This thesis considers as sources of topographical information the utility of the printed maps of Yorkshire produced by private individuals before the advent of the Ordnance Survey.
The thesis is divided into two parts. In Part I, the aim is to consider the problem of the reliability of these printed maps and to divide them into two categories: maps which are demonstrably of no use as topographical sources; and maps which merit further investigation. The concern of Part II is to give to the maps in the second category the
attention which they merit and to present an assessment of their utility as sources of topographical information.
Part I contains four chapters. Chapter 1 places the research
into the context of previous studies in historical cartography. Chapter 2 presents the problem of map reliability by discussing the nature of the printed maps before the creation of the Ordnance Survey. In the light
of this discussion Chapter 3 presents a methodology and classificatory system devised for the assessment of the maps of Yorkshire. Chapter 4 records the results of the application of this classificatory system to all the maps of Yorkshire. This chapter identifies those maps which contribute genuinely to our knowledge of the topography and
which will therefore need to be considered in Part II. A graph shows the number and type of every printed map of the county published each year.
Assessment of the maps in Part II is undertaken in chronological periods based on five of the most important works, namely Saxton's map of 1577, Ogilby's strip maps of 1675, Warburton's map of 1720, Jefferys' map of 1771/2 and Greenwood's map of 1817/18. The exceptional survival of Warburton's field survey materials enables an analysis of the crucial relationship of the printed map to the actual survey.
A final chapter considers the relationship of non-printed maps to the printed map. The concluding section of the thesis considers the relevance of the findings for the printed maps of other counties.