 when it suddenly turned north again, then east and South South East to an 1859 position on King William Island at c74N and 98.5W as the diagram attached indicates. Thus the use of the ROBERT NORMAN Inclinometer from 1581 to 1600 would have given readings indicating approximately 2 or 3 latitudinal degrees difference and thus a moving of the Pole or Axletree.
Towards the end of his career, ROBERT NORMAN was also it seems fluent in Dutch as he translates the Book by Cornelius Antoniszoon B.ca 1499) “The Safeguards of Saylers or great Rutter,” published in London in 1590. ( this was subsequently corrected and augmented by EDWARD WRIGHT in 1605.) But in the book pages 3 and 4 ROBERT NORMAN has penned ,”In commendation of the paineful Seamen” which has 9 stanzas of 4 lines each. A Quatrain indeed! He also has translated a second Dutch Rutter.
EDWARD WRIGHT.
Born in 1561 and died in 1615, He was an English mathematician born in Norfolk and became a scholar of Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, holding a Fellowship of that college between 1587 and 1596.
In 1589 he was tasked to join the raiding party of the Earl of Cumberland to the Azores and carry out navigational duties. That voyage lasted 7 months and is an appendix to his book “Certaine Errors in Navigation”, published in 1599. It includes a map of the Azores prepared to the “Mercator-<Wright” projection which is detailed in his book. This work was “high-jacked” by Jodocus Hondius, Thomas Blundeville and Sir William Barlow whom he informed and in the preface to his book writes,” I wish I had borne as wise as he (Mercator) in keeping more charily to myself.” The table of Meridional Parts by EDWARD WRIGHT as published in his book enables a cartographer to construct the basic graticule required to allow the straight line course to be set and avoid constant course changes.
Basically, chose a longitudinal dimension for your chart and then using the Meridional Part figures multiply and divide by 600 and thus the latitudinal component of the chart is found. Either use the “10 Minute” figures or the “Degree” figures depending upon your chart size and thus accuracy. ( see later)
Thus the first chart to be produced in 1589 using EDWARD WRIGHT’s projection was the routing to and from the Azores. The chart published in the first edition of the book is later redrawn and even a full colour version produced. From the first to the coloured version held in “Hatfield House”, there are significant changes.
On studying the first edition, original chart, I was taken by the fact that it appeared to be a direst copy of the ROBERT NORMAN Chart held in Burghley House. But in reading the complete text by EDWARD WRIGHT that pages 242 and 243 of 291 contain the following; “Bourne’s the “Regiment” and Norman’s “Newe Attraction” are used as well as copying their “Declination details “ into his table of Declinations. Hence Norman’s chart of the Azores which is in his book was no doubt also copied, “borrowed” to describe his voyage to the Azores.
EDWARD WRIGHT; CHART OF THE AZORE’S JOURNEY ChRNEWEM/1/D03
his chart printed in two parts at the end of the 1599 book “Errors in Navigation” is a record of the 1589 voyage, and has set of errors itself which are surprising to say the least.
It has two cartouche, the northern states “The voyage of the Right Honourable the Earle of Cumberland to the Islands od Azores A D 1589.”
The southern cartouche states; “ The beginnings of longitude in this way is counted from the furthest coast of Africa towards the west”.
The chart is set out with the longitudes equal and the latitudes increasing in size from 36N to 52.5N as per the table of Meridional Points. He does however confirm that the League is three English Miles. The first problem on the chart is that the 3600 longitude is labelled, “The beginning of Longitude in this way is counted from the furthest coast of Africa towards the west.”
However, this 360°line is shown to be 7 degrees west of Cape St Vincent, Portugal, which is geographically 9°W and 37°N, hence that sets the 360°line at 16° West. The Canary Islands spread from 14°W to 18°W and thus the line passes between Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Thence southerly it would pass through the African Coast at Dakhla/Punta Durnford just north of the Tropic of Cancer and exit the coast at Guinea Bissau, 12°N.
But, the actual furthest west point is Cape Vert and the city of Dakar, 14° 34’N and 17°29’W. That places the line between the Islands of La Gomera and El Hierro/La Palma in the Canary Isles some 1 ½ degrees further west,. And one of the chosen points for the zero longitude in the middle ages and Elizabethan era.
The Azores are situated on the chart from 351.5 to 345.75 (from 360) and 37N to 40N, where-as geographically they are at 25W to 31W, some 6 degrees geographically awry and E <Wright has the spread as 5.75 degrees , with only 15.5 degrees from Cape St Vincent to Sao Miguel.
As already shown, the ROBERT NORMAN Chart has the south coast of Portugal/Spain correct, which has been copied here and the Breton Peninsula, England and Ireland again drawn to far westerly by 1 to 3 degrees longitude.
The sailing route “Exitus” skirts to the south coast of England to the Lizard and is then basically S20W to the latitude 43°N latitude then, due west to the Azores.
The return route, “Reditus” is due North after the easting towards Lisbon, making landfall in Ireland, which on that route 2°W would actually just meet the west coast of Ireland and probably the Skellig Rocks and County Kerry. To achieve what is shown requires a parallel route to the “Exitus”. And, that is what Wright’s text actually tells us, thus the chart is wrong in its “Reditus” route.
