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Annandale 1654 Blaeu Map CTN

Border Maps 1580 – 1665 links with text

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Annandale 1654 Map: Charting the Nation website

This map shows south Dumfriesshire from the River Esk in the east to the Lochar Water in the west, including the catchment of the Kirtle Water and lower Annandale south of Dalton and Castlemilk. Castles are prominent, as is the ‘Tour of Repenta[n]ce’, south of Hoddam Castle. Coverage of Upper Annandale on the northwest margins of this map appears to be incomplete and is not covered by any other map by Blaeu. The map was compiled from observation on the ground by Timothy Pont in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. It was engraved in Amsterdam, for publication in Blaeu’s Atlas Novus, first published in 1654.

Annandale starts at a steep sided bowl at head of the valley where the twisting narrow valley made a perfect hiding place for the cattle that reivers raided, hence its name “The Devil’s Beeftub”.  The River Annan flows through Moffat to the wide flat area between the lochs of Lochmaben and Lockerbie where it collects the Water of Ae and the Dryfe Water and meanders until it meets the Water of Milk at Hoddom Castle and discharges into the Solway Firth at Annan.

Note that the Ordnance Survey marks the locally known “Clochmabenstane” as the “stone of lochmaben” where the English and Scottish Wardens of the West Marches met to resolve their business is near Gretna and not at the town of Lochmaben.

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Annandale 1654 Map: National Library of Scotland website

Annandale 1662-5 Map : National Library of Scotland website

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Annandale Eskdale and Liddesdale 1725 Map: National Library of Scotland website

A map of Annandale in eastern Dumfriesshire, and southern Roxburghshire (Eskdale and Liddesdale) from Moll’s 1725 atlas of Scottish shires. The two areas are separated from each other by a dotted line and from surrounding shires by dotted coloured lines. Some settlements are absent, notably Lockerbie, and Moffat which, though not yet a famous spa town, had become a burgh. Additionally, Lochmaben is placed on the Lochar Water. Based in London, Moll depended on the work of other cartographers and surveyors for his information, citing Adair, Pont and Gordon. However, he made no mention of his use of Blaeu’s atlas.

The Debateable Land is no longer shown but the “March Dyck” shows the line of compromise between the Scottish and English claims, though the border is the northern boundary of the now extinguished Debatable Land.  Compare this map to the 1654 map and note the absence of tower and settlements, although the description from the “Mapping The Nation” site explains that the map maker may have relied on incomplete information.

ESKDALE

Eskdale 1614 Map : National Library of Scotland website

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Eskdale Liddesdale drawing 1633: Charting the Nation website

Eskdale Liddesdale sketch by Robert Gordon sketch from Timothy Pont observations.  This map of Eskdale and Liddesdale in the Borders is an uncompleted draft compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. It includes a part of the Solway Moss which lies to the south of the border between England and Scotland and the coastal outline of the Solway Firth. The detail includes both settlement and named hills. The main source of the compilation is likely to be the observations of the mapmaker Timothy Pont (?1580-?1614), in the last two decades of the sixteenth century.

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Eskdale Liddesdale drawing 1633 : Charting the Nation website

A map of the western part of the border lands between England and Scotland, compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. It includes the River Nith on the west, the upper reaches of the Tweed and Teviot in the north, the lower reaches of the Eden in the east and Cumbria west of Carlisle in the south. Settlement detail is confined to Ewesdale, Eskdale and northern Cumbria. The source of much of the Scottish coverage was probably the observations on the ground of Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century, but the origins of the coverage south of the border has not yet been established.

The border between Scotland and England is shown and goes along The Marche Dyke but the later map by Moll 1725 shows the border to the north of the “March Dyck”.  See file: Annandale Eskdale and Liddesdale 1725

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Eskdale Ewesdale Liddesdale map 1664: Charting the Nation website

Eskdale Ewesdale Liddesdale map 1654: Charting the Nation website

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Dumfries and Galloway Liddesdale The Middle March of Scotland

Liddesdale 1654 Map: National Library of Scotland website

Blaeu Atlas Maior 1662-5, Volume 6 Lidalia vel Lidisdalia Regio

Liddesdale 1662-5 Map : National Library of Scotland website

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Eskdale Liddesdale drawing 1633  : Charting the Nation website

A map of the western part of the border lands between England and Scotland, compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. It includes the River Nith on the west, the upper reaches of the Tweed and Teviot in the north, the lower reaches of the Eden in the east and Cumbria west of Carlisle in the south. Settlement detail is confined to Ewesdale, Eskdale and northern Cumbria. The source of much of the Scottish coverage was probably the observations on the ground of Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century, but the origins of the coverage south of the border has not yet been established.  The Cumbrian region is from Bowness on Solway to Carlisle [Carlille] to Brampton

