[Selections from Surveying improved]

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Wilson, Henry, 1673-1741, author.

Contributor:

1779?-1825?, LaRue, Samuel, scribe.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Surveying.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

diagrams.

Manuscripts, American -- 19th century.

Manuscripts, English -- 19th century.

Physical Description:

43 leaves : paper ; 335 x 215 mm + 4 notes.

Place of Publication:

[Kentucky?], [circa 1803]

Summary:

Slightly abridged notes copied by Samuel LaRue (signed, f. 19r, 43r) from sections of Surveying improved, a work by British cartographer and mathematician Henry Wilson, first published in 1726 and published repeatedly through the 18th century. The notes cover part 2 (Of the theoric part of surveying) and part 4 (The practice of surveying) of Wilson's work. Part 2 covers geometry and trigonometry as applied to surveying. Part 4 presents various methods of surveying, which the writer of this manuscript carries out using local examples dated 16 August-3 November 1803 (f. 36r-43r). Properties mentioned in the examples include "Christopher Collins's meadow," "Mr. More's orchard," "H. Sullivan's," and "Mr. Davenport's woods." The writer may be the Samuel LaRue who in 1812 was appointed by the Hardin County Court "surveyor (overseer) of that part of the road leading from Hodgen's Mill to Rolling Fork River which lies between Middle Creek and the Sulphur Spring" (Otis M. Mather, Six Generations of LaRues and Allied Families, Hodgenville, Kentucky, 1921). The sewn gathering has no binding and is missing leaves at the beginning and end; the extant leaves at the beginning and end are detached, stained, fragile and cracking.

Contents:

1. f.1r-3v: [Of definitions (lacking beginning)]

2. f.4r-9r: Geometrical theorems, or demonstrable truths necessary to be understood in order to surveying

3. f.9v-10v: [Figures]

4. f.11r-17v: Geometrical problems, or things to be performed, in order to the practice of surveying

5. f.18r-31v: Plain trigonometry

6. f.32v-34r: Of reducing superficies of whatsoever form to squares or parallelograms – 7. f.35r-43v: Practical surveying.

Notes:

Ms. gathering.

Title devised by cataloger.

Collation: Paper, 43; 1⁴³; [1-43], modern foliation in pencil, lower right recto.

Layout: Written in 25 long lines; folio format.

Script: Written in cursive script in the hand of Samuel LaRue (signed, f. 19r, 43r).

Decoration: Geometric diagrams (f. 9v-10v, 20v-34r) and survey diagrams (f. 36v-43r).

Origin: Possibly copied in Hardin County, Kentucky (now LaRue County, where Samuel LaRue was a surveyor), circa 1803 (dates in manuscript, f. 36r, 37v, 42r).

Cited as:

Henry Wilson, Selections from Surveying Improved (Oversize Ms. Codex 2365). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1587101636

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.