Edward Wells

Edward Wells produced a set of maps c.1700 which, although lacking in geographical merit, are boldly and decoratively engraved.

The Edward Wells maps include few place names, but the cartouches are bold and colourful, and they contain a dedication to the Duke of Gloucester with his armorial bearings incorporated.

The Wells map of the British Plantations in America with insets of Bermuda and various islands in the West Indies is one of his more interesting works, and so is his map of North America, which still shows California as an island.

Other very decorative maps in this series are those which show the ancient and modern World in hemispheres, with their scenic backgrounds. These usually incorporate views of Oxford, as the maps were printed in that city.