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Liddesdale showing the Debateable Land Printed in 1664 possibly from notes from Pont Gordon 1580 – 1614

Liddesdale with Debateable Land 1664 Map: Charting the Nation website

Liddesdale 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Dumfries and Galloway Nithsdale Dumfries West March of Scotland

The River Nith flows through Dumfries

Nithsdale 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

This map was first published in Blaeu’s ‘Atlas Novus’, in 1654. It was engraved in Amsterdam from a manuscript draft by Timothy Pont, which was returned to Scotland and is now in the National Library of Scotland. The area covered on this map is bounded by the watershed of the River Nith, thus showing all of Nithsdale from Dalmellington to the Solway Firth. It is oriented with west at the top. The detail of a dense distribution of rural settlement is evident, particularly along the Shinnel Water and the River Cairn, both west-bank tributaries of the Nith. Criffel was omitted by the engravers but the bridge over the Nith at Dumfries is shown.  The official language in 1654 was Latin so the map has a title in Blaeu Atlas “NITHIA VICECOMITATUS. The Shirifdome of NIDIS-DAIL [2 of 3] 1654”

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Nithsdale MapNational Library of Scotland website 

Nithsdale Pont original sketch map: National Library of Scotland website 

Pont manuscript map sketch 1583 -1614 : National Library of Scotland website 

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Nithsdale Pont drawing 1644 : Charting the Nation website

Nithsdale 1644 Manuscript hand drawn sketch map / plan by Timothy Pont. This map of the catchment of the River Nith, together with a small part of southeast Kirkcudbright, was compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661) and is dated May 1644. Apart from southeast Kirkcudbright, the map derives from a manuscript map of Nithsdale by Timothy Pont now in the National Library of Scotland and compiled from observations on the ground in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. This is, however, a reduction of Pont’s map, both in overall size and in content, omitting some of Pont’s named features. Furthermore, it includes fewer named features than the map entitled NITHIA published by Blaeu in his ‘Atlas Novus’ of 1654, which also derives from the extant Pont map.

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Nithsdale Dumfries Coloured map 1654 : Charting the Nation website

Scottish Borders Teviotdale The Middle March of Scotland

Teviotdale 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

A map of Teviotdale, bounded to the northeast by the River Tweed from Carham and Kelso to Melrose, including the catchments of the River Teviot, the Ale Water, the Ettrick Water below Gamescleuch, the Yarrow Water below the Loch of Lowes and a stretch of the Tweed above Galashiels. The map provides a unique record, primarily of a dense distribution of small settlements, but also of mills, churches, castles, large houses and some woodland. The map was compiled from observation on the ground by Timothy Pont in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. It was engraved in Amsterdam from Pont’s draft manuscript, for publication in Blaeu’s Atlas Novus, first published in 1654, with later editions until 1664 and named “TEVIOTIA Vulgo TIVEDAIL 1654”

The River Teviot flows through Hawick, is joined by the Jed Water at Ancrum after leaving Jedburgh and finally the River Teviot joins the Tweed at Kelso

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Teviotdale Map : National Library of Scotland website

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Teviotdale Ettrick Lauderdale drawing 1634 : Charting the Nation website

Teviotdale Ettrick Lauderdale Melrose Galashiels Roxburghshire:  A map of a part of the Borders, covering Teviotdale and the catchments of the Rule Water, Ale Water, Ettrick Water and Yarrow Water, and on the north bank of the River Tweed, between Coldstream and Traquair, the catchments of the Gala Water, Leader Water and Eden Water. The map was compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. The source of the compilation was the observations of Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. Another map by Gordon with similar coverage is extant in the National Library of Scotland, in a different collection (Advocates MS.15.1.1).

Ettrick Water joins Yarrow Water and flows through Selkirk. The River Tweed flows by Melrose and Kelso and Roxburgh Castle.  The Sheryf-dome of Etricke Forrest with the adjoyning provinces

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Teviotdale with Etterick Selkirk 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

Teviotdale Lauderdale with Kelso Galashiels Roxburgh 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

Teviotdale Tweeddale Kelso to Branxholm Jedburgh 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

Scottish Borders Tweeddale Middle March of Scotland

Upper Tweeddale Map : National Library of Scotland website

The River Tweed and Tweeddale start on the north side of The Devil’s Beeftub, but to the south of the Beeftub side is the start of River Annan and Annandale.  The Tweed flows through Peebles then accumulates the Yarrow Water, Ettrick Water, Gala Water and flows west through Melrose to Kelso.

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Tweeddale Kelso to head of Tweed drawing 1634 : Charting the Nation website

Description: Kelso to head of Tweed

A small scale map showing both the Clyde and the Tweed in entirety, compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661) at an unknown date after 1633. Detail is confined to the River Tweed above Carham, although including the tributary watershed areas of the Teviot Water and the Ettrick Water. The source of the compilation was the observations of Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. More detailed coverage by Pont of that part of the Borders can be found in a map entitled TVEDIA published by Blaeu in his Atlas Novus of 1654.

