The survey1779 Map and survey of Hanslope parish
Edward Watts, who owned about 43% of the land area in the parish commissioned a map and a survey of the parish in 1779 by Joseph Perks.
The survey
A summary of the survey has been available on this web site for some time, and can still be accessed by clicking on survey.
The survey lists persons in the village and, in some cases, properties.
Map
The map is large, and should only be viewed over a broadband link. To access click on map.
The map is a plan of the estate of Edwards Watts, but also includes the remaining parts of the parish, showing the owners of every field and house in the parish. The map contains a table which lists all owners with cross-references to the properties on the map. Colour coding is used on the map as follows: areas owned by Edward Watts have boundaries shaded green (two different tones to distinguish land in settlement and other land), and houses owned by Edward Watts are coloured red; properties not owned by Edward Watts are surrounded by a grey line, and buildings shaded grey.
Measures of area on the map are in acres, roods and perch: 1 acre = 4 rood = 160 perch (1 rood = 40 perch).
The map shows that 43% of the land area in the parish was owned by Edward Watts. A further 25% was owned by major landowners, and a good deal of the rest was owned by people who do not appear to having been living in the parish.
The original map measured approximately 10 feet by 10 feet and seems to have been intended to hang on a wall. It was drawn on parchment mounted on linen. (Parchment is made from sheep skin.)
The image available here was prepared from some 220 photographs of tiny sections of the map, which were then "stitching" together. Please be understanding of the resulting imperfections.
The original is held by the Records Office, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, reference number D/WA/155.R. The Record Office has confirmed that this image of the map may be provided on the web sites which are freely available. Copies may not be made for resale.