The problem was “Wind” as they approached the south of England and were driven leewards, which meant they headed for Ireland. They anchored not far from “Skellade” and thence went to “Dinglecusha”. On the 10th December 1589 they left Ireland and headed for the Lizard and Rame Head, Plymouth. Yet again thwarted they head for Falmouth instead, the end of the voyage. Thus the chart is mis-leading in the geographical positioning of Ireland/England/France above 45°N, just as the ROBERT NORMAN chart and by mis-positioning them the homeward route is awry also.
Given the supposed Navigational skills of EDWARD WRIGHT these are surprising facts, and seem to negate the reason he was on the “Cumberland” expedition in the first instance!
THE TEXT OF EDWARD WRIGHT
In his text, within the chapter, “Faults in the Common Sea chart”, <Wright complains that, “For first, what place so ever described there-in, the length of them ( from east to est) hath greater proportion to the Breadth ( north to south) than indeed it ought to have (except it be at the equinoctial) ——– so that at the parallel of 60 degrees latitude the proportion of the length to the breadth is twice greater than indeed it should be”.
However, before the “MERY MOLYNEUX MAGNETIC INCLINATION” Meridional Points section <Wright states, “The fountain of all errors aforesaid ( the last one accepted) is in the very foundation and groundwork of the Mariners Chart, that is the first Geometrical Alignments thereof: namely because the Meridians are not rightly divided (the divisions being everywhere equal ) nor the parallels rightly drawn(having in all places the same distances each from another, that the meridians have at the equinoctial). It is unfortunate for EDWARD WRIGHT, c1590/1600 could not avail himself of many charts drawn, such as Batista Agnese, 1543, world chart illustrating the actuality of the meridians curved path on a plain chart. Neither did he comprehend that the “Square Planisphere” was not a Mariners Chart but a representation of the “World” for use by all-comers, but particularly for Merchants and Scholars..
What Wright also has failed to comprehend, even though he has produced a “Square chart” figure in his text, is that the “Planispheres” he is studying are in-fact “Square Charts” for the above reason that of being able to show the whole world on a flat plane. AND, That is each degree of latitude equals a degree of longitude. Hence normally at 60N the difference is 60Cos x Latitude = 0.5 x latitude and in a square chart thus at 60N the latitude is twice what it should be on a proper chart.
He then proceeds to produce that diagram illustrating the “Square” and an example of the “square” problem using Lisbon and Terceira.
Likewise, he complains of the positioning of the Island of Tristan da Cunha from the promontory , Tres Points Africa, (40 44’ 38”N 20 05’ 20”W), thus geographically he is correct , but on the Square chart they are on the same Meridian. They are a pictorial display of the world, not a working chart.
ROBERT NORMAN, just as the ROBERT NORMAN chart and by mis-positioning them the homeward route is awry also.
Given the supposed Navigational skills of EDWARD WRIGHT these are surprising facts, and seem to negate the reason he was on the “Cumberland” expedition in the first instance!
THE TEXT OF EDWARD WRIGHT
In his text, within the chapter, “Faults in the Common Sea chart”, <Wright complains that, “For first, what place so ever described there-in, the length of them ( from east to est) hath greater proportion to the Breadth ( north to south) than indeed it ought to have (except it be at the equinoctial) ——– so that at the parallel of 60 degrees latitude the proportion of the length to the breadth is twice greater than indeed it should be”.
However, before the “MERY MOLYNEUX MAGNETIC INCLINATION” Meridional Points section Wright states, “The fountain of all errors aforesaid ( the last one accepted) is in the very foundation and groundwork of the Mariners Chart, that is the first Geometrical Alignments thereof: namely because the Meridians are not rightly divided (the divisions being everywhere equal ) nor the parallels rightly drawn(having in all places the same distances each from another, that the meridians have at the equinoctial). It is unfortunate for EDWARD WRIGHT, c1590/1600 could not avail himself of many charts drawn, such as Batista Agnese, 1543, world chart illustrating the actuality of the meridians curved path on a plain chart. Neither did he comprehend that the “Square Planisphere” was not a Mariners Chart but a representation of the “World” for use by all-comers, but particularly for Merchants and Scholars..
What Wright also has failed to comprehend, even though he has produced a “Square chart” figure in his text, is that the “Planispheres” he is studying are in-fact “Square Charts” for the above reason that of being able to show the whole world on a flat plane. AND, That is each degree of latitude equals a degree of longitude. Hence normally at 60N the difference is 60Cos x Latitude = 0.5 x latitude and in a square chart thus at 60N the latitude is twice what it should be on a proper chart.
He then proceeds to produce that diagram illustrating the “Square” and an example of the “square” problem using Lisbon and Terceira.
Likewise, he complains of the positioning of the Island of Tristan da Cunha from the promontory , Tres Points Africa, (40 44’ 38”N 20 05’ 20”W), thus geographically he is correct , but on the Square chart they are on the same Meridian. They are a pictorial display of the world, not a working chart.
