1739 - A stunning original Antique plan titled: "A Plan of the City and Suburbs of London as fortified by Order of PARLIAMENT in the years 1642 and 1643"

At the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 London was staunchly Parliamentarian, even giving sanctuary to the five M.P.s whose attempted arrest by Charles I sparked the conflict. As the Royalist army approached London defences were thrown up around the whole urban area of London and Westminster, including Lambeth and Southwark south of the River. Despite the Royalists winning the Battle of Brentford in November they never tested these defences. The engrave (and probably) of this map was George Vertue, a leading member of the Society of Antiquaries. He specialised in copying rare early manuscripts, prints and maps for prosperity, for example the so-called 'Agas' map of Tudor London and this map, one of the very few printed maps of Civil War London.

Expertly hand coloured and overall approximately size 380mm x 240mm with large margins.