Research Laboratories of Archaeology


Early Maps of the American South
— Collections: PRO, Miscellaneous Series


[Home]  [updated 9/18/21]

This page contains manuscript maps in the collections of The National Archives, Kew (U.K.), formerly known as the Public Record Office, cataloged in the various series apart from "CO 700 / North American Colonies." Click here for maps in the latter series. The entries on this page are arranged as follows:

  1. MPD Series
  2. MPG Series
  3. MPI Series
  4. MR Series

Within each series the maps are arranged in order by catalog number. Click here for a complete list of bibliographic sources cited below.

Only manuscript maps are listed here. To see a complete catalog of the maps in each category, including the prints, click on the "PRO subseries inventory" link next to the approriate heading.

Useful indexes to the cartographic collections at the PRO are available in:

  • Maps and Plans in the Public Record Office. Volume 2: America and West Indies, edited by Peter A. Penfold. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London (1974). [GB]
     
  • Manuscript Maps Relating to North America and the West Indies in the Public Record Office, London. 2 vols. Microform Imaging, Ltd.
    • Part 1. The Revolutionary Era (1980). [PDF]
    • Part 2. The Colonial Era (1989). [PDF]

[The documents on this site were compiled by Vincas P. Steponaitis. Please email comments and suggestions to him at vps@email.unc.edu.]
 


A.   MPD Series
  1. Purcell, Joseph
    1771: A Plan of Beauclerk's Bluff Plantation on ye E[as]t side of ye River St. Johns in ye Province of E[as]t Florida. Laid Down by an Actual Survey in the Year 1771. By Joseph Purcell. [Public Record Office (UK), MPD 1/2; extracted from T 77/14.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     

B.   MPG Series
  1. Yonge, Philip [SEM 440B]
    1773: A Map of the Lands Ceded to His Majesty by the Creek and Cherokee Indians at a Congress held in Augusta the 1st June 1773 ... Containing 1616298 Acres. [PRO catalog: "Copy drawn by Philip Yonge, Deputy Surveyor. Notes on the map in Sir James Wright's hand, one about extending the western boundary to include about 30,000 acres of 'extraordinary fine land'."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/2; extracted from CO 5/662 (f 132). North America.] [UGa copy, Hargrett Library (University of Georgia), Map 1773 C4.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)] [UGa copy, composite]
     
  2. Anonymous
    1760: Map of the country from the Great Lakes as far south as Albemarle Sound and west to the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and Lac Rouge [Red Lake], showing place names, forts, the Canadian boundary from Red Lake to the southern end of Lake Michigan and the mouth of the Ohio. Scale: 1 inch to about 11 French marine leagues. River marked in red by the Marquis de Vaudreuil. [PRO catalog: "enclosure to Major General Amherst's letter of 4 October 1760 extracted from CO 5/59 (ff 275-78). North America."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/3.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  3. Taitt, David
    1772: A Plan of part of the Rivers Tombecbe, Alabama, Tensa, Perdido, & Scambia in the Province of West Florida with a sketch of the boundary between the Nation of Upper Creek Indians and that part of the Province which is Contigious thereto, as settled at the congresses at Pensacola in the years 1765 & 1771. Collected from different surveys at the desire of the Hon[ora]ble John Stuart, Esquire, sole agent and superintendant of Indian Affairs for the southern district of North America. By David Taitt. [PRO catalog: "Enclosure to Mr Stuart's letter of 6 February 1772."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/6; extracted from CO 5/73 (f 103), North America.] [LC fine copy, G3971.P53 1771 .T3 Vault.] [PRO catalog] [LC fine copy]
     
  4. Anonymous
    [1774]: [Map of Georgia showing towns, rivers, forts, Indian boundary lines, paths, and hunting lands.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/20; extracted from CO 5/661 (f 437).] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  5. Moseley, Edward (1682-1749); Cowley, John [SEM 225]
    1736: Mr. McCulloh's Draught of Land that he proposes to Settle in North Carolina. [Reproduced in McNamara 2012: Fig. 10.] [McNamara suggests it was "drawn in John Cowley’s shop from Moseley’s survey."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/268; item extracted from CO 5/294 (A76).] [PRO catalog] [McNamara (p)]
     
  6. Moseley, Edward (1682-1749); Cowley, John [SEM 226]
    1736: Draught of the Tract of Land desir'd by Mr. Jenner for the Switzers in North Carolina. Recd. Feby 17 1735/6. [Reproduced in McNamara 2012: Fig. 11.] [McNamara suggests it was traced from the Moseley-Cowley manuscript map of 1737, and drawn in John Cowley’s shop.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/269; item extracted from CO 5/294 (A77).] [PRO catalog] [McNamara (p)]
     
  7. Smith, John
    [1612]: Virginia. Discovered and Discribed by Captain John Smith, graven by William Hole. [Print.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/284.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  8. Pittman, Phillip
    1763: Plan of the Fort at Saint Augustine. [PRO catalog: "enclosure to Sir Jeffery Amherst's of 19 October 1763)."] [UF photo is a copy of the LC photo.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/287; extracted from CO 5/63 (f 791).] [PRO catalog] [LC photo] [UFL photo]
     