When E W amends his first “Mercator Projection” chart ( Azores) D04
When EDWARD WRIGHT amends his first “MERY MOLYNEUX MAGNETIC INCLINATION” chart, (Azores) he still has appended the “Beginnings of Longitude” as before, but in the NW corner of his chart is a long text of 21 lines. It is an explanation of the charts construction and the general courses sailed with compass variations noted, as follows;
ChRNEWEM/1/D05
The meridians in this chart are every-where equidistant: yet in all places is kept the same proportion of Longitude, and latitude, that is in the Globe: the degrees of Latitude, increasing in the same proportion, wherewith the parallels and consequently the degrees of longitude decrease in the Globe; so as in the longitudes, latitudes, courses and distances of all places, this chart agreeth with the Globe. It was thought more reasonable to begin the longitude from the westernmost part of the maine continent of Africa, Asia and Europa, then from any small Ilands, as the Canaries, or the Azores, especially seeing those reasons faile, which moved Ptolemy and Mercator to begin their account from hence; whereof the one knew no land morewesterly then the Canaries: the other thought that the true and magneticall meridian agreed in one at the Azores only.
The difference of Longitude between the Rocke and St Michaels, we make to be about XV degrees agreeable to the often experience of English Navigators, who ( for the most part) have made the distance betwixt those places, to be about two hundred and thirty English Leagues, though some would have that distance to be less. But they may easily erre half a score leagues in a hundred because the way of finding distances from east to west at sea is for the most part conjectural in estimating how much way the ship maketh in sayling. The latitudes and courses of the Ilands Azores each from other we observed as followeth; The latitude of St Cruze in Flores, 39 degrees 52 minutes. The latitude of Fayall towne 38 degrees 54 minutes. The latitude of Gratiosa, 39 degrees 15 minutes. The latitude of Terceira 38 degrees 45 minutes. The latitude of S Maries Iland 37 degrees 15 minutes. The latitude of S Michaels 38 degrees. The latitude of Dinglecush in Ireland, 52 degrees 12 minutes. The course from the easternmost part of Gratiosa to Pico is southwest and by south. Terceira beareth from the same place southeast and by east. Riding at anker in Fayall roade we saw the ile of Gratiosa by the west end of St Georges Iland. S Georges Iland lieth westwards from Terceira. The mountaine of Pico lieth east southeast southerly from the town of Fayall. The letters v c signify the variation of the compasse which how much it is the numbers adjoined do declare, whereof the first sheweth the degrees, the second the minutes. The syllables OR or OCC shew whether the variation be oriental or occidental. About the longitude of 346 degrees and a halfe, betwixt the ilands of Fayal and Flores it seemeth there should be no variation of the compasse.
Then in the SW corner of the chart is the following note; “In the island PICO there is an exceeding high mountain of the same name; the height whereof is almost 3 Italian Miles upright; the top of it for the most part seen above the clouds.”
Another iteration, which is from the 1610 reprint, ChRNEWEM/1/D06, changes the North Central text to, “A particular Sea Chart for the Islands of the Azores”, and has the dots for the Formigas Rocks. A further note added, This belongeth to page 23 ( of the 1610 reprint) and it has a peculiar sloping line from the S E corner divided into 1400 parts and joins to the latitudinal scale from 360 10’ by parallel lines which can be measured on the vertical Roman Mile Scale Bar or the Degrees with one degree having 75 Roman Miles. This is correct and the proper equivalent of a degree in altitude.
ChRNEWEM/1/D06
That leaves the highly coloured chart, which is again different, the main one being in the coastal profiles of Europe. It actually bears littler resemblance to the foregoing charts, Ireland and England are decidedly differently shown and the coast of Portugal and Sapin is simplified geographically. The two short texts in the Azores are in Latin; ChRNEWEM/1/D07
“Pico Insula. Pico mons latissimus cuius altitude ppendicularis est triu fers milliaria italicorum, and set vertically between Fayal and Flores is, “Variatio compassi nulla”
It would appear to be another engravers idea of a rather pictorial edition of the original Azores Chart.
ChRNEWEM/1/D07
The construction of the Mercator Projection D08
It is worth noting however that all of this is predicated upon a perfectly Spherical Earth, where-as it is an “Oblate Spheroid”. Hence any attempt to use the “Mercator Wright” projection today will be in error and the latest Meridional Point Tables as produced by Imray, Laurie, Norrie and Wilson Ltd which are for a terrestrial Spheroid with a compression of 1/293.465 for the latitudes ( to produce in fact a tangerine shape) and will be found to be a reduction in keeping with the squashing of the Poles.
EMERY MOLYNEUX
EMERY MOLYNEUX is an enigma, in that the only early knowledge of him ( no date or place of birth) is that “it seems likely” that he was the “Emery Molynox” who was presented to the Worshipful Company of Stationers as apprentice of one William Cooke, in October 1557, “He is of obscure and humble family background”.
Then in the 1580’s he has a workshop in Lambeth and enjoys the reputation as a mathematician and maker of mathematical instruments. Thus born c1550 in c30 years he had by his own volition raised himself into a position of being known to many prominent men of the day and in 1577 -1580 accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the World.
A rather extraordinary rise from obscurity to the first maker of Terrestrial and Celestial GLOBES in England. However researches carried out from the 1950’s which are unfortunately mostly phrased carefully as deductions from even earlier texts, introduce EDWARD WRIGHT as assisting Molyneux in plotting the coastlines on the terrestrial globe. Then on 10 April 1591, the Astrologer and Physician Simon Forman visited Molyneux’s workshop and apparently taught him how to find Longitude.
LONGITUDE, A DIGRESSION TO EXPLAIN THE FOREGOING REMARK
Simon Forman (31/12/1552-5 or 12/9/1611) is variously called astrologer, occultist and herbalist. He practised as a Physician and wrote many and varied texts.
One such text, “The grounds of the Longitude, with an admonition to all those that are incredulous and believe not the truth of the same” is dated 1591.
