We note also that only one example of 1 of the 3 county maps has appeared in a dealer catalogue in the past 25 years (Magna Gallery 1983). The map is very rare, with only two examples noted in American Institutions (LIbrary of Congress and University of Michigan) and copies at the Biblioteca Nacional Madrid and the National Library of Scotland. The Robertson map was the first to include a survey of the Plantations of the Island. The Craskell & Simpson map would remain the most detailed mapping of Jamaica until the Robertson map appeared in 1804. The individual maps can be viewed in larger at the following links: In 1758, he was ordered to supervise the construction of the very handsome and impressive King's House (Governor's Mansion) at Spanishtown to designs by architect Peter Harrison of Newport, Rhode Island (about whom I am writing a book) the building was destroyed by fire in 1925, but its front wall still stands on the west side of the government square of the old capital, Spanishtown. At the end of his career in 1795, he got into trouble by not being sensitive to the needs of Maroons (free but impoverished blacks in the mountains) of Trelawney Parish. The National Maritime Museum holds two paintings by Craskell and note the following: According to an e-mail of 4 November 2008 ' Captain, later Colonel, Thomas Craskell served a military engineer for his whole career in Jamaica. Little is known James Simpson and Thomas Craskell. Military Barracks are also noted with crossed swords. Each of the maps includes an explanatory key and identifies Sugar Plantations with Water Mills, Sugar Plantations with Wind Mills, Sugar Plantations with Cattle Mills, Ginger, Cotton, Coffee & Pimento Plantation Penn &c., Anchorage for Large Vessels, Anchorage for Small Vessels, Roads and Divisions of Parishes.

The maps are spectacularly engraved by Daniel Fournier of London, including ornate title cartouches and scales of miles.

The survey was conducted from 1756 to 1761 and resulted in the preparation of this monumental mapping of the 3 counties of Jamaica. In 1756, Thomas Craskell (chief engineer on the island) and James Simpson (and chief surveyor) were engaged to conduct the first detailed survey of the Island of Jamaica. Rare set of three 4-sheet maps of the counties of Jamaica (Surrey, Cornwall and Middlesex), prepared by order of the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica between 17, which show the results of the first detailed survey of the whole of the island.

African Islands, including Madagascar (66).

Simpson chief architect library