1738 Lempriere / Toms Map of Bermuda - landmark mapping of Bermuda

A holy grail of Bermuda map collecting, this is the 1738 first-edition first-state of Clement Lemprière's separately and independently published map of Bermuda. It is considered the first scientifically verified hydrographic survey of Bermuda and the first published map to correctly identify the archipelago's longitude. It surpassed and superseded the 17th-century Arent Roggeveen survey, thus becoming the basis for most subsequent maps of the archipelago until the Hurd surveys (1783-97).

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the north-northwest, the map loosely follows the 1626 John Speed map (which follows the first Norman survey) in delineating the islands' outlines and topography, though updated considerably with roads, new towns, and inland topography. The true focus of the map is hydrographic. Although there are no detailed soundings, Lemprière offers a broad reassessment of reefs, rocks, and shoals and includes clear and copious instructions to the mariner - inserted both as annotations and in a large text caption below the map. The text warns of dangerous currents and the plethora of rocks and shoals to the north of Bermuda, directing mariners instead to the southern shore - a region also bedeviled by barrier reefs, though these are more easily navigated. Lemprière's most significant innovation is the correction of the island's longitude to 64°48' W, for which he used astronomical observations taken in 1722 and 1726 and his own readings.

Lemprière's Survey of Bermuda

Lemprière may or may not have personally conducted survey work in Bermuda. He may simply have compiled the cartography that influenced a generation of Bermuda maps. It is likely that the governor of Bermuda, Alured Popple (1699 - 1744) (to whom the map is dedicated), contracted Lemprière to create a new map of the island and its surroundings in an attempt to curb piracy and smuggling. By the early 18th century, Bermuda had become a haven for maritime opportunists operating outside official regulation. The archipelago was conveniently located off major trade routes between the West Indies and Europe. Free traders, pirates, and smugglers could conceal themselves in Bermuda's many hidden coves and conduct trade without paying the East India Company tax. They could also use the hidden coves to trade with foreign nations under British embargo. The colonial governors tried in vain to stop the rampant smuggling, but with only a small military staff and a host of corrupt officials, the effort proved hopeless.

'Tribes' of Bermuda

The Somers Isles company was founded by the shareholders of the Virginia Company formed in 1614. When the Virginia company folded in 1622, Somers Isles Company, which held a separate charter, continued to administer Bermuda for nearly six decades. Most of Bermuda was subdivided into eight equally sized administrative zones initially termed 'tribes,' later changed to 'parishes.' These were named for shareholders in the Company and were further divided (by tribe roads) into lots equating to shares held. Saint George formed a ninth subdivision, now the easternmost parish, incorporating Saint George's Island, Saint David's Island, part of the Main Island, and various smaller islands and islets around Castle Harbour (Southampton Harbour) and Saint George's Harbour. This area was held in common by the Company shareholders and served as Bermuda's original capital, Saint George's Town. While Saint George Harbour was easily accessed by maritime merchants, the location of the capital made it difficult to administer the western reaches of the island, where smugglers and pirates were most active.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled and drafted by Clement Lemprière and engraved by William H. Toms. It was published jointly as a separate issue by Lemprière and Toms in London on October 23, 1738. There are at least two states: state 1 (as here) and state 2, with an advertisement for S. Harding and W. H. Toms under the distance scale. Known examples are limited to the British Library's King George III Topographical Collection and bound examples in atlases at Yale and the John Carter Brown Library.