Whittle, James

James Whittle (1758–1818 in Brighton, England) and Robert Laurie (1755–1836) were map and atlas publishers, and the successors to the Robert Sayer firm. James Whittle was a print seller who also became an assistant to Sayer in 1790. When Sayer died in 1794, the two bought Sayers plates and stock from Sayer’s son, and began republishing maps and atlases under their own imprint, often bringing in other important cartographers of the day, including Kitchin, Faden, Jefferys and others to update and modify Sayer plates. One of their first efforts was retitling Sayer’s 1972 “The Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania With All Their Divisions” to “A New Map of the Kingdom of Poland With Its Dismembered Provinces…” Robert Laurie retired in 1812, leaving management of the firm to his son, Richard Holmes Laurie (1777–1858). Under R. H. Laurie and James Whittle, the firm renamed itself “J. Whittle and R.H. Laurie”. After Whittle died the firm continued under the imprint of “R. H. Laurie”. After R. H. Laurie’s death the publishing house and its printing stock came under control of Alexander George Findlay, who had long been associated with Laurie and Whittle. Since, Laurie and Whittle passed through numerous permeations, with part of the firm still extant as an English publisher of maritime or nautical charts: “Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd.”. The firm is the oldest nautical chart publisher in Europe.