Description:The second issue of Kempson’s town map bears the legend TOWN OF BIRMINGHAM JOHN KEMPSON SURVEYOR Cherry Street BIRMINGHAM but no date. It shows few changes from the 1808 map: two chapels, two other buildings, Nelson’s statue in the Bull ring and one new street: Regent Street [not named] in what was to become the Jewellery Quarter. Trade directories show that Kempson was at St Paul’s Square in 1812 and at Cherry Street in 1815 when he moved to Saturday bridge.
Sheep Street is still not shown on the map.
TOWN OF BIRMINGHAM JOHN KEMPSON c.1815 MAL/65453
The cartouche on the bottom right of the 2nd issue of Kempson’s town map reads ‘JOHN KEMPSON SURVEYOR Cherry Street BIRMINGHAM’ but no date appears anywhere on the map.
This copy is annotated with a manuscript note:
‘This is Kempson’s map of 1808, with additions ...used in Wrightson's Directory, 1818….’
However, this is not the map used in Wrightson's Directory, 1818, as it does not show the same additional features which the map opposite page 8 of Wrightsons New Triennial Directory of Birmingham, 1818, does.
Published in 1884, Showell’s Dictionary of Birmingham states that
‘.. in 1815 Kempson’s survey was taken ..’,
and the antiquarian Samuel Timmins F.S.A., in a presentation on Maps or Plans of Birmingham given on January 31st 1883 to the Archaeological Section of the Birmingham and Midland Institute notes that,
‘In 1815, an important map was issued by Kempson from a new survey, and the area included was almost the same as the earlier maps, but the size smaller - only 151/4 x 121/4in.’
Although there is no evidence of a new survey, in fact there is very little difference from the 1st issue of the map, this may be Showell’s and Timmins’ 1815 map.
John Kempson was still at St Pauls Square in 1812 but had moved to Cherry Street by 1815 [Trade Directories],
'John Kempson respectfully informs his Friends and the Public, that he has removed his office from Cherry Street to the Timber Wharf SATURDAY BRIDGE, ... Birmingham, Nov. 25, 1815 [Aris's Birmingham Gazette, Nov 27, 1815]
This map probably dates to 1815 although no advertisement can be found in Aris's Birmingham Gazette for either the map itself or a directory containing the map. A new edition of Wrightson’s Triennial Directory of Birmingham appeared in 1815 but the only surviving copy has no map.
The map has 58o west of north at the top and covers an area 3.14km wide by 3.77 km high centred between the north-east corner of St Philip’s and Colmore Row.
The 2nd issue shows few differences from the original 1808 issue. Only one new unnamed street (Crescent Street) has appeared between Martin Street and Frederick Street (both not labelled) in what is to become the Jewellery Quarter. 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). Sheep Street is still omitted as is Miss Colmore’s canal arm.