Uncoloured. Minor old vertical crease, but otherwise in very good condition. Henry Overton inherited his father's business in 1707. Stock included a number of plates for county maps, but not a complete set, and Overton had to buy in the missing counties from elsewhere to make up orders for county atlases for clients. In 1711 he employed Sutton Nicholls to engrave plates of the "missing" counties and 5 were completed including this map of Lincolnshire. The project was abandoned in c 1713 when Overton acquired the complete set of John Speed plates, which were then used to fill the remaining "gaps" in making up atlases. The Lincolnshire map is based, stylistically and topographically, upon Jansson, but with notable revisions and alterations. Copies are rarely encountered.
For many years the original author of this map was unknown and it was referred to as being by the "anonymous mapmaker". Today it is known to be by the herald and topographer William Smith, and to be one of a set of 12 maps drawn by him for an aborted atlas project around 1602-3. By 1650 the plates had been acquired by Peter Stent who added his imprint and continued to sell them singly. They next appear under the ownership of John Overton from c1665, and subsequently his son Henry from 1707. The Overtons again sold them singly but also used them in their composite atlases made up of maps from various sources and mapmakers. This example bears the imprint of Henry Overton and is dated 1713. In this state the map has the addition of roads. A rare item. Mounted.