Source 3a

Map drawn by Wenceslaus Hollar, entitled ‘Survey of the City of London’, 1667, Catalogue Ref: ZMAP 4/18 

 

Take a look at this map of London, which showssome of the areas of the river Thames where trading ships would dock to unload their cargoes of sugar. 

Transcript

AN EXACT SURVEIGH OF THE STREETS LANE AND CHURCHES CONTAINED WITHIN THE RUINES OF THE CITY OF LONDON FIRST DESCRIBED IN SIX PLAT[E]S BY JOHN LEAKE, JOHN JENNINGS, WILLIAM MARR, WILL LEYBURN, THOMAS STREETE & RICHARD SHORTGRAVE in December Anno 1666. BY THE ORDER OF THE LORD MAYOR ALDERMEN, AND COMMON COUNCELL OF THE SAID CITY

 

Reduced here into one intire plat[e], by John Leake, the City Wall being added also. The places where the Halls stood are exprest by Coats of Armes, & all the Wards divided by pricks & Alphabet.

 

The Prospect of this Citty, as it appeared from the opposite Southwarke side, in the fire time.

 

HOLLAR’S “EXACT SURVEIGH” OF THE CITY OF LONDON, 1667

 

(from the 1669 copy in the British Museum)

 

« Return to Sugar
  • What can you see in this map? 
  • How is map different from Source 1? 
  • Are there parts of the map which you recognise from London today? 
  • If there are docks for only sugar cargo, what does this tell us about the demand for sugar at this time? 
  • How would you describe the river Thames?  
  • How was the river Thames was used in the 1600s from looking at this map? 
  • Why do you think this map is useful for learning about life in London in the 1660s? 
  • What can a map show us which a written document cannot?