The Accuracy of Robert Saxton's Survey and Map of Manningham, dated 1613

Author: Bower, David

Source: Cartographic Journal, The, Volume 46, Number 2, May 2009 , pp. 115-125(11)

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Abstract:

An assessment is made of the accuracy of the map and written survey, which is essentially a list of land-holders and the areas held by each, and of their mutual consistency. The geometry of the map is compared quantitatively with that of the first edition (1852) Ordnance Survey 6-inch (1 : 10 560) map. The Saxton map is found to have a scale of 1 : 5140, leading to the conclusion that the perch used in the scale bar represents 7¹/₉ yards or thereabouts. The areas quoted in the written survey are consistent with acres based on this value. The positional accuracy of points on the map is found to be ∼20 m, and areas of typical plots determined from the map are uncertain by between about 4 and 12%. The relationship between these two facts can be understood through a detailed study of the statistics of the errors in separations of points on the map. The written survey is found to omit a substantial number of plots of land from its listings. The map thus appears to be more reliable overall than the written survey.

Keywords: MANUSCRIPT MAP; MAP SYMBOLS; PLANIMETRIC ACCURACY; PERCH; CUSTOMARY MEASURE

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/000870409X459833

Affiliations: 2, Welburn Avenue, Leeds LS16 5HJ, UK;, Email: d.i.bower@e-plus.co.uk

Publication date: 2009-05-01

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