Old Map of London (Rocque) Deptford - Shooters Hill - Woolwich - Eltham circa 1745

Map of London first published by John Rocque circa 1745. Map published by Old Folding Maps, reproduced from John Rocque's large scale map of London produced between the years 1741 - 1745. Areas of London illustrated include Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, Black Heath, Lewisham, and Eltham, distinguishing a variety of features such as houses, churches, streams, ponds, paths, roads, hills, and rivers.

"Rocque was a pioneer in delineating land utilisation. On this particular map he portrayed orchards & woodlands in a manner not unlike that used in ordnance survey maps of the present day & discriminated between ploughed-pasture and grass-lands and wilderness". - Imago Mundi

John Rocque (1709 - 1762) was a prominent surveyor, map maker, engraver and map seller during the 18th century. Between 1734 - 1762 he published more than 100 maps, plans, and road books, establishing himself as one of the most prolific map-makers of the first half of the 18th century. Early maps commonly used broken lines, hatching and stippling to distinguish boundaries, open spaces, and built up areas. Symbols emerged to represent churches, mansions, hills for example, and from the 18th century map-makers began to attempt to show high-ground and levelling. Colour was hand applied after the map had been printed - a standard colour scheme of blue for water, green for open spaces, and brown for woods was commonly used.

When this map was published:

Rocques map of early Georgian London contains a wealth of information. The population of London at the time this map was originally published was approximately 650,000. Cities expanded rapidly during the 18th century as people sought work, but for the vast majority of London’s inhabitants living conditions were dire. Elsewhere, thousands of people moved to the rapidly expanding northern cities such as Manchester & Leeds, seeking work in the textile mills.


Flamsteed House is the original Royal Observatory building at Greenwich. The observatory was designed by Sir Christopher Wren & built in 1675. John Flamsteed (1646 - 1719) was the first astronomer royal of England. His star catalogue ‘Historia Coelestis Britannica’ published in 1725, listed 3,000 stars and gave their positions much more accurately than did any other previous work.

Darlington & Howgego 94