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This decorative map, engraved by Francis Lamb, depicts the British colonies of Jamaica and Barbados. The map was published in the 1676 edition of John Speed’s Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World.
The map is one of the earliest detailed English maps of these important Caribbean islands. The map is rich in ornamentation and decorative elements, including elaborate title cartouches, coats of arms, compass roses, sailing ships, and mythical sea monsters—hallmarks of 17th-century English mapmaking.
The map consists of two separately detailed maps on a single sheet. The upper section is dedicated to Jamaica, showing divisions into precincts, an early form of administrative organization. Mountain ranges, rivers, and settlements are meticulously rendered, giving a clear picture of the island’s topography. The lower section of the map presents Barbados, prominently featuring its plantations, roads, and key settlements. The inclusion of scale bars and elaborate cartouches, one for each island, underscores the precision and artistry of the engraver.
By the late 17th century, both Jamaica and Barbados had become crucial components of England’s colonial empire in the Caribbean. Jamaica, seized from Spain in 1655, was rapidly developing into a major center of sugar production and trade. Barbados, settled by the English in 1627, was already a well-established plantation economy, largely driven by the labor of enslaved Africans.
Francis Lamb, one of the leading English engravers of the period, was responsible for the detailed execution of this plate. It was included in the 1676 edition of Speed’s atlas, which was published by Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell. This edition expanded upon Speed’s original work, incorporating new colonial maps reflecting England’s growing overseas ambitions. The English text on the verso provides additional context, describing the islands’ geography, economy, and governance in extensive detail.
John Speed (1551 or '52 - 28 July 1629) was the best known English mapmaker of the Stuart period. Speed came to mapmaking late in life, producing his first maps in the 1590s and entering the trade in earnest when he was almost 60 years old.
John Speed's fame, which continues to this day, lies with two atlases, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (first published 1612), and the Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World (1627). While The Theatre ... started as solely a county atlas, it grew into an impressive world atlas with the inclusion of the Prospect in 1627. The plates for the atlas passed through many hands in the 17th century, and the book finally reached its apotheosis in 1676 when it was published by Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, with a number of important maps added for the first time.
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