In 1612 a further national atlas, The Theatre of the Empire of
Great Britaine, was published by John Speed. As suggested by the
title, this concerned itself not only with England and Wales but
also with Scotland and Ireland. 1603 had seen the accession to the
English throne of King James I (already King James VI of Scotland)
after Elizabeth’s death without heirs. The concept of ‘Great
Britain’ was therefore increasingly important to Speed’s
contemporaries.
Speed openly acknowledged the debt his atlas owed to Saxton and
others, stating in its introduction: I have put my sickle into other
mens corne, and have laid my building upon other mens foundations.
