Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Moll, Herman
MOLL, HERMAN (d. 1732), geographer, a Dutchman, came to London about 1698, and finally established himself 'overagainst Devereux Court, between Temple Bar and St. Clement's Church in the Strand,' where he acquired considerable reputation for the excellence of his maps and geographical compilations. He was an 'old acquaintance' of Dr. William Stukeley, to whom he dedicated his 'Geographia Antiqua,' 1721. They belonged to the same club (Stuckley, Diaries and Letters, Surtees Soc. i. 98, 134), and Stukeley possessed a profile portrait of Moll dated 17 April 1723 (ib. iii. 486). Moll died on 22 Sept. 1732 in St. Clements Danes (Gent. Mag. 1732, p. 979), leaving all he possessed to his only daughter Henderina Amelia Moll (will registered in P. C. C. 251, Bedford).
Moll published: 1. 'A System of Geography . . . illustrated with history and topography, and maps of every country,' 2 pts. fol. London, 1701. 2. ' A History of the English Wars in France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, &c. . . . with a large map of the same countries,' fol. London, 1705. 3. ' A View of the Coasts, Countries, and Islands within the limits of the South Sea Company,' 8vo, London, 1711; 2nd edit, undated, but about 1720. 4. 'Atlas Geographus . . . Ancient and Modern, illustrated with about 100 maps,' 5 vols. 4to, London, 1711-17. 5. 'Geographia antiqua Latinorum & Graecorum tabulis xxxii . . . expressa,' Latin and English, 4to, London, 1721 ; '2nd edit. 1726 ; other edits. 1732 and 1739. 6. ' A new Description of England and Wales ... to which is added a new ... set of maps of each county,' fol. London, 1724.
Moll's maps are also found in: 1. 'The Compleat Geographer,' 3rd edit. 2 pts. fol. London, 1709 ; 4th edit. 1723-22. 2. ' The British Empire in America, by John Oldmixon,' 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1708 ; also in the German translation, 4to, 1776, &c. 3. 'Modern History, by Thomas Salmon,' 3rd edit. 3 vols. fol. London, 1744-6. 4. ' The Agreeable Historian, by Samuel Simpson,' 3 vols. 8vo, London, 1746.
Of maps of general geography Moll published: 1. 'A Modern Atlas,' without title, 4to, about 1700. 2. ' Athlas [sic] Royal,' fol. 1708-20. 3. 'Atlas Minor ... (62 maps),' oblong 4to, about 1732. 4. 'New Map of ye Earth and Water, according to Wright's alias Mercator's projection,' 12 sheets and index map. 5. ' The Whole World,' 2 sheets, 1719 ; others about 1732 and 1735. Of Great Britain he published singly: 'A new Map,' 1710; 'The South Part ' (England and Wales), 1710; 'Fifty) Maps of England and Wales,' 1724; 'A Pocket Companion of y e Roads of ye South,' 1717 ; 'Survey of the Roads from London to Berwick (1718), and to Holy Head,' about 1718; 'The Towns round London,' about 1710; 'Lincolnshire,' about 1724; ' Scotland,' 1714 ; ' 36 ... Maps of Scotland,' about 1725 ; ' Ireland,' 1714, and with P. Lea, 4 sheets ; ' Gurnsey, Jersey, Alderney,' about 1710 ; ' A Chart of the Channel between England and France,' about 1730 ; ' Parts of the Sea-coast of England, Holland, and Flanders,' about 1710; 'A General Chart of the Northern Navigation from England to Russia,' about 1710.
His maps of Continental Europe include : 'Plans of several Roads in different parts of Europe/ oblong 4to, 1732 ; 'Europe,' 1708 ; 'Spain and Portugal,' 1711 ; ' Plan of Gibraltar,' about 1725 ; ' France,' about 1710 ; 'Italy,' 1714; 'The Upper Part of Italy,' about 1731 ; ' Sea-coast of Naples,' about 1710 ; ' The Turkish Empire in Europe, Asia, and Africa ... as also the dominions of the Emperor of Morocco,' about 1710; 'Germany,' 1712; 'The Empire of Germany,' about 1740 ; ' The Electorate of Brunswick Lunenberg (or Hannover),' about 1715; 'Les Provinces des Pays-Bas Catholiques, or ... Map of Flanders or Austrian Netherlands,' about 1705 ; ' United Provinces or the Netherlands,' about 1715; 'Denmark and Sweden,' about 1712; 'The Baltick, about 1713 ; ' The Caspian Sea,' copied from C. van Verden ; ' The North Pole, about 1732.
On Asia he issued : ' A General Map, about 1710 ; 'Arabia, agreeable to Modern History,' about 1715 ; 'India Proper,' about 1710 ; ' East Indies and the adjacent Countries,' about 1710 ; 'China and Japan,' about 1720.
His maps of Africa comprise 'A Map,' about 1710 ; 'The West (East) part of Barbary,' 1732 ; 'Negroland and Guinea,' about 1732 ; ' St. Helena/ about 1732 ; 'The South Part and . . . Madagascar,' about 1720 ; 'The Bay of Agoa de Saldhana,' about 1732.
Those of North America, the West Indies, and South America comprise: 'America,' about 1720 ; 'Map of North America,' about 1710 ; ' Nieuwe Kaart van Noord-Amerika,' about 1720 ; ' A . . . Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on ye Continent of North America/ 1711 (another, 2 sheets, 1715) ; 'Dominia Anglorum in America Septentrionali,' about 1735 ; 'A New Map of the North Parts . . . claimed by France ' (Louisiana, Mississippi), 1720 ; 'A Map of New England, New York, . . . New Jersey, and Pennsilvania,' 1730 ; ' New Caledonia/ 1699 ; 'Newfoundland, St. Laurence Bay, the Fishing Banks, Acadia, and part of New Scotland,' about 1700; 'Virginia and Maryland,' about 1732; 'Carolina,' about 1710 (another, about 1732) ; 'A Plan of Port Royal Harbour in Carolina,' about 1710; 'New Mexico and Florida,' about 1700; 'Florida/ about 1732; 'A Chart of the West Indies/ about 1710 ; ' A Map of the West Indies ... (A Draught of St. Augustin and its harbour),' about 1710; 'Jamaica/ about 1732; 'St. Christophers alias Kitts,' about 1732; 'South America,' about 1712 (another, 2 sheets, about 1720; 'The Island of Antego' [Antigua], about 1700.
[Brit. Mus. Catalogues of Printed Books and Maps; Allibone's Dict.; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub.; Gough's Brit. Topography; Watt's Bibl. Brit.]