Sixteenth century Cornwall

The early maps were created for the homes of wealthy people

The unique collection of Cornish historic maps include the earliest map by Waghenaer, printed in Leiden in 1586.

The most expensive of the group is the highly-decorative map of Romeyn de Hooge, 1693 at £900 to £1,200.

These maps show Cornwall with Scilly positioned beyond Land's End. Others depict the islands alone.

It is the first collection of maps focused on 16th century Scilly to come up for auction.

The most expensive of the group is the highly-decorative map of Romeyn de Hooge, 1693 at £900 to £1,200.

The most-admired by map collectors is the scarce printed in Florence by Sir Robert Dudley who made the disputed claim that he was the Duke of Northumberland. This map, lot 362, is estimated to sell for £1,000 to £1,500.

The maps are expected to go for hundreds of pounds at auction

Many of these early maps were destined for the libraries of wealthy men.

Few made it to sea in the hands of mariners, most of those that did have not survived because of the wear and tear they were subjected to.

As they are today, early maps were seen as decorative items quite as much as anything else, and only with time became seen as objects of utility for actual use by seamen.

In April this year Bonhams sold an exceptional collection of 184 lots, assembled by the Enys family of Enys near Falmouth, which covered the history of Cornwall.

That collection encompassed works of poetry, fiction, news items, crime reports, maps and photograph and was estimated to fetch £50,000 but in fact made £80,000.

The rare Cornish maps dating from the 16th and 17th centuries will go to auction, in a Bonhams sale at Oxford on Tuesday 1 December 2009.