From 1608, George Humble was granted a privilege to print Speed’s 'Theatre' for twenty-one years. He published the 'Theatre' and 'History' together in 1611–1612. An 'Epitome', or miniature version was published in 1619–1620. The combined atlas, as here, remained in print for more than 150 years: in the hands of different publishers, there were numerous editions to 1676 with text; later printings into the 1770s were issued without text.

The maps in Speed's ‘Theatre’ include six maps of America, four of which appear for the first time including maps of New England and New York, Virginia and Maryland and a new 'Description of Carolina', by Francis Lamb. Also included are maps of the continents as well as a world map, based on Ortelius’ model (but shows California as an island as opposed to a peninsula). 

The Sunderland Collection

John Speed’s 'Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine' followed the model of Abraham Ortelius's landmark atlas 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum', which was first published in English in 1606. The maps were glossed by historical and geographical texts and gazetteers. The British Isles took special prominence in the atlas and included the first detailed maps of the provinces of Ireland, the first set of county maps consistently attempting to show the boundaries of territorial divisions and the first truly comprehensive set of English town plans.

Perhaps as many as fifty of the seventy-three towns represented had not previously been mapped, and about fifty-one of the plans were probably Speed's own work. A balance is struck between the modern and historical, with information placed on the edges of the maps about antiquarian remains and sites and vignettes of famous battles, together with arms of princes and nobles. This additional information is one of the work's most original contributions.

Speed dedicated his 'Theatre', the first atlas of the British Isles, to King James VI as 'Inlarger and Uniter of the British Empire: Restorer of the British name' (ruled 1567–1625). The work was immensely popular and three new editions and issues of each title were published during Speed's lifetime.

Speed's famed double-hemisphere World Map

Frontispiece

Map of Great Britain 

Map of British Islands: Holy Island or Lindisfarne, Guernsey, Farne, Jersey

Map of Great Britain under the Saxon Heptarchy. On the left, illustrations of the seven Saxon kings of the Heptarchy, and on the right pivotal events from Britain's conversion to Christianity.

Map of England 

Map of Kent, with inset town plans of Canterbury and Rochester

Map of Sussex, with inset town plan of Chichester

Map of Surrey, with illustrative vignettes of Richmond Palace and Nonsuch Mansion

Map of Hampshire, with inset town plan of Winchester

Map of the Isle of Wight, with inset plans of Newport and Southampton

Map of Dorset, with inset town plan of Dorchester

Map of Devon, with inset town plan of Exeter

Map of Cornwall, with inset plan of Launceston

Map of Somerset, with inset plan of Bath

Map of Wiltshire, with inset town plan of Salisbury and vignette of Stonehenge

Map of Berkshire, with illustrated vignette of Windsor Castle

Map of Middlesex, with inset plan of Westminster and London, and vignettes of the Church of St. Peter's in Westminster and St. Paul's Cathedral 

Map of Essex, with inset town plan on Colchester

Map of Suffolk, with inset town plan of Ipswich

Map of Norfolk, with inset town plan of Norwich

Map of Cambridgeshire, with inset plan of Cambridge

Map of Hertfordshire, with inset town plan of Hertford and Roman township Verulanium (modern day St. Albans)

Map of Bedfordshire, with inset town plan of Bedford

Map of Buckinghamshire, with inset plan of Buckingham and Reading

Map of Oxfordshire, with inset town plan of Oxford

Map of Gloucestershire, with inset town plan of Gloucester and Bristol

Map of Herefordshire, with inset plan of Hereford

Map of Worcestershire, with inset town plan of Worcester

Map of Warwickshire, with inset town plans of Warwick and Coventry

Map of Northamptonshire, with inset town plans of Northampton and Peterborough

Map of Huntingdonshire, with inset town plans of Ely and Huntingdon

Map of Rutland, with inset town plans of Oakham and Stanford

Map of Leicestershire, with inset town plan of Leicester, 

Map of Lincolnshire, with inset town plan of Lincoln

Map of Nottinghamshire, with inset town plan Nottingham

Map of Derbyshire, with inset plan of Derby

Map of Staffordshire, with inset plans of Stafford and Lichfield

Map of Shropshire, with inset plan of Shrewsbury

Map of Cheshire, with inset town plan of Chester

Map of Lancashire, with inset town plan of Lancaster

Map of Yorkshire

Map the West Riding of Yorkshire, featuring an inset town plans of Richmond and Hull

Map of North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, with inset town plan of York 

Map of Durham, with town plan of Durham 

Map of Westmoreland (modern Cumbria), with inset town plan of Kendal

Map of Cumberland (modern Cumbria), with an inset town plan of Carlisle

Map of Northumberland, with inset town plans of Berwick and Newcastle

Map of the Isle of Man

Map of Wales

Map of Pembrokeshire, with inset town plans of Pembroke and St. Davids. 

Map of Carmarthenshire, with inset plan of Camarthen

Map of Glamorganshire, with inset plans of Cardiff and Llandaff

Map of Monmouthshire, with inset plan of Monmouth

Map of Brecknockshire, with inset town plan of Brecon

Map of Radnorshire, with inset town plan of New Radnor

Map of Cardiganshire, with inset town plan of Cardigan

Map of Montgomeryshire, with inset town plan of Montgomery

Map of Merionethshire, with inset town plan of Harlech

Map of Denbighshire, with inset town plan of Denbigh

Map of Flintshire, with inset town plans of Saint Asaph and Flint 

Map of Caernarvonshire, with inset town plans of Caernarvon and Bangor

Map of Anglesey, with inset plan of Beaumaris

Map of the Invasions of England and Ireland

Map of Scotland, with inset map of the Orkney Isles and portraits of Scottish men and women

Map of Ireland 

Map of Munster, Ireland, with inset town plans of Cork and Limerick

Map of Leinster, Ireland, with an inset town plan of Dublin

Map of Connaught, Ireland, with an inset town plan of Galway

Map of Ulster, Ireland, with an vignette of Enniskillen Castle

Map of Asia

Map of Africa

Map of Europe

Map of the Americas

Map of Greece

Map of the Roman Empire

Map of Germany

Map of Bohemia (modern day Czechia)

Map of France

Map of the Low Countries - The Netherland, Belgium, Luxembourg with parts of Germany and France

Map of Spain and Portugal

Map of Italy 

Map of Hungary

Map of Denmark

Map of Poland 

Map of Persia (modern Iran and surrounding countries)

Map of the Turkish Empire

Map of the Kingdom of China

Map of Tartary

Map of Bermuda 

Map of Virginia and Maryland 

Map of North America 

Map of the Caribbean

Map of Carolina 

Map of the East Indies

Map of Russia

Map of Canaan (Holy Land), or Palestine, Syria and Egypt

The 1676 edition is often referred to as the best and most important edition of Speed’s combined atlases: the 'Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine', and 'The Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World', as it includes newly prepared English maps of New England, Virginia, the Carolinas, Barbados and Jamaica. It is also the last edition to be printed with text on the verso of the maps.

The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine

Speed's Atlas of the World

Presenting An Exact Geography of the Kingdomes of England, Scotland, and Ireland and the Isles Adjoyning with the Shires Hundreds Citys and the Shire Townes within the Kingdome of England Devided and Described as also a Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World by John Speed With Many Additions Never Before Extant.