Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Morden, Robert
MORDEN, ROBERT (d. 1703), geographer, commenced business in London as a map and globe maker about 1668. In 1688 he was in partnership with Thomas Cockerill at the Atlas in Cornhill. Though industrious he was always in pecuniary difficulties. His maps do not bear a high reputation. He died in St. Christopher-le-Stocks, London, in 1703, his estate being administered to on 13 Sept. of that year by his son Edward (Administration Act Book, P.C.C., 1703, f. 176). His wife predeceased him.
Morden published: 1. ‘Description … of a large Quadrant, contrived … by H. Sutton … with a description of a geodetical scheme and gnomonical instrument,’ 8vo, London, 1669. 2. ‘Geography rectified; or a description of the world in all its kingdoms, provinces, countries … their … names … customs … illustrated with seventy-six maps,’ 4to, London, 1680 (2nd edit. 1688, 3rd edit. 1693, 4th edit, 1700). 3. ‘A Book of the Prospects of the most remarkable places in and about the City of London. By K. Morden and P. Lea,’ 4to, London [1700?]. 4. ‘An Introduction to Astronomy, Geography, Navigation, etc., made easie by the description and uses of the cœlestial and terrestrial globes,’ in seven parts, 8vo, London, 1702. 5. ‘The new Description and State of England, containing the Maps of the Counties of England and Wales in fifty-three copper-plates,’ 2nd edit., 4to, London, 1704. His maps were also used for the translation of Camden's ‘Britannia,’ edited by Bishop Gibson in 1695, 2 vols. folio, London, and for the Rev. Thomas Cox's ‘Magna Britannia, antiqua et nova,’ 6 vols. 4to, London, 1720-33.
Of Morden's maps issued separately the following are the most important: 1. An atlas of modern geography, without a title, about 1690. 2. ‘Sea Atlas, drawn according to Mr. Wright's alias Mercator's projection,’ 1699. 3. ‘Atlas Terrestris,’ 4to, London, about 1700. 4. ‘Map of the World, drawn according to Mercator's projection,’ about 1700. 5. ‘A new Terrestrial Globe, made … by R. Morden and W. Berry,’ about 1720.
His maps relating to Great Britain include: 1. ‘Pocket-Book Maps of all the Counties of England and Wales,’ 12mo, London, undated. 2. ‘Cumberland,’ about 1680. 3. ‘A new Map of Ireland. By R. Morden and J. Overton,’ about 1680. 4. ‘The smaller Islands in the British Ocean,’ about 1700. 5. ‘Suffolk,’ about 1700. 6. ‘Actuall Survey of London, Westminster, and Southwark,’ two sheets, 1700. 7. ‘A Map containing the towns, villages, gentlemen's houses, roads, rivers … for twenty miles round London,’ about 1700. 8. ‘A Mapp of Scotland made by R. Gordon … corrected … by R. Morden,’ about 1700. 9. ‘Leicestershire,’ about 1705. 10. ‘Lincolnshire,’ about 1705. 11. ‘Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire, with the Roads,’ 1730. 12. ‘London, etc., accurately surveyed. By R. Morden and P. Lea,’ 1732.
Of continental Europe his maps are: 1. ‘France.’ 2. ‘Lorraine and Alsace. By R. Morden and W. Berry. With an alphabetical index in two sheets,’ 1677. 3. ‘A Map of the Seat of War in Germany and the Spanish Provinces. By R. Morden and W. Berry,’ 1677. 4. ‘Germany,’ about 1680. 5. ‘Parallela Græciæ veteris et novæ,’ about 1700. 6. ‘Sicily,’ about 1700. 7. ‘A new Mapp of the Estates of the Crown of Poland,’ about 1700. 8. ‘A new Draft of the Harbours of Vigo and Bayonna, shewing the
late action of the English Fleet … with the forts and intrenchments,’ about 1702. He likewise executed maps of ‘Tartary,’ about 1700, and the ‘West Indies,’ not published until 1740. [Brit. Mus. Catalogues of Printed Books and Maps; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Gough's Brit. Topography; Notes and Queries, 4th ser. ix. 64, 6th ser. xii. 227, 374, 7th ser. iv. 188; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub.]