Description:: Plan of Birmingham, survey’d by Thomas Hanson 1785 was sculpted (engraved) by R. Hancock. Despite a recorded housing boom in the 1780’s this revised version of Hanson’s Plan of 1781 adds only five new streets, four extensions to existing streets and several new street names.
Plan of Birmingham Thomas Hanson 1785 MAP/72831
The following advertisement first appeared in Aris’s Birmingham Gazette on August 8, 1785
BIRMINGHAM DIRECTORY
This Day is published, Price 2s., or with a Plan of the Town of Birmingham 2s 6d.
An ENTIRE NEW WORK, taken from personal Application, and alphabetically arranged
By CHARLES PYE
To which is added, a List of the COACHES and WAGONS that go out from and return to Birmingham.
N.B. Be careful to ask for the new Directory, and observe that the Trades, or Callings, of the Inhabitants are printed in Italics.
.............
Birmingham: Printed by Pearson and Rollason; and sold by R. Baldwin, Pater-noster Row, London.
The map was ‘Survey’d by Thos Hanson’ in 1785 and engraved by ‘R. Hancock Sculpt ‘.
Thomas Hanson, land surveyor, of 5, Bath Row died at his home on 22 September, 1796, aged 62, his burial at Edgbaston parish church is marked by a memorial tablet on the outside of the South wall.
The map is aligned with north [more accurately 20 east of north) at the top of the map which covers an area 2.35 kilometres by 1.70 kilometres centred on the north-west side of Cannon Street between Cherry Street and New Cannon Passage.
Despite the building boom of the 1780’s this revision of Hanson’s Plan of 1781 adds only five new streets and extends a further four.
Extending west from the end of Moat Row a new street, Bromsgrove Street, is shown overlaying the existing field pattern. Beyond the river Rea, Birchole Street, Lombard Street and Cheapside are named for the first time.
On the Gooch Estate Princes Street was renamed Cross Street and, with Navigation Street it crossed Suffolk Street. Wharf Street extended to Bridge Street which itself extended to meet a new street, Norfolk Street. Crossing Norfolk Street from Wharf Street another new street, Fordrough Street runs parallel with Suffolk Street. Further out along Suffolk Street is another new street named Gough Street after the owner of the land.
On the edge of the Colmore’s Newhall estate, the extension of Congreve Street across the Newhall branch of the canal is labelled Summer Row. The extension of Newhall Street beyond the Jacobean New Hall which still blocks development is renamed Mount Street. Fleet Street now runs east from Summer Row and Water Lane (Water Street) runs east from Ludgate Hill.
Despite the lease of land in the extension of Loveday Street in 1782 there is no apparent change on this map.
On the opposite side of Lancaster Street, Staniforth Street is named for the first time.
Extending south from Duddeston Row opposite Bartholomew Row, a new street, Bartholmew Street crosses the existing field pattern to Bordesley Street.
Despite the demolition in 1784 of the Old or High Cross, the venue for Town meetings, which stood beyond the Shambles at the top of the Bull Ring the map still shows it as present.
A text box in the top right hand corner of the map states
The Town of Birmingham Is distant from London 116 Miles. contains: 9500 houses; 52250 inhabitants; 2 Parish churches; 3 Chapels; 1 Chapel in Deretend; Several meeting houses for dissenters of all Denominations; Large Markets in most days in ye week; a Canal which communicates with most of ye others in England.