Greneland

This map depicts Spitsbergen/Svalbard, rather than Greneland (as stated on the map). It reflects the name given by English mariners to the island. It is based on the cartography of Captain Thomas Edge.

In 1625, Samuel Purchas, an English Anglican cleric, published his landmark work "Hakluytus Posthomous or Purchas his Pilgrims, contayning a History of the World in Sea Voyages and Lande Travells, by Englishmen and others". It was the result of several years of compiling, collating and editing the information collected by Richard Hakluyt and himself from sea captains and merchants engaged in Elizabethan trade and exploration. The work was liberally illustrated with small maps mostly based on Jodocus Hondius but with a small collection of larger more significant pieces directly relevant to famous early English explorers and geographers. Among these significant pieces was this extraordinary map of the northern regions based on the account of an expedition by Captain Thomas Edge on behalf of the Muscovy Company.


The Muscovy Company was a joint venture between England and Russia set up in 1555 to monopolise and exploit the resources of the far north, mainly walrus, bear and seal hunting. Whaling was added to this list in 1577. Edge was given command of two ships in 1611 and sailed on a whaling voyage. On his return he wrote an account entitled “A Brief Discovery of the Northern Discoveries”, which was first published by Purchas in the work mentioned above, together with this map.

Although the map labels its major focus as Greneland, this area has now been geographically identified as Spitzbergen or modern Svalbard despite the fact that the map does not specify as to whether its Greneland is either an island or a peninsula. This is consistent with other English charts of the period which regularly confused Greenland and Svalbard due to lack of empirical knowledge. Taking advantage of this, when Edge arrived in the area, he named one of the larger areas after himself, “Edge’s Island” as well adding a Mount Edge on the southern extremity. There are also several geographical features named after Sir Thomas Smith, the president of the Muscovy Company in the early 17th century.

The map is set within illustrated borders with a very early description of whaling. These illustrations together with their captions are based on eye-witness reports from the voyage, providing one of the earliest available perspectives of this subject available to the collector. Other images include bear, seal and walrus hunting.

This map is highly important as it remained the most detailed English geographical record of this region for a lengthy period. It was regularly reprinted in later volumes documenting English expeditions to the northern seas.

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