Places: Historical Maps

Historical Maps are an invaluable aid to visualise the lives of relatives.

National Library Of Scotland Maps (NLS) is an amazing resource that provides high resolution maps of United Kingdom of all vintages that are free to browse. Hard copies and high resolution digital copies can also be purchased to be view offline.

The following are maps of Lancashire referenced within the pages of this web-site.

• Pre Ordnance Survey Maps
  • 1662 Joan Blaeu. Very high level, shows town names only
  • 1781 Emanuel Bowen. High level, shows major roads, towns have outlines of built up areas.
  • 1786 William Yates. High level but first modern multi-sheet map with smaller settlements and estates included. Little evidence of industry, no Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
  • 1818 Christopher Greenwood. High level multi-sheet map, looking like an Ordnance Survey. Coal mines and Leed & Liverpool Canal present.
  • 1830 James Bingley. Very high level single sheet but reasonably detailed. Only railway is the Liverpool And Manchester.
• “Old Series” 1 Inch To The Mile Ordnance Survey, the earliest Ordnance Survey mapping, first published in 1805, but Lancashire only surveyed in 1840. Includes early railways. See sheets
  • LXXXIX NW Bolton
  • LXXXIX SW Bolton (includes Wigan)
• 6 Inch To The Mile Ordnance Survey. Standard detailed maps, updated at various dates, following are year they were published, survey would have been done in previous few years
  • 1849. This is the edition used for mid 19th century references
  • 1894
  • 1909
  • 1930
  • 1947
  • 1951
• 25 Inch To The Mile Ordnance Survey. The most detailed maps but Lancashire not surveyed until around 1890.

There are also maps of specific towns, usually restricted to places with over a certain size of population. See Ordnance Survey. Older maps are available but they are not on the NLS web site.

• Wigan
  • 1712
  • 1827 Mather Map
  • 1832 Plan For Reform Act (includes Leeds & Liverpool Canal but no railways)
  • 1837 Plan For Boundary Commission Report (similar to 1832 map but with first railway)
  • 1848 Ordnance Survey
  • 1890 Ordnance Survey
• St Helens
  • 1851 Ordnance Survey
  • 1892 Ordnance Survey