Description:

FULL TITLE: Illustrated London news

Map showing the toll-gates and principal bars within six miles of Charing-Cross, exhibited to Lord Palmerston by the Toll Reform Committee. Publication: Illustrated London News.

A map of the Environs of London printed on the 6th June 1857 in the Illustrated London News. All who complain about the London congestion charge should sympathise with the citizens and traders in Victorian London. The first turnpike trust was established by Parliament through a Turnpike Act in 1696, and was for the repair of the highway between Reigate in Surrey and Crawley in Sussex.. By 1825 over 1,000 trusts controlled 25,000 miles of road in England and Wales. Gates, toll bars, fences, and toll houses were erected to collect tolls for the use of the turnpike road. The abiding relic of the English toll roads is the number of houses with names like 'Turnpike Cottage', the inclusion of ‘Bar’ (Potters Bar) in place names and occasional road name (Turnpike Lane).

Elephant and Castle Tollgate situated in the south bank area between Southwark and Lambeth stood just 542 yards southwest of the Southwark Tollgate, and across from the tavern and coaching terminus of the same name. The Elephant and Castle tavern, the famous coaching terminus of routes from southern England, founded in 1760 stood at the cross roads of the Kennington, Walworth, and Lambeth roads. The traffic at the crossroads was greatly increased in the mid-eighteenth century by the building of Blackfriars Bridge in 1769, The New Kent Road, and The London Road. The area was notorious as a confused traffic junction (nothing changes!). Of note are the road to Dover with 10 toll-gates within the space of 4 miles and the roads to Stratford le Bow and Plaistow with a further 10 toll-gates.

On the verso is a transcript of the statement given by the chairman of the Toll Reform Committee, Herbert Ingram. There is also an engraving and article about 'Blink Bonny' who won the Derby and the Oaks in the space of 4 days. There is also a chess column featuring, amongst other things, a game by Howard Staunton, who happened to be the newspaper's chess columnist! Most chess sets one uses today are modelled after the 'Staunton' pattern. Folds as given.

Small centrefold holes around Highgate, only visible when held up to the light.

Ref: Hyde 49

Conditon: GG

Cartographer: Dower, John

Date: 1857

Technique: Copper Engraving

Colour: Uncoloured

Width (cms) x Height (cms): 52.0 x 35.0

Ref: JJB0641