Detailed Historical Maps
Historical Images Ltd are located in Truro, Cornwall, UK
Mapseeker specialise in selling 17th to 19th century maps of the United Kingdom, whilst also making available early maps from around the world. Old maps are an invaluable resource to those involved in genealogy projects, researching family history as well as local history studies.
Mapseeker mainly sell historical maps, plans and surveys, but in the future we plan to add more features, which will provide an insight into famous cartographers lives as well as links relating to Local History. Non-commercial and non-profit making institutions such as schools, colleges or universities are welcome to use any information presented on this site for educational research and study.
Historical Map Shop
Select from the following Super Categories to display their individual map collections.
- English Inner County Maps
Mapseeker sell beautiful historic maps of English inner county areas. We also stock town plans and borough surveys. As well as coastal charts within the counties.
- English Coastal County Maps
We sell many English Coastal County Maps created by well known cartographers over the last 4 centuries. Also we have detailed town plans and borough surveys. We provide an invaluable heritage resource with our English Coastal County Maps.
- Maps of Scotland
We sell a collection of coastal surveys, county maps and Scottish town plans, which date back hundreds of years. These maps of Scotland, provide an insight into peoples lives and heritage gone by in Scotland.
- Maps of Wales
The maps of Wales we sell are a collection of maps plans and surveys of Wales and Welsh Counties, Welsh Coastal Charts and Welsh Town Plans. Ortelius published the first printed map of Wales in his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Shortly after this, Christopher Saxton's published his Atlas of England and Wales in 1579.
- Maps of Ireland
The older Ptolomaic maps show the British Isles incorrectly as Ireland's shape and position is shown distorted. Later Ptolomy maps were based on Italian sea charts. By this time coastlines were more accurate. Land Survey maps were distorted and remained uncorrected until the 17th century.
- Maps of Major British Cities
The collection of major British city maps we sell date back hundreds of years and provide an important resource to heritage and genealogy enthusiasts. London, has always been the largest city in the Britain, and features in old British maps, however cities like Birmingham and Liverpool do not feature in 1500 and 1600 town plans as they were not within the top 40 Hearth Tax figures back in 1662. Their individual heritage is the key to their growth through history.
- Maps of British Isles
The maps we offer of the British Isles, are early maps and sea charts hundreds of years old. Colourful illustrations can be found on many of them. Some of the best knwon early cartographers from the 1500s and 1600s; have captured the British Isles.
- Maps of Europe
The maps of Europe we sell feature city plans from throughout Europe. These European maps were created by a wide range of cartographers over several centuries.
- Maps of Asia
We a always increasing the maps of Asia that we stock. The maps we stock include China, Japan and India. Drawn on skin and produced in 1375, the Catalan map, by Spanish navigators has information from missionaries. Our first view of Asia's shape and size was produced by Marco Polo's travels.
- Maps of Africa
Mapseeker's African maps collection covers a very large area and time period. The historical maps of Africa we stock were created by many different cartographers over the centuries. Older African maps, like the petroglyph maps, found in the Sahara Desert and Southern Africa, were the 1st printed representations of northern Africa, drawn by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century AD, dominated European ideas about African geography until Portuguese explorers redrew the continent's coastal profile during the Renaissance.
- Maps of Australasia
This collection contains both Maps of Australia and Maps of New Zealand, some of the history of which is shown in the text below. Brief sections are given; discussing the main contributions made by cartographers of the time. Although Europeans did not discover Australia - a flourishing Aboriginal culture already existed there - they were the driving force behind the mapping of the continent.
- Maps of The Americas
Maps of The Americas in our collection include American state maps, maps of Canada, North America, South America and North American town and city plans. Also included in Maps of The Americas are the West Indies and the Caribbean, with some maps dating back to the 16th century.
- World Maps & Maps of Polar Regions
We have many World Maps & Maps of Polar Regions within this section. The World Maps cover a very large range of time scales and are presented in a variety of styles, showing an evolution of techniques and approaches. The earliest known map is Babylonian dated 1320BC. The Babylonions devised the 360 degrees and developed the earliest measuring instruments.
Specialised Historical Maps
In our Special Collections category visitors to the site can view a number of different specialised historical maps based on a specific cartographer, map format, or theme. There are many types of map, some showing bird's eye views, which formed the basis of some of the early town plans through to the "strip maps", beautifully illustrated showing various land marks and milestones between destinations - better known as the early road maps.
Willenhall Map Rooms
If you would like to view our maps, some of them are on show at Willenhall Historic Map Rooms. In partnership with Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, we have a permanent exhibition of 80 framed maps showing the history of cartography.
- Maps, plans and surveys 1500-1900
- Early World Exploration
- British Coastal Surveys
- Old Town Plans
- London Maps and Plans
- County Maps
- World maps
- Cartographers: Tallis, Moule, Speed, Cole & Roper, Grenville Collins and many more.
Genealogy Map Resources
The more you find out about where your ancestors lived, the more fulfilling your research will be, and the easier it will become to work out the answer to that all-important question - "Where did they come from?"
The function of maps in genealogy is two fold. Most records are arranged geographically, so it is important to know where your ancestors lived and what villages and towns were nearby. They are also a fabulous way of bringing your family history to life, helping you get an insight into the places where your ancestors lived and what those places were like at the time.
