West Goscote Hundred, c. 1804

I don't think I've drawn a map of a real place since high school geography class. West Goscote was a hundred (an English administrative division) of Leicestershire.

My family has roots in the West Goscote area. The Tomlinsons moved into the region at the beginning of the 18th century from Nottinghamshire. They lived in the village of Tonge (in the parish of Breedon) for 100 years and worked as labourers. Although one Tomlinson, Edward, joined the 22nd regiment of foot and had an adventure for a while before returning to his home town. Thereafter, the Tomlinsons removed to Measham and worked as boatmen of the canals for two generations in the 19th century.

This map was drawn as the region would have appeared in the early 19th century, after the completion of the Ashby de la Zouch Canal in 1804. Many historical sources were used as reference, and as such, the map is certainly contains geographical errors since many maps of the era are fraught with inaccuracy. The combination of historical intrigue, imperfections, and my own fantasy style make this map an incredibly unique piece in my portfolio.