St James's from an important large-scale survey of London

HORWOOD, Richard.

[St James's.] B. 3.
London: 1795-1799. 565 x 525mm.

A plan of St James's from what Howgego describes as the 'largest and most important London map of the eighteenth century', on a scale of 26 inches to a mile. Centred on Buckingham Palace, it shows Green Park (still with the Lodge), St James's Park, St James's Square and Petty France (here still called York Street). To the north is part of Mayfair, with Piccadilly, Curzon Street and Shepherd's Market.
Of interest is the layout of St James's Palace, before the fire of 1809 left the Queen's Chapel separate from the main buildings.
Horwood's intention was to mark each house's number (a practice started in 1735), but this was abandoned as impractical. He started his scheme in 1790, expecting to be finished by 1792: by 1794 he was apologising to his subscribers (including George III); in 1798 he received a loan of £500 from the Phoenix Fire-Office, for whom Horwood worked as a surveyor, to finish the map. However this assistance was not enough to stop Horwood dying in poverty in 1803.

HOWGEGO: 200, and pp.21-22.
Stock ID : 24402