Early Chorlton Map Discovered by Richard Bond

It is generally accepted that the earliest Ordnance Survey 25 inch maps of Chorlton were surveyed in 1892 and published, as 'First Edition' maps, in 1894. 

Remarkably, an 1881 25 inch OS map of part of Chorlton has been discovered at Sale Library. 

The map first came to light last year when fellow Stretford resident David Brady was researching the New Longford Bowling Club, which was on Edge Lane near the border with Stretford. One of the staff at Trafford Local Studies pointed him to sheet CX1.1, dated 1881. 

When David shared his notes with me earlier this year, I went to Sale Library and found that the map did indeed show part of Chorlton in great detail. However, roughly half of the sheet was blank, all of the map to the west of the boundary with Stretford. 

Another member of staff then found another 1881 OS map, C1V.14. She apologised that it was largely blank - perhaps 90% - but showing a small part of Alexandra Road in Withington. 

This suggested the maps must have been specially produced for Withington Local Board, whose area in 1881 included Chorlton as well as Withington. I then found a report confirming this in the Manchester Guardian of 6th January 1881, which said the survey would cost the ratepayers £1500 or £2000. 

Next, I posted details on an OS map forum and within 24 hours, had a number of replies. 

I was astonished to find that the Withington survey comprised no less than 15 sheets, C1V.14-15 and CX1.1-11, 14-15. Of these, I have only found the two at Trafford Local Studies. I have checked with Manchester Central Library and Manchester University Library, and they have no copies of the 1881 survey. 

According to the OS map forum, the one place where copies would certainly be held is at the British Library, which would require a personal visit to see and be very expensive to copy. The Bodleian Library is also likely to have a set and their OS maps were digitised some years ago – but are not available online.

The Chorlton map which survives makes an interesting study compared to the version which was surveyed some 11 years later. Indeed, I have now hit on a new mystery, as the 1881 map shows a statue in gardens near the Lane End junction - the gardens were still there in 1892 but the statue was no longer there. The question is - who was the statue of?

Richard Bond © 2020

Location; Chorlton

Picture; the OS map of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 1881, courtesy of Trafford Local Studies