|
||
|
|
|
|
Rare map of the United States, which appeared in Cusack P. Roney's Rambles on Railways, published in London in 1868.
The map provides an early look at the proposed route of the Union Pacific Railroad, along with a "Proposed Railway Through British Territory." Several other lines are shown extending from St. Louis to New Orleans, Omaha to New York, and several routes between Chicago and and Quebec, passing on either side of Lake Erie.
Rarity
The map is rare on the market.
This is the first example we have seen.
Sir Cusack Patrick Roney ( 1809 – 1868) was an influential Irish civil servant, prominently associated with the railway industry during the mid-19th century. Born in Dublin, Roney was the son of Cusack Roney, a renowned surgeon and twice president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Educated in Paris and at Trinity College Dublin, he initially embarked on a literary career in London, writing for The Athenaeum and other periodicals before transitioning to various administrative roles.
Roney's career in the railway industry began in 1845 when he became the secretary of the Cambridge and Lincoln Railway Company, followed by a position with the Eastern Counties Railway. His most notable role was as managing director of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada, a position he assumed in 1853. Based in London, Roney was instrumental in advocating for the railway's potential profitability and expansion. In 1855, he co-authored a report with A. M. Ross and S. P. Bidder for the board of directors, highlighting the promising future of the Grand Trunk Railway.
In addition to his railway activities, Roney played a significant role as the secretary of the Great Industrial Exhibition held in Dublin in 1853, an accomplishment that earned him a knighthood from Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans. His legal involvements included a case in 1863–64 regarding shares in The Llanharry Hematite Iron Ore Company Limited, reflecting his diverse interests beyond railroads.
Roney's contributions to the railway industry were further encapsulated in his publication Rambles on Railways in 1868, though his plans for additional volumes were curtailed by his declining health, and he apparently died before completing a planned volume on foreigh Railroads.
![[ English Plantations in North America ] A New Map of the most Considerable Plantations of the English In America Dedicated to His Highness William Duke of Glocester.](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/108736.jpg)
