Sir William Petty

Born at Romney, Hampshire, in 1623, his continental studies, which included medicine, enabled him to become a mathematician and scientist of note, as well as the Physician General to the army in Ireland.

But pursuits other than medicine engaged his attention and, with the support of the government, he undertook the task of organising a survey of Ireland. The resulting maps were engraved in a crude and somewhat scratchy manner, often on paper sheets pasted together, some forming an irregular shape. They were first published in 1685 and are of great importance, being the first county maps of Ireland.

Another issue appeared in 1690, and a later reprinting, probably undertaken privately, came out some tine between 185O and 1870. A miniature set was published in 1685 with later issues to 1728

All the maps of William Petty are Rare.