From “The autobiography and personal diary of Dr Simon Forman, the celebrated Astrologer from AD1552 to AD1602. ( unpublished manuscript, Ashmolean Museum)
1591. This yere 1591 I lai at Cinubers. The 20th March io found 2 fishes. The 22 dai of March A.M. at 8, we hard musick at Cirkell. The 10th April I put the longitude in question and the 21 dai I rode to London and lai at Mullenaxes to teach him Longitude. The 13 May I sent my chest to London from Dumbres. The 3 June I was at Oxford. The 6 July I put my book of Longitude to presse. ++
++ published lond 1591, 7 leaves entitled, The Groundes of Longitude etc—-. Written by Simon Forman, student in Astronomic and Phisique, 1591.
He sets down 15 ”Grounds” as follows;
1) Genesis, first /second verse in his words
2) Genesis, let there be light
3) Genesis, Sars and firmament
4) Ptolemy, Atistotle, Sacrobosus
5) Ptolemy Almagest
6) Sacrobosus
7) There are two Poles, the Arcticke and Antarcticke, the one is the north the other in the south, and the line Equinoctiall in the middest.
8) There is latitude, which is taken from the equinoctiall to the Pooles, either to the South or the North
9) There is no Latitude without his Longitude
10) The Latitude is opposite to the Longitude, in respect that the Latitude is taken from the South to the North, and the Longitude from the West to the East.
11) The Sunne doth rise and fall in his course, and never continues at one state
12) It is Omne oppositum
13) There is first the flint-stone
14) Divers places have divers Latitudes in respect of the North and South, and Divers Longitudes in respect of East and West
15) A man may see farther on a plaine ground, or on a hill, then he can among trees or in a bottome, and as farre by Sea as by lande.
That he was well read is illustrated by a long paragraph in which he describes the explorations of Mariners from !405 to Columbus in 1494.
However, nowhere in the 7 pages does he explain the methodology to obtain Longitude, finishing his text with;
“The tables hereto belonging shall follow, and be printed shortly, with certaine Bookes of Astronomie and Astrolgie, as the Booke of the three sortes of hours, Naturall, Artificiall and Magicall, with all the doubtes of Astronomie, and alterations and significations of the Planets, the mooning of the eight Sphere, and the way to erect a figure doth by the Eccliptike line, as also by the oblique ascention, wherein the misterie of Arte lieth hid, with divers other Bookees God willing if they may be permitted. Finis Per me Simon Forman. 1591.
As it appears not to have been printed what he explained to EMERY MOLYNEUX is now a mystery.
Did Molyneux prepare the manuscript gores for the globe to have them engraved on copper by Jodocus Hondius ( 1584-93 in London) and thus printed and adhered to his specially constructed GLOBES. If So from which Map or Chart or Charts did Molyneux form the Gores from? It is hardly possible to just draw the Gores without recourse to an original and then construct the Gores such that they all inter-link, paramount for the alignment and continuity.
There are three texts I have written concerning GLOBES and their Gores. They are ChGLO/1, CgLdV/1 and an essay, “Is this the forerunner of Cylindrical Projection”. In text CgLdV/1, diagram D04 I indicated the measurements and construction of the Gores and the draughtsmanship necessary to achieve them.
If, as we are informed Molyneux was a mathematician and skilled manufacturer of instruments, did he in-fact use the Globe to size his Gores? There being 12 such for the Globe.
His Globe we are informed is c25 inches in diameter, and thus has an overall Gore length of 25PI or 78.54 inches ( 6 feet 6.54 inches) and a height of 39.27 inches. Each Gore is therefore ( if taken as from Pole to Pole) 6.545 x 39.27inches. In production probably two halves, north and south of the Equator giving a size of 6.545 x 19.635 inches, which could be engraved on a copper sheet to be printed and glued to the Globe surface. Really?
EMERY MOLYNEUX’S WORK
ChRNEWEM/1/D10
ChRNEWEM/1/D11
EMERY MOLYNEUX being an accomplished Mathematician would never have accepted trying to draw Gores 6.545 inches wide at the Equator. Thus his base measurement is 6 ½ inches , 78 inches or 6 feet 6 inches circumference. Thus the actual Globe diameter is 24.83 inches not 25 inches and simply controlled by a Brass wire measuring 78 inches in length, jointed to form a circle and use as a scriber over the flour paste surface to form a perfect sphere. Anybody who has tried plastering will know that to form a smooth sphere without a “former” would be an impossible task.
Thus the Gores are 6.5 x 19.5 inches, and very simple measurements to achieve. But there is another simple trick to achieve the Gores. Hang the Globe when finished with a flour paste or final paper coat and using a scribing post with stylus draw onto the globe surface the latitudinal lines and the vertical longitudinal lines and you have the perfect positioning for your Gores on the Globe. Also you have the perfect “Gore Size” which allows a single sheet of triangular paper 7 x 20 inches to be temporarily fixed to the globe and the Latitude/longitude lines drawn there-on plus the Gore edges, meaning that they can be co-joined flattened to trace the geographical coastlines etc onto the Gore itself. That also provides the Engraver with the simplest of tools to emulate the Gore in reverse for printing.
Study the Photos of the Globe and note the Gore joints to see the manufacture of them.
IDENTIFYING THE CHARTS FOR THE MOLYNEUX TERRESTRIAL GLOBE.
