- John Rocque
John Rocque (originally Jean, born not later than 1709, died 1762) was a surveyor and
cartographer . He moved to England in 1709 with his parents, who were FrenchHuguenot émigrées. He became a godfather in 1728, which suggests he was at least twenty-one year old by that time.In addition to his work as surveyor and mapmaker, Rocque was an engraver and map-seller. He was also involved in some way in gardening as a young man, living with his brother Bartholomew, who was a landscape gardener, and producing plans for
parterre s, perhaps recording pre-existing designs, but few details of this work are known. Roque produced engraved plans of the gardens at Wrest Park (1735), Claremont (1738), Charles Hamilton's naturalistic landscape garden atPainshill Park , Surrey, (1744) andWilton House (1746).Rocque is now mainly remembered for his map of London. He began work on this in 1737 and it was published in 24 printed sheets in 1747. It was by far the most detailed map of London published up to that time, and remains an important historical resource.
The map of London and his other maps brought him an appointment as
cartographer to thePrince of Wales in 1751. A fire in 1750 destroyed his premises and stock, but by 1753 he was employing ten draughtsmen, and "The Small British Atlas: Being a New set of Maps of all the Counties of England and Wales" appeared. There was a second edition in 1762.His 1756 map of
Dublin featured on an Irish ten pound banknote. He married twice. His widow continued the business after his death [http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/maps/roq1753.htm] .External links
* [http://www.mapforum.com/05/rocque.htm#maph A detailed biography]
* [http://www.motco.com/map/81002/ Rocque's map of London online]
* [http://www.euratlas.net/cartogra/Rocque/index.html Clickable map of John Rocque's Post-Roads of Europe]
* [http://purl.org/net/nysl/nysdocs/1010245A Set of Plans and Forts in America, Reduced From Actual Survey] A 1763 volume containing 30 maps of forts in America, digitized by theNew York State Library .
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