Christopher Saxton

Example of Saxton's cartography

Christopher Saxton was an English cartographer, probably born in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England around 1540.

Saxton grew up in the hamlet of Dunningley, near Tingley in the parish of Whitkirk. As a young man he was employed as a servant of John Rudd, the vicar of Dewsbury and Thornhill, a keen cartographer who passed his skills to Saxton. In 1570 Saxton began a survey of the whole of England and Wales on the commission of Lord Burghley. This was a significant undertaking at the time, and yet by 1574 the first plates had been engraved and in 1578 the survey was complete. The maps produced set the standard for cartographers to follow, and base their own maps on.

He died around 1610.

References

• Christopher Saxton, William Ravenhill (introduction), Christopher Saxton's 16th Century Maps, Chatsworth Library ISBN 1-85310-354-3 (hbk, 1992) ISBN 1-85310-724-7 (pbk, 1995).

External links

• Glasgow University article on the atlas of England & Wales
• How did Saxton make his maps?
• A False Start on Christopher Saxton's Wall-map of 1583

Persondata
Name	Saxton, Christopher
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1540
Place of birth
Date of death	1610
Place of death