Both forms of Globe, Celestial and Terrestrial were made by Molyneux between 1592 and 1596/7 when he emigrated to Amsterdam. They are discussed in several papers by Helen M Wallis, and particularly the main two, the Petworth Globe and the Middle Temple Globe. The Petworth Globe is dated 1592, but the Middle Temple Globe is dated 1603 and is formed from adjusted gores by Jodocus Hondius who enumerated fourteen important additions to the geographical knowledge displayed on his Globe.
Thus we must ask ourselves what charts were available prior to 1592 which Molyneux could have copied.
The problems now begin as only the Middle Temple Globe has been properly photographed, an the Petworth Globe is sadly deteriorated. However, the Middle Temple kindly supplied four photos, Europe and N Africa; N America: S America: and India/Asia/China. To that are added two photos already online and they all enabled ideas.
The texts inform us that they looked at Portuguese, Spanish and European Planispheres and from the photos, one is obviously that of Bartolomeo Velho. On his planisphere of 4 sheets, South America has the “Lake” in Brazil which with the rivers adjoining it made part of Brazil into an Island. Sebastian Lopes, 1570 chart showed a similar Lake and Domingos Texeira, 1573 had the same on his planisphere.
The lake only appeared for a few years on charts/atlases and thus we can be sure that Molyneux and Wright had a copy of the S America form with this included. The latter two mentioned are doubtful as providing the whole “World’s” as they do not show it, thus that leads to the conclusion that several charts were used and put together to form the Globe Chart and thus the Gores.
THE GLOBE AS DRAWN-PHOTO’S ANALYSED FROM THE MIDDLE TEMPLE
There is a photo of the Europe /Africa section of the Terrestrial Globe ( set in its wooden frame and showing the brass ring engraved with the latitudes, and it clearly indicates that the Zero Longitude is set through the Azores some 28 degrees west of London.
ChRNEWEM/1/D12
The first photo sent to me of Europe, N Africa and Asia to the Caspian Sea when analysed clearly shows that the 36N latitude, the marker for the Mediterranean Sea suddenly moves North from its geographical position when just north of Crete and thus mis-positions the Sea and South coast of Turkey and thus also the Black Sea to its North. /D13 and D14
From the standard Portolan Charts of the 14th and 15th Centuries the 36N line skews by 11 ¼ degrees anti clockwise and thus it is open to me to opine that having copied the correct alignment for the 36N Latitude from the Strait of Gibraltar to Crete, they had to accommodate the Portolan Chart configuration in the East which was totally awry. That also impinges upon the 10 and 20 degree east Geographical longitudes which are in-fact suddenly skewed anti-clockwise just after crossing the 36N latitude as the diagram illustrates. Then to the east the Caspian Sea is a pseudo Ptolemy form and has been set approximately to his figures.
The White Sea, Novaya Zemla and the Noth Cape all feature with annotation concerning the explorations. ( Stevenson page 193. Originals in Latin. “John Davis, an Englishman in the years 1583-86-87, gave these names when he mapped the shores of America lying between the parallels of 55 degrees and 73 degrees north latitude”
“Additions in the north parts to 1603” ??? “Het Boudin Huis”; “Sir Hugo Willoghbi his land”; Richard Chancellor and Stephen Burrow Englishmen explored the shore of Lapland and Corelia and of Simm. S Nicolai commonly so called in the month of August 1553” and also, “John Mandeville an English Knight from England in the year 1322 entered the regions of Cathay and Tartary”.
ChRNEWEM/1/D13
ChRNEWEM/1/D14
The photograph of N America, D15 and D16. This indicates the change of California from an Island to a promontory and its latitudes are acceptable. The Longitudes, however, are very stretched as indicated by the geographical figures appended to the diagram with a 15 ½ degree or 1.31 expansion.
ChRNEWEM/1/D15
ChRNEWEM/1/D16
The part of the Globe in N America however contains the script in Latin, translated as;
To the divine Elizabeth, most puissant, high and might Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc.
Forasmuch as Almighty God of his wonderful providence hath advanced your most August Majesty to the command both of sea and land, and under your auspices hath restored tranquillity to the state, honour and freedom to Literature and Science, and to the people of this realm their old national character. And with such successful results that ‘tis universally acknowledged that not only have the praiseworthy and never-to-be-forgotten deeds of the present age have had to yield to your palm. Furthermore the Almighty hath imprinted in your mind a singular knowledge of the celestial oracles as well as of those terrestrial works which are the natural objects of men’s admiration, and hath also by your example inflamed the hearts of your subjects with such an ardour for knowledge that neither are there any mysteries in the heavens so involved that have not unravelled them, nor any regions in the immense theatre of the world so distant that they have not repeatedly traversed them.
Wherefore, most mighty Sovereign, your most humble, loyal and Obedient servant Wiliam Sanderson dedicates to your Majesty, as is most justly due, these new worlds, all knowledge of which Nature denied to that great Grek monarch who was master of the world, to the intent that you may become acquainted with the limits of your renown, if any such limits there be.
By your Majesties auspicious patronage he is now able to set them before the public in as perfect a state as a great expenditure of money on his own part and the indefatigable labour and skill of EMERY MOLYNEUX could produce.
And he humbly prays that your Majesty may deign to make continual use of the same.
