St Mary White Chapel and St John Wapping. Original antique ‘ward’ map by John Stow. Published in 1755 in his Survey of London.

John Stow was an Elizabethan historian. He wrote a series of chronicles of English History published from 1565 onwards but Stow was best known for “A Survey of London” which detailed London’s rich history and topography.

The Survey contained detailed accounts of social conditions and customs, illustrations of buildings, and maps of the individual parishes/wards.

The Survey was originally published 1598 and was followed by several revisions as follows.

1603 – Second revised edition

1618 – Third edition with additions by Anthony Munday

1633 – Fourth edition by Munday and Humfrey Dyson

1720 & 1755 – Revised and edited by John Strype