Raven's County Down maps, 1625

Thomas Raven spent some of the period between 1609 and 1625 mapping the new lands of the London Companies, surrounding Derry. He also mapped the Clandeboye Estate in 1625 for Sir James Hamilton who had been given the land by King James I and wished to know more about his estate.

Raven’s Clandeboye maps are impressively accurate, particularly in terms of townland shape and location. Most townlands can still be identified from their names but even if they could not, many could from their shape alone. There are 76 maps in total. Some show just one townland, others show a group of townlands, but all have a great deal of detail, noting the size of the woods and bogs (which Raven called ‘mosses’) as well as the un-wooded areas. On Raven’s Co Down maps, boundaries of individual woodland areas are shown with a high degree of accuracy.

There have been some criticisms of Raven, namely over his townland boundaries and noting areas under the tenants’ names rather than the actual townland name. However, considering the date of surveying, these Co Down maps are of great use and are strong sources when woodland is found to still occur in the same places as it was shown wooded in 1625.

The original Raven maps can be seen in the North Down Museum in Bangor. Copies can be seen in the Public Record Office, Northern Ireland.