Next
By the blessing of Heaven
To the reader: greeting
In compiling this globe, gentle reader, we have everywhere followed the most correct marine charts used by the Spaniards and Portuguese in their American and East Indian Sea voyages, and in delineating its Northern parts we have copied the most approved geographical descriptions of several Englishmen of pre-eminent ability with the greatest fidelity, accuracy and care AD 1603.
Emery Mulleneux, an Englishman,
compiled this Globe
at the expanse of William Sanderson, of London.
Note the date has been tampered with and it should be 1593.
SOUTH AMERICA PHOTO
The northern section of S America from 35S to 10N is covered in rivers and place names (latinized) when the landmass had not been explored. Hence we see the “Lake” in the middle of Brazil and rivers which make the north east and south east part as Islands. This lake as noted appears on Bartolomeo Velho’s world chart etc. It quickly disappeared as exploration commenced and the Portuguese Captaincies were established and the land mass subdivided. It is drawn 650 to a geographical 450 and is thus enlarged even more than N America.
There are two texts on the west coast concerning the Spanish and Indigenous peoples an animals and a single text on the east coast identifying the port both the French and English Merchants utilize.
ChRNEWEM/1/D17
ASIA AND INDIA PHOTO
The photo shows Russia, North Pole and Arctic Ocean south to the Equator, thus including all of the Indian Sub-Continent and the eastern islands with China.
Again there is hardly a blank area and it has dozens of mountain ranges generally orientated north/south. It is drawn to impress, but the majority of the detail is guessed.
ChRNEWEM/1/D18
HOW WAS THE GLOBE DRAWN
A study of the Gore joints themselves indicates by a slight whiteness of them that they commence at the zero longitude and are hence at 30;60;90;120;150;180;210;240;270;300 and 330 longitude. But the joints themselves are near perfect and one fact clearly indicated by the text on the N American section of the Globe tells its own story.
The N American section has the major inscription ( as discussed) set parallel to the curvature of the latitudes. But study the text and its cartouche and it is contre curved on the photo. But, the photo has been taken with the camera set 23 ½ degrees askew to produce the appearance of a chart, not as the Globe is hung. That is the Equator and the Tropics are basically horizontal and the centre longitude of each photo near vertical.
Hence the appearance of the Cartouche is contrary when most texts are written parallel to the latitudes. The cartouche is therefore set at 90 degrees to the 270 longitudinal Meridian and the script is horizontal, which suggests a deliberate act to enable the writing/engraving of such a long important text. Thus the two Gores were set FLAT upon the work surface and scribed /engraved as if writing normally. That there are small errors indicates the two Gores were possibly side by side and rotated slightly to join them. Given the size of the Gores this would not have been a major problem and the flattening a simple exercise perhaps on a mock-up ball.
Having previously manufactured a Globe from Gores with a 260mm diameter it would be difficult but from a c630mm diameter ball hardly noticeable in flattening. ( Text ChGLO/1)
Thus this first set of GLOBES made in England is a “tour de force” in terms of its manufacture and content and the fact that EMERY MOLYNEUX was part of a growing scientific cadre in the late 16th century should be celebrated.
THE WRIGHT MOLYNEUX CHART ChRNEWEM/1/D19
The opinion consensus is that Edward Wright used the Molyneux Globe information as the basis for what is now called the Wright Molyneux chart,
That may be an idea, but study that chart and the Globe side by side and the differences are clearly visible. But are we looking at a correct original copy?
Firstly, we must acknowledge that the Wright Molyneux chart is drawn to the Wright Mercatpr Projection, although as shown later, generally for the main central area of the chart the difference is marginal.
Comparing the extant chart with the Globe Photos.
Europe; Firstly Scandinavia has been re-shaped and is slimmer longitudinally. The northern seas and coastline are totally different with Novaya Zemla not even an Island. The west coast of Europe is similar until Portugal/Spain which are now a rectangle north/south, whereas the Globe has it as a rectangle east/west and closer to the geographical. The 36N latitude is drawn somewhat askew at Crete and Turkey as on the Globe but again slimmed down latitudinally.
(Here I should intervene and say that at this time the planispheres were very good even though drawn as “square charts” and thus I do not understand why EDWARD WRIGHT should copy a Globe when he was producing a FLAT plain chart?)
N America; decidedly different , with Florida a “pointy” promontory and it has the addition of up to date St Lawrence Waterway and the first of the Great Lakes.
S America; The coasts are similar, but the interior is changed by omissions. The Amazon now has the “wiggly line” format of the latest charts and atlases and now merely coastal towns are named.
India and Asia; India itself has been turned into a thin southward pointing promontory in stead of the reasonably geographical form on the Globe. China does not connect to the North Ocean, probably omitted to allow the N E cartouche to be inserted.
Africa; compared to the mounted globe photo it is probably a good copy and is reduced to having coastal towns only named.
Thus this chart drawn on the Wright Mercator Projection, which given its size does not make much difference as the vertical expansion of the latitudes hardly affects the main sections of the chart, as can be seen on the construction diagram where the major change occurs between the 50 and 60 degree latitudes, with 40 to 50 being 12 units and 50 to 60 being 18 ½ units, a 150% expansion.
HOW THE WRIGHT MOLYNEUX CHART DEVELOPED
The original charts as we have extant are purported to have been drawn by EDWARD WRIGHT with assistance and guidance from John Davis and Richard Hakluyt. This chart, normally printed in two halves as engraved, and with a definite joint line in all copies. It is now held in many libraries as well as being privately held and copies are available online.
