Denbigh Shire

Title

Denbigh Shire

Description

Decorative map of Denbighshire, a principal area in north-east Wales. At the top right is a partial map of the town of Denbigh, a title cartouche, a mile indicator cartouche with the coat of arms of Great Britain, and a cartouche with the coat of arms of Wales. A sailing ship, sea monster and a sea god on a seahorse (hippocampus). Reverse side with English text, an index of towns and floral decorations. From John Speed's ‘Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain’.

ca. 1623

Artist

Speed (1552-1629)

John Speed was an English cartographer and historian. He is known as England's most famous Stuart period mapmaker. It was with the encouragement of William Camden that Speed began his Historie of Great Britaine, which was published in 1611. Although he probably had access to historical sources that are now lost to us, his work as a historian is considered mediocre and secondary in importance to his map-making, of which his most important contribution is probably his town plans, many of which provide the first visual record of the British towns they depict. Much of the engraving was done in Amsterdam at the workshop of Jodocus Hondius. His maps of English counties are often found framed in homes throughout the United Kingdom.

Historical Description

Wales is a country with a very ancient and distinct history in the west of Great Britain. As early as antiquity, Celtic tribes lived there and successfully resisted the Romans, preserving their language and culture. After the Romans withdrew in the 5th century, several Welsh kingdoms emerged. During this period, many legends developed, including that of King Arthur, who is often associated with Wales. In the Middle Ages, English kings attempted to conquer Wales. In 1282, the last independent Welsh prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was defeated, and Wales came under English rule. With the Laws in Wales Acts in the 16th century, Wales was officially incorporated into the Kingdom of England.During the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, Wales became an important industrial region through coal mining and steel production. At the same time, the Welsh language remained a strong marker of identity. Today, Wales is part of the United Kingdom but has its own parliament (Senedd Cymru) and extensive self-governing powers. Culture, music, and language continue to play a central role in Welsh identity.