A Map of the World By John Senex, 1719
A Map of the World: Corrected from the Observations communicated to the Royal Societys of London and Paris. By John Senex, F.R.S.
Published in London, 1719.
Regional annotations and geographic coverage description:
This large double-hemisphere world map by John Senex presents the state of global geography in the early 18th century, reflecting both European exploration and contemporary scientific thought. The dedication cartouche at center honors Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington and Cork. The map incorporates the latest observations from the Royal Society of London and the Académie Royale des Sciences in Paris, and is notable for its long explanatory texts that integrate scientific theory with geography. In the upper left corner, Senex reproduces “The Theory of the Tides” from Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica, explaining how the sun and moon’s gravitational pull governs the ocean’s rhythms—a striking inclusion that brought Newtonian physics to a wider audience. On the right, another essay summarizes Edmund Halley’s theory of trade winds and monsoons, which attributed global wind circulation to solar heating and the earth’s rotation. Together these scientific texts underline the map’s role not only as a geographic reference but also as a compendium of the most advanced natural philosophy of its day.
Geographically, the map highlights trade winds and monsoons with engraved directional arrows, and includes extensive notes on winds, tides, and the movement of the sea. North America appears with incomplete knowledge of its northwestern regions, while California is firmly shown as a peninsula. Australia is only partly charted as “New Holland,” New Zealand is depicted only along its western coast, and a vast southern continent remains conjectural. Routes of explorers are traced across the oceans, while Africa, Asia, and Europe are rendered with far greater detail, reflecting the balance of European knowledge and exploration at the time.
Location breakdown by modern country with clearly visible names:
United States/Canada: New France, Florida, Virginia, New York, New England, Carolina, New Mexico, California, New Spain
Mexico/Central America: New Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Caribbean: Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Porto Rico, Bahama Islands
Brazil: Brasil, Rio de la Plata, Amazon
Peru/Chile: Peru, Chili, La Plata
Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay: Buenos Ayres, Paraguay
Greenland/Iceland: Greenland, Iceland
United Kingdom/Ireland: The British Isles, Ireland
France: France
Spain/Portugal: Spain, Portugal
Italy: Italy, Sicily
Germany/Netherlands/Belgium: Germany, Holland, Flanders
Poland: Poland
Russia: Muscovy
Turkey/Greece/Balkans: Turkey in Europe, Greece
North Africa: Barbary, Egypt
West Africa: Guinea, Ethiopia Interior
South Africa: C. of Good Hope
Middle East: Arabia, Persia
India: Mogul Empire, Bengal
China: China
Japan: Japan
Southeast Asia: Siam, Philippines
Australia: New Holland
New Zealand: New Zealand (partly charted)
Identifiers for 1719 date
Cartouche: Map is dedicated to Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694–1753). Senex changed dedications in later issues (e.g., to the Prince of Wales in the 1720s/30s). The Burlington dedication is associated with impressions around 1714–1720.Scientific Texts in the Borders
“The Theory of the Tides from Sr Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica”
“An attempt to assign the Physical cause of the Trade Winds and Monsoons by Dr. Ed. Halley”
These passages were added around 1719 to emphasize Senex’s close link with the Royal Society. Earlier states (1711–1714) lack one or both of these essays.
Imprint Line (just visible under the title) “Sold by I. Senex at the Globe against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleetstreet London 1719.”Later impressions often omit or alter the imprint (sometimes updated to successors like Mount & Page after Senex’s death in 1740).
California is firmly drawn as a peninsula, correctly joined to the mainland of North America. Many 17th-century maps—particularly by Dutch, French, and English cartographers—famously depicted California as an island, following the influential but mistaken reports of Father Kino and others. Early Senex world maps (1711 issue) still showed California as an island, but by 1719 he had revised it to a peninsula.
