Description:TO THE COMMISIONERS OF THE STREET ACTS, THIS MAP OF THE TOWN AND PARISH OF Birmingham, shewing the Boundaries as perambulated by them, IN THE YEAR 1810, Is most respectfully inscribed by their most obedient Servant JOHN KEMPSON Surveyor, Published April 1811 by John Kempson. Three issues of this map survive. This, the first one, gives our first image of the whole parish for over 30 years, since John Snape’s map of 1779. Apart from the new canals and canal arms the most striking change is in the growth of the town in almost every direction.
TOWN AND PARISH OF BIRMINGHAM JOHN KEMPSON 1810 MAP/384603
The following advertisement first appeared in Aris's Birmingham Gazette on 15 April 1811
MAP OF BIRMINGHAM,
This Day is Published, by John Kempson, A NEW MAP of the Town and Parish of BIRMINGHAM, describing particularly the Boundaries of the same, as Perambulated by the Commissioners of the Birmingham Street Acts in the Year 1810. The above may be had at the principal Booksellers, Price FIVE SHILLINGS.
In the top right hand corner of the map
TO THE COMMISIONERS OF THE STREET ACTS, THIS MAP OF THE TOWN AND PARISH OF Birmingham, shewing the Boundaries as perambulated by them, IN THE YEAR 1810, Is most respectfully inscribed by their most obedient Servant JOHN KEMPSON Surveyor
It has the same set of Hackney Coach fares as on Kempson’s 1808 town map in the bottom left hand corner and at the bottom centre.
Published April 1811 by John Kempson
The map has 21o north of west at the top and the borders enclose an area 4.6 kilometres by 6.9 kilometres centred on the north side of Goodman Street between King Edwards Road and Summer Hill.
This is the first map since John Snape’s ‘Plan of the Parish of Birmingham’, 1779, to show the west of the parish. A network of new roads covers Birmingham heath and a small settlement has grown in the north-west of the parish at Nineveh. Two glassworks appear for the first time, the Park glassworks by the canal on the south side of the road to Dudley and one on the Soho branch of the canal, which also appears for the first time, serving Matthew Boulton’s Soho works which has many new buildings. Outside the parish boundary, the Bear Inn on the road to Halesowen and Hagley at the Holly Bush, the Cape of Good Hope on the road to Dudley and the Custard House on Rylands Road in Edgbaston are shown. Vaughton’s Hole on the river Rea at the parish boundary with Kings Norton, is labelled for the first time. Within the parish the ownership of many properties is indicated and many of the residential buildings are named.
Within the town only one new unnamed street (Crescent Street) has appeared between Sheepcote Lane and the canal. Great Hampton Row extends to Colmore Lodge and Fazeley Street extends across the Digbeth canal arm, stops at the river Rea and reappears on the opposite bank, passing the mill buildings and crossing to join Mill Lane (Later Heath Mill Lane). A new canal arm, Miss Colmore’s arm, off the Birmingham Fazeley canal crosses Caroline Street (named after the Miss Colmore in question) and George Street. Above St Martin’s church at the bottom of High Street stands the first statue in Britain to honour Lord Nelson, erected in 1809. St Philip’s Rectory is highlighted and labelled for the first time, as is the Court of Requests (extended in 1807) on the site of the old Jennens house in a court of High Street. Three new places of worship are shown: St Chad’s Roman Catholic chapel on Shadwell Street (built in 1808); Newhall Street Baptist chapel (first used in 1805) and Little Cannon Street Congregationalist meeting house (built 1809, closed 1814).