It has been stated several times that it was to be used in the 1589 first volume of Richard Hakluyts, “Principles of Navigation”. However as is explained in the last paragraph of Richard Hakluyt’s words “To The Reader”, now following, that does not appear to be the case.
“Nowe because per adventure it would be expected as necessarie, that the description of so many parts of the world would farre more easily be conceived of the Readers, by adding Geographical, and Hydrographical tables thereunto, then are by the way to be admonished that I have contented my selfe with inserting into the works one of the best generall mapspes of the world onely, until the coming out of a very large and most exact terrestrial Globe collected and reformed according to the newest, secreteil and latest discoveries both Spanish, Portugall and English, composed by Mr Emmerie Mollineux of Lambeth, a rare Gentleman in his profession, beiong therein for divers yeeres, greatly supported by the purse and liberalisse of the worshipful marchant Mr William Sanderson.
This being the summe of those things which I thought good to admonish thee of ( good reader) it remaineth that thou take the profite and pleasure of the worke: which I wish to bee as great to thee, as my paiones and labour have bene in bringing these rare fruits unto this ripenesse, and in reducing these loose papers into this order. Farewell.”
IN his book, Divers Voyages (1582) Hakluyt made reference to “Ortelius’s Booke of mappes” and it is repeated in both editions of Principal Navigations. However that book is by Richard Hakluyt the elder, a cousin and sometime guardian of the Richard Hakluyt of “Principal Navigations” The elder Richard Hakluyt was of the Middle Temple, London., who he mentions in this text.
In fact in many copies of the 1598, Principal Navigations the Ortelius 1572 World Map is included.
ChRNEWEM/1/D20
The first printing of EDWARD WRIGHT’s chart contains two cartouche as follows; N East.
“It appeareth by the discoverie of Francis Gaulle a Spaniard in the yeare 1584 that the sea between the west part of America and the east of Asia ( which hath been ordinarily set out as a straight and named in most maps the Streight of Anian) is above 120 leagues wide at the latitude of 38Degrees. And that the distance between Cape Mendocine and Cape California which many maps and sea charts make to be 1200 or 1300 leagues is found scarce as much as 600 leagues”.
The southern central cartouche sub-Africa reads;(seeD19)
Thou hast here ( gentle reader) a true hydrographical description of so much of the world as hath beene hitherto discovered, nd is comne to our knowledge: which we have in such sort performed, yt all places herein set downe, have same positions and distances that they have in the globe, being therin placed in same longitudes and latitudes which they have in this chart: which by the ordinarie sea chart can in no wise be performed. The way to finde the position or course from any place to other herein described, differeth nothing from that which is used in the ordinarie sea chart. But to finde the distance: if both places have the same latitude, see how many degrees of the meridian taken at that latitude are contained between the two places, for so many score leagues is the distance. If the differ in latitude, see howe many degrees of the meridian taken about the midst of that difference are conteyned between; them and so many score leagues is the distaunce.
Then the first change on the original plates is c1600 when a third cartouche is added to the south west of S America, stating;
ChRNEWEM/1/D21
“By the discovrie of Sir Francis Drake made in the yeare 1577, the Streights of Magellane as they are commonly called seeme to be nothing els but broken land and ilands, and the southwest coast of America called Chili was found, not to trend to the northwestwards as it is described but to the eastwards of the North as it is here set downe, which is also confirmed by the voyages and discoveries of Pedro Sarmieto and Mr Tho. Candish, Anno 1587.
Then in 1610 a totally new engraving is carried out. This is by William Kip who arrived in London 1585 from Utrecht and engraved for many scholars including a series, “The Counties of England”.
It is headed by “The Prince of Wales Feathers” and the words “ICH DIEN” and is set in the NW Corner.There are five cartouche;
ChRNEWEM/1/D22
NE Corner; Francis Gaulle text
SE Corner ;SE Corner ; The chart with equidistant and straight lined meridians , parallels and rumbs, by reason of the continual increasing of the degrees of latitudes in such proportions as the parallels in the Globe decrease from the equinoctial towards the poles sheweth the longitudes, latitudes, Courses and distances of all places as truly as the globe itself can do. Of which invention some will have Mercator to be the first author. Who though he hath well deserved a chapter of the 2 booke of his Geographie, teacheth us that we may make maps with equidistant meridians and straight parallels so the parts of the meridians have the same proportion to the parts of the parallels that a great circle hath to the middle parallel thereof where omitting only the worde “Middle” you have all the sayd invention. But the exact way howe to make the parts of the meridians and Parallels to keep the proportion every where so errors in navigation out of the copie where Hondius a graver of maps in Amsterdam first learned to graduate his maps of the world and of the 4 part therof according to the sayd proportion which many others also followed afterwards.
Centre East; The numbers scatteringly dispersed here and there in thgis sea chart signifie the variation of the compasse. The letters E and W shewe whether it be East or West. The othjer letters signifie the observers names as; D = Davis; K= Kendall; H= Hall; L= Lynschot; C= Candish CA – Iols De Castro etc.
Centre West; That the west shoare of America trendeth so much eastwards, it may appear by Mr Fuller’s observations thereof in Mr Candish his voyage about the world
SW Corner; This is lines 8 to 12 in the Southern central cartouche sub-Africa above.
