Historic Map : Tiddeman Map of The Chesapeake Bay Entrance, York River, and James River, 1751, Vintage Wall Art

An important c. 1755 map of the Chesapeake Bay entrance by Mark Tiddemen. Oriented to the north, the map covers from the York River and Williamsburg to Norfolk and from Williamsburg to Cape Charles. It includes the mouths of the York River, The James River, the Nansemond River, the Elizabeth River, and Mockasack Bay. It notes the towns of Williamsburg, Norfolk, Newport News, Hamton, Sheldens, Old Pecoson, York, Gloucester, Tindles Fort, etc., Tiddeman personally surveyed this map between 1724 and 1728, when he served as master of the British ship Tartar. Evidence of Tiddemen's presence in the regions is printed on map itself where a notes reads 'Here the Tartar lost her anchor, October 17, 1726.' As the direct result of unique survey work, Tiddeman's map was the most advanced map of the region available at the time of publication. Tiddeman`s logbook survives in the British National Archives and includes notes about the Tartar stopping and inspecting ships encountered along the coast, suggesting that his mission in the area may also have included compliance checks to enforce British customs laws. It thus represents an important step forward in Chesapeake bay cartography, being more advanced than the Augustine Herman map of 1669 but not as detailed as the Hoin xton amp of 1735.

The present map corresponds to Verner's state 2. The state can be identified for the omission of a fleur de lis on the right compass rose a various corrections including the revision of 'Horse Shooe' to 'Horse Shoe.' It was published in various Mount and Page editions of The English Pilot, the Fourth Book.