Seller, John (bap.1632–d.1697).

first edition, 2 parts in one volume, folio (451 x 287mm.), engraved general title, 2 letterpress titles, 67 engraved charts on 47 mostly double-page engraved mapsheets, numerous woodcut coastal profiles in text, 5 charts included which are not in index (as usual, see footnote), contemporary mottled calf, sides tooled in blind, chart 13a inverted, the charts generally browned and stained, d2 (in part1) and Q2 (in part 2) torn without loss, the larger charts generally trimmed close in binding (as often)

Leveson-Gore, “This copy belonged to a Mr. Leveson-Gore who lived in the South of France… He was a bachelor and later married his cook. When he died, she didn’t like the atlases and sold them, and I was lucky enough to purchase this” (Wardington Catalogue)

Shirley, British Library M.SELL-1a

John Seller conceived the English Pilot as a rival to similar Dutch publications. It was the first English sea-atlas to enter a field in which the Dutch had a virtual monopoly, and is an important landmark in English chart- and map-publishing.

The majority of the plates are printed from Dutch sea-charts crudely re-engraved to appear English in origin. The plates were prepared by Johannes Janssonius and were pirated in turn from Willem Blaeu, whose atlas was published in 1608. Although the use of outdated Dutch plates has sparked a certain amount of moral outrage from later commentators, and also contemporaries such as Pepys, it is worth pointing out that the first Blaeu terrestrial atlases were based around existing plates acquired from another publisher, and several other Dutch and English publishers went on to build successful businesses in the same way, so Seller was by no means exceptional in seeking a shortcut route to compiling an atlas, while the additional suite of charts prepared by Seller is a valuable contribution to the mapping of these coasts. Perhaps, if he had not been so unsuccessful, history would give him far greater credit than he has received so far.

The First Book (Northern Navigation) was first advertised in the London Gazette for 24th-27th April 1671, and in the Term Catalogues for Easter Term 1671 (licensed on 30 May), with the price given as 12 shillings bound. The Second Book (Southern Navigation) was advertised in the Term Catalogues for Hilary Term 1672 (licensed on 7th February), with the price apparently given as 14 shillings bound.

Lord Wardington comments, ''No two early copies are identical. Coolie Verner told me that this was the copy in its earliest state that he had seen except possibly for the one in Yale" (Wardington Catalogue).

Indeed, this is an early printing of the first edition of the English Pilot, comparable with the British Library’s copy at Maps C.22.d.1. In Book I charts 17 (Norway and Lapland), 18 (White Sea), 25 (Coast of Finland) and 26 (Abboy) are the early Seller form, before the plates were cut down so they could be more easily printed combined with other plates onto one sheet (as found in the British Library's second example).

Chart 2b (West part of England), 11 (Sea coasts of England and France), 16b (Galissia and Portugal) and 17b (Canary Islands) are all the early Seller forms; 11 and 17b were cut down further, 2b had additional arms inserted and 16b a partial French title inserted.

Book II does not contain an index of charts, but this copy seems to have a full complement, perhaps omitting three charts: the Channel (more properly associated with the Coasting Pilot of 1672), the Maes and Wielingen, and Holland between the Maes and Texel, although none of these are found in the British Library’s early printing of Book II.