The next iteration of the chart is as follows. ChRNEWEM/1/D23.
The next iteration of the chart is as follows.
ChRNEWEM/1/D23.
“A plat of all the world projected according to the truest Rules being far more exact than either the Plain -Card or the Maps of the world described in two rounds. First set forth by Nr EDWARD WRIGHT and now newly corrected and enlarged with many new discoveries by Joseph Moxon and sold at his shop in Cornhill at the Sign of ATLAS, 1655.”
The chart has been updated with N America having Hudson Bay and although faulty, Greenland and the Straits. California is a retrograde step in that it is an Island again. South America is completely revised in such a manner as to exaggerate the Easterly Bent of its west coast. Europe, Africa and Asia are basically as the previous charts. Hollandia Nova, part of Tasmania and Zealandia Nova are included. Finally there is an attempt to complete the China section to the Asian (Russia) section, but Novaya Zemla is only partially drawn.
The five texts , includes the attribution above areas follows;
N E Francis Gaulle
SE, 17 line text as above
Central East « the numbers on the chart, as 1610
Central West; as above
West; A plat of the world.
JCB MAP COLLECTION
ChRNEWEM/1/D24 it is drawn to Edward Wright’s Mercator Projection”
This is a full colour chart which appears to be reused in 1710, (see later) and is a large 1536 x 1230mm chart.
NW cartouche; A new mapp of the world according to Mr EDWARD WRIGHT commonly called Mercator’s Projection. By John Thornton at the Signe of England, Scotland and Ireland in the Minories (1683)
NE cartouche; To Sir James Hayes Knt, one of His Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Counsel in the Kingdom of Ireland. This map is humbly dedicated by John Thornton.
The chart is actually from the William Blathwayt Atlas which is a collection of 48 maps assembled between 1680 and 1685 as a reference atlas for the Office of Trade and Plantations, compiled by W B, Secretary the Lords of Trade and Plantations.
It is Map no1 in the atlas and is fully described by Jeannette D Black in Volume 2 Commentary on the Atlas ( 1975).
It is drawn to Edward Wrights MERY MOLYNEUX MAGNETIC INCLINATION but the Geography is not taken from a copy of his charts. There are numerous errors in that California is an Island again, The Fretum Davis is a closed Bay, S America below the River Plate is severely reduced in longitude. Europe is acceptable, but India and China are wildly inaccurate and overall the chart only has 280 degrees of longitude. The latitudes are set at 15 degree intervals from 60S to 85N.
THE 1710 CHART.
ChRNEWEM/1/D25
“A new and correct Mapp of the world according to Mr EDWARD WRIGHT commonly called Mercator’s Projection, with a view of Winds and Variation . Sold by William Mount and Thomas Page on Tower Hill London”.
Richard Mount and Thomas Page were maritime publishers and the partnership was founded in 1701 by Richard Mount (1654-1722). Richard Mount had previously been in partnership with his Father in Law, William Fisher ( 1631-1692) and inherited the business on the latter’s death.
There is a cartouche in the S E corner of the chart as follows;
Note; That the arrows among the lines shew the course of those general and coasting Trade Winds and the abbreviations “sep:&c” shew the time of the year when such winds blow.
Note: also that the figures along the coast is the quantity of degrees variation which variation from Carolina all along the coast and Islands of America to the southward as far as the Straits of Magellan is easterly and from Carolina to the northward and along the coast of Europe, Africa and Asia as far as Timore it is westerly but at Timore to the eastward it is easterly.
This chart actually shows a great deal of geographical knowledge. Firstly it uses the Meridian of London, but only has 100 degrees easterly and 190 degrees westerly longitude. The latitudes are 15 degrees each south to 60S and 15 degrees each to 75N.
One error again is Fretum Davis shown as an inlet bay, but all the Great Lakes and Hudsons Bay are shown but with California an Island again. South America has the Magellan Streights with Terra Fogo land to its south.
New Holland has a note appended “ supposed to be an Island”.
China has been joined to Rusia at the Tartarian Sea, but the N E corner of China has the following note:” It is not known whether this joyns to America or not”.
India has regained a semblance of its geographical form and between East Africa and India the two monsoon routes are indicated. They are the Monsoons from the N East during October to March and from the S West during April to October. These and other winds provide for trade route sailing as the attached diagram illustrates.
ChRNEWEM/1/D26
THE RICHARD HAKLUYT TEXT
Although many works regarding the Hakluyt text in 3 books exist as well as copies of the original books, in none of them do we find the “1589” First form of EDWARD WRIGHT’s chart. We start with the “amended chart”, probably helped by John Davis and Richard Hakluyt to be used later. Thus we do not know just what the first Wright chart included and how much was altered. Considering that it is still not as accurate as is claimed by the “users” it begs the question of; why did Hakluyt pursue it?
Was it just because EDWARD WRIGHT, an excellent mathematician, gave substance to the mathematics behind the Gerardus MERY MOLYNEUX , which was used by many others, and thus Richard Hakluyt championed it. But we should note that in 1507, Martin Maldseemuller produced a very large World map which included and named America as well as following “Square Charts” all of which led to the Globe of EMERY MOLYNEUX. Thus EDWARD WRIGHT did not produce a Chart of the World, merely a new format onto which was added previous cartographers geographical work and the latest findings of explorers by Sea around the world.
Truly a great mathematical achievement, but hardly a cartographical masterpiece