Isle of Wight. This item is unavailable.Isle of Wight

ISLE OF WIGHT borough plan. REFORM ACT. Cowes Newport. DAWSON 1832 old map. Antique lithographic map with original outline hand colour; Cartography by Robert K. Dawson Lieut. R.E. "Engraved by" J. Gardner (1832). 30.0 x 33.5cm, 11.75 x 13.25 inches; this is a folding map. Condition: Fair: Offsetting - text and/or images from the facing page have left an impression on the print. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain. This map was published within the 1832 Reform Act for the purposes of showing the proposed electoral borough constituency. At this time, the House of Commons elected members for two types of constituencies: counties, and boroughs. Many of the pre-reform boroughs had small electorates which were under the control of rich landowners; the so-called "rotten" or pocket boroughs. Conversely, in the industrial towns and cities which were growing strongly as a result of the industrial revolution, the burgeoning urban populations had become substantially under-represented. The Reform Bill redistributed parliamentary seats, enlarging or disenfranchising rotten boroughs, and recognising the emerging industrial towns. For existing boroughs, the maps show the old, unreformed boundaries (in green), and the boundaries of the reformed or new borough (in red). Parish or townships boundaries are shown on some of the maps in brown.…