  9. Savory, Samuel
    1768: [Sketch of the Boundary Line between Georgia and the Creek Indian Nation.] A true Copy taken from the Original, done by Samuel Savory Dept. Survr. for Lands in Georgia. Certified 31st March 1769, Pr. Bernard Romans Depy. Survr. Genl. for the Southern District of America. [PRO catalog: "enclosure to John Stuart's letter of 14 April 1769,"] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/337; extracted from CO 5/70 (ff 443-5).] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)] [PRO, tile 1] [PRO (d), tile 1] [PRO, tile 2] [PRO (d), tile 2]
     
  10. Calhoun, Patrick
    1770: [Map of lands on the Saluda River, showing two tracts of land reserved for two Cherokee 'half-breeds' and lands laid out for the King George III for his payment of Cherokee debts due to Edward Wilkinson.] [PRO catalog: "enclosure to Mr Stuart's despatch of 8 January 1773."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/338; extracted from CO 5/74 (f 75).] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  11. Way, Andrew [SEM 440A]
    1773: Georgia. ... Certified this 30th day of Novm. 1773. By Andw. Way Dept. Surv. [Map showing the boundary line between Georgia and the territory of the Creek Indians running from the Altamaha to the Ogeechee River.] [PRO catalog: "Originally enclosed with Sir James Wright's letter no 18 of 26 April 1774."] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/357 (2).] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  12. Anonymous
    [1681]: [Map of the area around Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River showing counties, place names, soundings and shoals.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/375; extracted from CO 5/1356.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  13. Forbes, William
    1764: Plan and Sections of the Fort at Pensacola. In Major Forbes's Letter of the 29th Janry 1764. [Facsimile published in Rowland 1911, facing p. 144.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPG 1/528; extracted from CO 5/582 (folios 197-200).] [PRO catalog] [Rowland (p) facsimile, L half, IA] [Rowland (p) facsimile, R half, IA] [Rowland (p) facsimile, composite]
     

C.   MPI Series
  1. Locke, John (1632-1704) [SEM 65]
    1671: [Map of southeastern North America.] [Reproduced in Cumming, Hillier, Quinn, and Williams (1974), p.88.] [Public Record Office (UK), MPI 1/11.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)] [Cumming (p)]
     

D.   MR Series
  1. [Stuart, John (1718-1779)] [SEM 437]
    [1772:] [Georgia. Map of an area to the south of the Savannah River, showing the Ogeechee and Oconee Rivers, Briar Creek, Creek and Cherokee lands, lands assigned by the Cherokee for the payment of debts, the Creek Road to Augusta, and place names.] [PRO catalog: "enclosure to letter from John Stuart, 13 June 1772."] [LC catalog: "Col. off. 5. vol. 73, pp. 321-322. Old A.W.I. 276."] [Public Record Office (UK), MR 1/18; extracted from CO 5/73 (f 321), North America: Georgia.] [Library of Congress (fine copy), G3920 1772 .M3.] [PRO catalog] [LC catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)] [LC fine copy]
     
  2. Hutchins, Thomas
    1779: A Plan of the Lakes Ponchartrain and Maurepas and the River Ibberville and also of the River Mississippi from its Mouth to the River Yazou. A Distance of 450 Miles. By Tho. Hutchins Captain 60th Regiment. [Public Record Office (UK), MR 1/107; enclosure to despatch from Captain Hutchins, 24 January 1779, extracted from CO 5/595 f. 641A.] [PRO catalog] [LC photo 1] [LC photo 2] [MDAH fine copy, sheet 1] [MDAH fine copy, sheet 2]
     
  3. [Purcell, Joseph; Stuart, John (1718-1779)]
    [ca. 1775]: [Map of North America, covering the area between Cape Charles, Virginia, in the northeast, Cape Sable, Florida, in the southeast, and the Mississippi River in the west.] [PRO catalog: Map consists of "two joined and repaired fragments. ... The western (formerly WO 78/1638) and eastern (formerly WO 78/2695) fragments were held individually in the records of the War Office and transferred to the Public Record Office as separate maps."] [Similar to PRO CO 700 / North American Colonies General 12.] [Public Record Office (UK), MR 1/919.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)] [PRO, tile 1] [PRO (d), tile 1] [PRO, tile 2] [PRO (d), tile 2] [PRO, tile 3] [PRO (d), tile 3] [PRO, tile 4] [PRO (d), tile 4] [PRO, tile 5] [PRO (d), tile 5] [PRO, tile 6] [PRO (d), tile 6] [PRO, tile 7] [PRO (d), tile 7] [PRO, tile 8] [PRO (d), tile 8]
     
  4. Anonymous
    [1769]: Plan of the Catawba and Broad Rivers with their Waters and the Proposed Boundary Lines Between North & South Carolina, with the Latitude as observed in Different Stations. [PRO catalog: "originally enclosed in Lord Charles Montagu's (despatch) number 9, 19 April 1769."] [Public Record Office (UK), MR 1/1814; extracted from CO 5/392 (f 21).] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]
     
  5. Anonymous
    [1767]: Proposed bridge over the San Sebastian Creek, Saint Augustine, Florida. [PRO catalog: "originally enclosed in Governor Grant's (despatch) of 17 January 1767."] [Public Record Office (UK), MR 1/1816; extracted from CO 5/548.] [PRO catalog] [PRO] [PRO (d)]