Bartholomew grave, Grange Cemetery, Edinburgh

John Bartholomew Sr. (26 April 1805 – 8 April 1861) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

and engraver.

Life

The son of George Bartholomew, engraver (1784–1871), he founded the engraving and mapmaking firm of

John Bartholomew and Son Ltd. Collins Bartholomew, formerly John Bartholomew and Son, is a long-established map publishing company originally based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is now a subsidiary of HarperCollins. History George Bartholomew (8 January 1784–23 October 187 ...

in 1826. Bartholomew also worked for

George Philip & Son George Philip (1800–1882) was a cartographer, map publisher and founder of the publishing house George Philip & Son Ltd. Family George Philip was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, to a staunchly Calvinist family. In 1819 George travelled to Liver ...

. He was a master copper plate engraver and engraved some fine maps for local Edinburgh firms, such as street maps for

Lizars The name Lizars is best known as a family of artists and engravers of Scottish origin: * Daniel Lizars Sr. (1754–1812), engraver and editor, father of: ** John Lizars (c.1787–1860), Professor of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, ** Wil ...

, others for the

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

and for some educational publishers like

A & C Black A & C Black is a British book publishing company, owned since 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing. The company is noted for publishing '' Who's Who'' since 1849. It also published popular travel guides and novels. History The firm was founded in 18 ...

. He was commissioned to engrave the map of

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

for

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

. John Sr. was the ideal person to inaugurate what became one of the most admired cartographic institutions in the world. A man of high standards, as were his successors; he was an accomplished engraver, engraving becoming the foundation of the firm;

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

would follow later. He also had the vision to recognise the potential for the firm. He was a shy man, holding back from public life. In 1832–1833 James was living at 4 East St James Street, which is now demolished. In 1859, shortly before he died, John Senior passed the business on to his son

John Bartholomew John Bartholomew (25 December 1831 – 29 March 1893) was a Scottish cartographer. Life Bartholomew was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, John Bartholomew Sr., started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh, and he was educated ...

Junior (1831–1893). He is buried with his wife, Margaret McGregor in the north-west section of

Grange Cemetery The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hil ...

. His son and his wife are buried with him.

References

External links

Bartholomew: A Scottish Family Heritage
- site maintained by the family.
Times World Atlases official website
including
History and Heritage section
detailing landmark Times atlases 1805 births 1861 deaths Scottish cartographers Scottish geographers Scientists from Edinburgh 19th-century cartographers Scottish engravers Burials at the Grange Cemetery 19th-century Scottish businesspeople {{Geographer-stub