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Street view: 3
Address: 18 Holborn
Joseph Cross, bookseller, publisher, copperplate printer and engraver had his shop at 18 Holborn at least since 1823 when he engraved A new map of the county of Monmouth. The shop was often styled as being at “18 Holborn Hill, opposite Furnival’s Inn”. Not much has been discovered about his life, but a Joseph Cross, bachelor, died on 19 November, 1865 at the age of 44 and his estate (effects under £3.000) was left to Jane Cross, his mother, being the only next of kin.(1) He was buried in Highgate cemetery on the 23rd of November.(2) Maps published between 1847 and 1854 were designated as coming from “J. Cross & Son”, so I assume the Joseph who died in 1865 was the son of the same name and that the father had died in 1854 or thereabouts. Joseph junior was born on 27 October 1821 and baptised on 24 January 1822 at St. Andrew’s, Holborn as the son of Joseph Cross, engraver and Jane.(3) At the time of his death Joseph had two addresses to his name; the Holborn shop and 1 Horningsham Villas, Junction Road, Upper Holloway where his mother also lived. It is not known whether the Cross family rented the Holloway property or bought it, but we do know that one Henry Lea lived there in December 1871 when he was elected a member of the Quekett Microscopical Club.(4)
As publishers, the Crosses brought out several books on exploration, for instance: Journals of Several Expeditions made in Western Australia, during the years 1829, 1830, 1831, and 1832; under the sanction of the governor, Sir James Stirling and Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s A letter from Sydney, the principal town of Australasia. Cross senior advertised in the Mechanics Magazine for James Atkinson’s An Account of the State of Agriculture and Grazing in New South Wales which contained “information important to those who are about to emigrate to that country” as coming out in the early part of June 1826. The Account itself contained a 3–page list of “colonial publications” which could be obtained from 18 Holborn. The list was subdivided into Australia, Tasmania, Canada and the United States, and South-Africa and contained, besides the occasional book, many maps.
Cross and son were engravers and produced, for instance, the medical labels they advertised in Tallis’s Street View, but they specialised in maps and street plans. For London, they produced Cross’s New Plan of London, with all the improvements to 1840 (many editions between 1828 and 1865) and Cross’s London Guide, a street map and directory (5 editions between 1837 and 1851). In 1846 they also produced the folding Cross’s Miniature London of which you can see photos below.
See for the larger version of Cross’s London map of 1851 here.
Cross’s old shop at number 18 no longer exists; together with the neighbouring properties at nos 14-17 it has been replaced by a much grander building designated as 14-18 Holborn with the Melton Mowbray pub on the left-hand corner, still at number 18, but now roughly comprising the ground floor space of what were once numbers 18 and 17, if not also half of number 16.
(1) London Gazette, 29 December 1865, notice to creditors and other claimants to send in claims on the estate before 8 February to Sidney Smith & Son, Furnivall’s Inn, solicitors. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1865, p. 560-561
(2) London Metropolitan Archives, Highgate Cemetery of Saint James, Swains Lane, Saint Pancras, Transcript of Burials, 1865, p. 1756.
(3) London Metropolitan Archives, St Andrew Holborn, Register of Baptism, P69/AND2/A/01/Ms 6667, Item 21, p. 50.
(4) Seventh Report of the Quekett Microscopical Club, July 1872, p. 42.
Neighbours:
<– 19 Holborn | 17 Holborn –> |
Jack said:
Nice blog, very informative yet enjoyable and interesting to read! I have liked your facebook!
London Details said:
Thanks Jack, very kind of you to say so. Have a Happy New Year.
Baldwin
gael newton said:
I would be interested to know who in Australia supplied the maps to Joseph Cross who did not visit. He published a lithograph drawn by William Knight of a view of Collins street Town of Melbourne Port Philip New South Wales dated August 1840. There appear to be no holdings of this print outside Australia. Any sightings would be appreciated. Gael Newton
Baldwin Hamey said:
Perhaps the print was commissioned by an Australian who had them shipped over? Or perhaps Cross thought there was a better market for the picture in Australia and sent them to an agent? Just guessing why there aren’t any copies outside Australia; I have not come across any archival sources for Cross’s output, sorry.
Gael Newton said:
Dear Baldwin
I have started on an article on Joseph Cross’ relation with Ausrtalia and will sned a link when done.
Baldwin Hamey said:
Great! I look forward to reading your article.
Lenore Frost said:
I’ve just discovered another map engraved and printed by Joseph
Cross, titled “Map of part of the colony of Port Phillip exhibiting the situation and extent of the sections of land marked off for sale at Sydney on the 12th September 1838”. Catalogued at the State Library of Victoria under Crofs, but I have suggested they alter that to Cross so it will be located with other Cross printings. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/114236
Baldwin Hamey said:
Nice! Thanks for sharing the information.