King Henry's Map of the British Isles: BL Cotton MS Augustus I i 9

King Henry's Map of the British Isles: BL Cotton MS Augustus I i 9

Angliae Figura

King Henry VIII’s map of the British Isles, titled ‘Angliae Figura’, or the shape of England, was the most realistic depiction of Britain at the time, and was gifted to the King in 1537 by the Archdeacon of Rochester. The cardinal directions are labeled on each side of the map, with north at the top. At the center of the map is the Mare Hybernicum, the Irish Sea, which separates Ireland from England, Scotland, and Wales. Ireland and Scotland are depicted in yellow, while England and Wales are depicted together in white. Few places are labeled in both Ireland and Scotland, but England and Wales are heavily labeled with the towns inside those areas.

Mountain ranges in all the areas are marked by raised lumps: in Ireland and Wales, there appear to be more clusters of mountains than in Scotland and England, whose mountains appear in lines. Small islands around Ireland and to the left of Scotland are labeled either as individual islands or as island groups. Beneath England lies the Mare Britanicum, or British Sea. Though cut off, the map also depicts the northernmost coastal region of France. The detailed features made it the most accurate map of the area to date.

The map was a New Year’s gift and has become a rather famous representation of King Henry VIII’s realm. The map is on parchment and measures 65 by 45 centimeters. The map hung in Hampton Court, Henry VIII’s most famous residence, and displayed some of England’s biggest rivals, namely Scotland and France, along with the kingdom itself.

In his introduction to the facsimile, Peter Barber notes how this map represents not only the King’s preoccupations, but his ambitions as well, which included attempting to subjugate Scotland. He also allied with Charles V of Spain and declared war on France, following the Pope’s decree for Spain and France to invade England after Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church. Margaret Lachman '21

Unknown

London, British Library Cotton MS Augustus I i 9

sheet map

Barber, Peter. King Henry’s Map of the British Isles: BL Cotton MS Augustus I i 9. London: Folio Society, 2009.

1536x1537

manuscript

Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

Harper, Tom. "Tour de British Library: A Historic Journey." Maps and Views Blog.  British Library.

Facsimile Finder - Medieval Manuscript Facsimiles. “King Henry’s Map of the British Isles.” Accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/king-henry-s-map-of-the-british-isles-facsimile.

Latin

regional map

British Isles, Northern France

Barber, Peter. “Mapmaking in England, ca. 1470-1650.” In The History of Cartography, vol. 3, edited by David Woodward, 1589-1669. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.

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