Jennings vs Fisher: Two Illustrated Books on Devon 1829

  IV. The Authors On September 1st 1829 two new magazines were delivered to subscribers or made available for purchase. The first issue of The Rev. Thomas Moore’s The History of and Topography of The County of Devon was published in London by Robert Jennings, 62 Cheapside, on that day. Each issue was octavo [i] (145 x 230 mm) with a paper cover and cost just 1s. This work contained descriptive text by Thomas Moore and E W Brayley. A partial set of these is held in Exeter [ii] and consists of 41 of the first 47 issues plus three parts to a subsequent edition issued as a collection of three numbers. The local (i.e. Devon) distributor of the initial series would appear to be Mr W Bennett of Russell Street in Plymouth. Fishers’ Views in Devonshire and Cornwall could be bought from J Gibson at his address at 8, Lady-Well-Place in Plymouth or was sent directly from the publishers H Fisher, Son & Co. from their premises at 38, Newgate Street and from the offices of Jones & Co....

  V. The Printers and Publishers Robert Jennings seems to have been working in London from about 1810, first at Poultry and later in Cheapside. One of the first references to him is found on the title page of a work by Virgil, Virgilii Maronis Bucolica . This was Printed by T. Bensley, Bolt Court and published by Robert Jennings, No. 2, Poultry, and Sold by J. MacKinlay, Strand. [1] Sporadic works followed such as poems of J B Drayton (1815), an edition of Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man (1819) or A Code of Signals for … Merchant’s Ships (1816). He seems to have been more successful in the next ten years and his range becomes more extensive and more demanding. In 1826 Jennings published Robert Batty’s Scenery of the Rhine, Belgium and Holland . Another guide was Augustus Pugin’s Paris and its Environs (1829-31). He had already published two books on travel, Thomas Cromwell’s History of … Colchester (1825) and even an edition of Samuel Johnson’s A diary of a journey into North ...

  VI. The Engravers The 94 engravings for Moore were drawn and engraved by a large number of artisans (see Appendix II) although the name of Deeble stands out prominently and it is little wonder his name is included in the complete title of the work. Although Ian Mackenzie refers to him as “a line engraver of small bookplates including landscapes, and topographical views after his contemporaries” it is clear he had some sort of reputation [i] and the title page makes it clear he was in charge of the illustrations. William Deeble (fl.1815-1858) may even have been from Devon, or more likely, Cornwall: of 217 Deebles registered in the 1881 census 99 lived in Cornwall and 15 in Devon (41 others in London). [ii] While several have no reference such as James Bingley, William Floyd, J Eke, or Thomas H Shepherd, H Worsley (a local Plymouth artist and engraver), A Glennie, T H Clarke, J Gandy, W J Lea, S Condy or W H Bartlett and are not listed in Mackenzie’s catalogue others receive brie...

  VII. The  Maps & Mapmakers Both compilations promised to provide maps. Moore’s Address to the public is interesting here as it promised: Two impressions of a map of the County will be given in the course of the Work; one of them, to accompany Mr Brayley’s Outlines, will be coloured geologically; ground plans of the City of Exeter and the Cathedral will also be given. When published in bound format Volume I of Moore had a map of THE CITY OF EXETER clearly dated 1835 and engraved by W Schmollinger with a Paternoster Row address and published by R Colliver, Exeter; the second volume had a detailed county map of very high quality also engraved by W Schmollinger, and published by R Colliver, Holloway Street, Exeter but dated 1836. The map of Exeter was Drawn by R Browne. It would appear that Moore and Browne had some sort of contact, possibly only postal, as Moore refers to him when writing about the Rev. Bidlake who resided in Tamerton. “I am indebted for the materials of ...