Herman Moll

:"This article is about the cartographer; for the convict, see Herman Moll (convict)."

Herman Moll (1654? – 1732) was a cartographer, engraver, and publisher. Moll moved to England in 1678 and opened a book and map store in London. He produced maps from his studies of the work of other cartographers.

One of Moll's maps of the Island of Newfoundland, published in the 1680s, showed Pointe Riche, the southern limit of the French Shore to be situated at 47°40' north latitude. In 1763 the French attempted to use this map to establish their claim to the west coast of Newfoundland, arguing that Point Riche and Cape Ray were the same headland. Governor Hugh Palliser and Captain James Cook found evidence to refute Moll's claim and in 1764 the French accepted the placement of Pointe Riche near Port au Choix.

Origin

Molls' exact place of origin is unknown. Due to his important work in Netherlands' cartography and the fact that he undertook a journey in his late years on behalf of the Netherlands, it is assumed he originated from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The name, "Moll" occurred not only in the Netherlands however but also in the north German area which may suggest a German origin. Dennis Reinhartz's biography assumed that Moll came from Bremen. Moll's birth year is generally accepted to be the year 1654.

Further reading

* Warnar Moll, [http://www.euronet.nl/users/warnar/hermanmollmap.html Herman Moll]
* de.wikipedia.org, [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Moll Herman Moll] (featured article in German)