Pen and ink with blue, green, red and yellow wash and some gilding on parchment.

Bound in contemporary gilt-tooled calf, with entact brass clasps; partially rebacked.

Manuscript surveys, by George Hutson, of estates held by Backhouse Carr in the county of Essex, in 1777. The work appears to be entirely in Hutson's hand, in pen and brown ink. The entirety of the manuscript is on parchment. The terse initial title page is followed, on the following leaf, by an elaboration, within an ornate illuminated frame: "A survey of an estate situate in the several parishes of Rochford, Prittlewell, Eastwood, Hackwell, Hockley, North-Bemfleet, Rawreth, Wickford, Little-Thorock, Orsett, Hutton, Mountnessing, High-Ongar, Wellingale-Doe, Wellingale-Spaine, & Ashelham in the county of Essex; belonging to Backhouse Carr Esqr". An "explanation of the book" on the following leaf gives a key to symbols used in the maps.

The remainder of the volume consists of double-leaf maps of the various estates. The maps are fairly simple, with little physical detail beyond the basic outline of properties, roads, and bodies of water. Each map has a bar scale, a compass rose, and a calligraphic title at top, beneath which the acreage of the estate is recorded. On some maps the acreage is subdivided by use (such as orchard, wood, green, and waste). Plot boundaries are outlined with watercolors; within each plot, the tenant's name or plot acreage is recorded. Each map also records the names of landowners of neighboring estates.

Pages of the volume were reused as a sketchbook, by an unidentified artist, perhaps French, between 1914 and 1924. Most of the sketches are in a very light graphite, although several near the end are in pen and ink. It's unclear whether the sketches are original or copies of other artwork; one sketch includes the note "British Museum". Subjects include a mix of figure studies (perhaps sketches of statues) and animal drawings, especially drawings of geese or a similar fowl. Most are drawn on the reverse sides of the maps, although some are drawn over the surveys (the faint graphite barely obscures map delineations). Conventional dates are noted alongside dates according to the French Republican Calendar (e.g. Octobre 2, 1924, Vendémiaire 12).

Land tenure > England > Essex > 18th century.

Boundaries (Estates) > England > Essex > 18th century.

Real property > England > Essex > 18th century.

Essex (England) > Maps.

Essex (England) > Description and travel.

Maps - England - Shropshire.

Land surveys - England - Shropshire.

Sketchbooks.

Ink drawings.

Watercolors.