With respect to your Issue 7 item about the Dufour map showing the short-lived Republic of Fredonia in the Texas area, others may be interested in the following summary of an article in "Historical Atlas of Texas," University of Oklahoma Press (of all places), 1989:

In brief, Hayden Edwards of Virginia was a land speculator who received permission from the Mexican government in 1825 to settle 800 families in East Texas. He began trying to sell portions to settlers for more than the going price; moreover, he sought to evict existing settlers unless they could prove ownership or buy their land back from him. After receiving many complaints the Mexican government revoked Edwards' grant in December 1826. Edwards and his brother,  Benjamin, then joined with local Indians (who felt Mexico had failed to deliver promised land) and with settlers desiring to challenge Mexico's authority. They marched on the local capital of Nacogdoches on December 16, encouraged local residents to join them, and declared their independence from Mexico as the Republic of Fredonia. In January, fighting erupted when loyalist settlers attacked, soon joined by Mexican troops. The Fredonians fled to Louisiana, and by the end of March 1827, the rebellion had been suppressed.  The Republic of Fredonia, never recognized by any official entity, had lasted barely three months. The Mexican government then divided Edwards' grant and awarded it to various others.

Preston Figley
Old Maps and Prints
Fort Worth, Texas
 

The Editor:  An interesting addenda to our article, for which we are extremely grateful.

As a newcomer to the WWW I was delighted to discover your site offering a forum on antique maps. 

I've been looking for such forum to help in identifying and dating maps and I would be pleased if you could assist with the identification of the following map:
Title (in oval cartouche): Eboracum, Lincolnia, Derbia, Staffordia, Notinghamia Lecestria, Rvtlandia, Et Norfolcia. Size: 355 x 425mm. Scale of Miles:  30 = 70mm  Millaria mediocria Anglia (30 reversed to 03) The sea contains a two masted ship and a sea serpent and is inscribed 'Oceanus Germanicus' with large flourishes.The borders are inscribed: 'Septentrio, Oriens, Merides and Occidens'.  Lincoln lies approx. on latitude 53deg. 56min and Long.20deg 20min.  There are no other imprints on the map.

Personally I would place the map as being early 16th Century - possibly after Mercator.  Someone did suggest Jamieson(?) as a possibility but he is unknown to me.  I would welcome any comments you can make as to the publisher, cartographer, etc. and look forward to your future publications.

Brian Cordon
 

The Editor:  The map is actually by Mercator himself.  It was first issued in his 'Atlas Sive Cosmographiae Meditationes ...', published posthumously by his son Rumold in 1595.   In its early form, the plate bore Mercator's imprint 'Per Geradum Mercatorem Cum Privilegio', and is one a series of maps of the regions of the British Isles included in the atlas.  The printing plate remained in use for many years.  In 1636, Mercator's business successors, Johannes Janssonius (or Jan Jansson as he is frequently called) and Hendrik Hondius prepared a new edition of the atlas.  Janssonius obviously felt that the original decorative elements of the map looked out-moded and out-of-date, so he had the title cartouches of  the regional maps re-engraved to give a more contemporary look.  At the same time, he took the opportunity to erase Mercator's name.  From your description, you would appear to have the second state.  The only way to date the issue, however, is by the language of the text printed on the reverse (if present), going by the heading, the page number, and the binder's signature - a letter or group of letters - placed below the right hand column of text.

Mark Slauter
USA

A few weeks ago I visited Ed Dahl and he showed me the CD-Rom with the first six issues of MapForum.  -- Maybe you remember I asked a few months ago if such a CD-rom was planned?

Is this CD-rom available? And, will you make it in a cumulative series? (As I do with the MapHist CD-Rom).

Especially your collations will be in future very useful for the preparation of the new Atlantes Neerlandici, but, I am afraid www-publications are not as stable as paper or CD-rom: I need for instance the Colom collation only over about five or six years, and the question is, if it is then still on the web. Until now I was downloading all the files necessary for me, but, when you will make cumulative CD-roms that will be much easier!

Peter van der Krogt
 

The Editor: Ed Dahl was one of six winners of a competition that we ran, correctly identifying a title cartouche with the text removed. These are the only CD-Roms that have been issued up to now, but at the end of the first year we are going to issue the complete run of MapForums on CD. We will of course announce when this is done.