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Tweeddale Etterick Lauderdale Galashiels Selkirk 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Tweeddale Lauderdale North of Selkirk to Roxburgh 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Teviotdale Tweeddale Kelso to Branxholm Jedburgh 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Berwickshire Scottish Borders East March of Scotland The Merse

Berwickshire The Merse Map

A map of the eastern part of the Borders, bounded by the River Tweed from Selkirk to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the south and by the Lammermuir in the north. The map was compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. The source of the compilation was the observations of the surveyor Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. More detailed coverage by the Pont of the same area can be found in a map entitled THE MERCE published in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu in his famous ‘Atlas Novus’ of 1654, although there are some place-names located on the Gordon manuscript map which do not appear on the engraving.

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Berwickshire The Merse drawing 1633 : Charting the Nation website

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Berwickshire The Merse 1654 Map : Charting the Nation website

A map showing most of Berwickshire, from the Lammermuirs in the north, to the River Tweed in the south and the Leader Water in the west, including the catchments of the Whiteadder and Blackadder Waters, together with small parts of Roxburgh and East Lothian. The map provides a unique record of the densely populated lower Tweed, with many churches, mills and castles. The depiction of a routeway is particularly unusual on maps of this time. The map was compiled from observation on the ground by Timothy Pont in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. It was one of the first such drafts by Pont to be engraved in Amsterdam, for publication in Blaeu’s Atlas Novus, first published in 1654.  Named Mercia, vulgo vicecomitatus, Bervicensis = The Merce or shirrefdome of Berwick 1662

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Berwickshire The Merse 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Cumberland Northumberland links to maps

Cumberland 1662 Map : National Library of Scotland website

Blaeu Atlas Maior 1662-5, Volume 5 Cvmbria, Vulgo Cumberland

Text on reverse of Cumberland map : National Library of Scotland website

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Northumberland 1662 Map : National Library of Scotland website

Blaeu Atlas Maior 1662-5, Volume 5 Comitatvs Northvmbria

Galloway.  This was not part of the Border Marches but Pont travelled the area and made notes from which Blaeu produced his atlas.  For the sake of completeness and to encourage the search of the history of the area I have included these links.  Note the settlements do not have as many towers shown as nearer the troubled border region.

 

Galloway Kirkudbright to West to top of the map 1664 : A map of the area around Kirkudbright to the West (up on the map)

Galloway Kirkudbright to West to top of the map 1654 : A map of the area around Kirkudbright to the West (up on the map)

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Galloway Kirkudbright to East to bottom of the map 1664 : A map of the area around Kirkudbright to the East (down on the map)

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Galloway Dumfries East to Stranraer Loch Ryan drawing 1633 :   A map of the coast from Loch Ryan Stranraer nearly to the head of Solway 1633

An incomplete map of Dumfries and Galloway, compiled by Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), at an unknown date after 1633. Most of the detail is in the western half of the map, that is, west of Kenmure. The source of the compilation was the observations on the ground of Timothy Pont, in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. Many of the idiosyncrasies of the coastal outline can also be seen in a map entitled GALLOVIDIA published in Amsterdam by J. Blaeu in his ‘Atlas Novus’ of 1654 and credited to Pont.

Galloway Dumfries East to Stranraer Loch Ryan coloured map boundaries 1664 : A map of the coast from Loch Ryan Stranraer nearly to the head of Solway 1664

Galloway Dumfries East to Stranraer Loch Ryan coloured map boundaries 1654 : A map of the coast from Loch Ryan Stranraer nearly to the head of Solway 1654

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Galloway Wigtown Loch Ryan Luce Bay Stranraer 1654 Map :

Although not part of the Border Reivers area, this section is included so that all of Dumfries and Galloway is covered and encourages interest in this undiscovered area of Britain.

Galloway Loch Ryan Wigtown Glenluce.  The map covers the entire county of Wigtownshire plus a very small part of southwest Ayrshire, at larger scales than the cover of the same area on Blaeu’s GALLOVIDIA. The engraving of the English translation of the title outside the cartouche is an unusual feature. The settlements of the Mull of Galloway and of the south of Wigtownshire are depicted in great detail. Dunskey Castle on the west shore of the Mull is particularly prominent. The map was compiled from observation on the ground by Timothy Pont in the last two decades of the sixteenth century. It was engraved in Amsterdam, for publication in Blaeu’s Atlas Novus, first published in 1654.

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Nithsdale Upper to Ayr coast 1664 Map : Charting the Nation website

Annandale 1654 Blaeu Map CTN
Annandale 1654 Blaeu Map CTN
Annandale Eskdale and Liddesdale 1725
Annandale Eskdale and Liddesdale 1725
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