Mr Sanders’ Map

William Sanders' major contribution to geology was as a pioneer in large-scale geological mapping, surveying the area in and around Bristol. Together with the significant contribution he made to the Bristol Institution, Sanders' 'Map of the Bristol coal fields and country adjacent geologically surveyed by William Sanders. F.R.S. F.G.S.' first published in 1862 is a remarkable achievement and legacy that further developed the understanding of the complex geology of the Bristol area. The map was made on a scale of four inches to a mile and was started with the encouragement of Henry Thomas De la Beche and John Phillips. It was constructed from Sanders' own geological surveys together with a topographical map constructed from collating many parish maps on different scales. In total his map covers 720 square miles and was paid for entirely from Sanders' own pocket (Tawney 1876). This huge task took him many years to complete, starting around 1835, finally being published in 1862 in sheet form and in 1864 as a folio atlas. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (BRSMG) cares for several copies of his folio atlas, individual map sheets and geological material that Sanders donated. No single amateur has ever produced such a work on his own resources (Tawney 1876: p. 505).