Description: Taken from the first part of Michael Drayton's 'Poly Olbion', 1612; fol; a chorographical description in verse of the rivers, mountains, forests, castles etc., in this land; the towns, rivers, mountains etc., are represented by the figures of men and women.
Poly Olbion means 'many blessings' and was a pub on Albion, the old English name for England. The poem was an epic 30,000 lines long and the secod part was published in 1622.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.