John George Bartholomew

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John George Bartholomew
FRSE FRGS
Born(1860-03-22)22 March 1860
Edinburgh, Scotland, UKGBI
Died14 April 1920(1920-04-14) (aged 60)
Sintra, Portugal
EducationUniversity of Edinburgh (didn't graduate)
Occupations
Spouse
Janet Bartholomew
​
(m. 1889)​
Children5, including Ian Bartholomew
FatherJohn Bartholomew Jr.
Relatives
AwardsVictoria Medal, 1905

John George Bartholomew FRSE FRGS (22 March 1860 – 14 April 1920) was a British cartographer and geographer.[1][2] As a holder of a royal warrant, he used the title "Cartographer to the King"; for this reason he was sometimes known by the epithet "the Prince of Cartography".[3]

Bartholomew's longest lasting legacy is arguably naming the continent of Antarctica,[4][5] which until his use of the term in 1890 had been largely ignored due to its lack of resources and harsh climate.

Biography

Bartholomew was born on 22 March 1860 in Edinburgh to John Bartholomew Jr, a cartographer, and Annie Bartholomew (née McGregor; 1836–1872).[1][2] A member of the Bartholomew family of geographers and map publishers, he was the paternal grandson of John Bartholomew Sr, a cartographer, engraver and founder of John Bartholomew and Son.[1][2]

Educated at the Royal High School, Bartholomew later enrolled at the University of Edinburgh but did not graduate.[1]

Career

Under his administration the family business became one of the top operations in its field. Bartholomew himself was not merely a specialist in production, but also a talented geographer and cartographer. It was he who introduced the use of coloured contour layer maps developed by his father; he also anticipated the needs of late nineteenth and early 20th century travellers by publishing street maps of major cities, cycling maps, railway timetable maps, and road maps for automobiles.

He collaborated with major scientific figures and travelers of the period on projects involving their studies. Bartholomew's Atlas of Meteorology and Atlas of Zoogeography[6] were issues from a planned five-volume series that was never completed. Before he died he was able to plan out the first edition of the Times Survey Atlas of the World; this and its succeeding editions represent the most successful atlas project of the twentieth century. John was a great friend of geographer and writer John Francon Williams. Correspondence between the two friends is held in the Bartholomew Archive at the National Library of Scotland.[7] Williams also acted as a literary agent for Bartholomew in America, the UK and other territories in the world.[8]

He handed the reins of the business to his son Ian Bartholomew (1890–1962).

Personal life

The memorial to J G Bartholomew in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh

On 23 April 1889, Bartholomew married Janet "Jennie" Bartholomew (née Macdonald).[1][2][9] The couple had 5 children, including the cartographer and geographer Ian Bartholomew.[1][2]

On 14 April 1920, Bartholomew died in Sintra, Portugal aged 60.[1][2] Bartholomew was buried at the São Pedro de Penaferrim Cemetery.[1]

A memorial to Bartholomew, sculpted by Pilkington Jackson, exists on the northern wall of the 20th century extension to Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. His wife Jennie, sons Hugh and Ian, and grandson John Christopher Bartholomew are buried at the monument.

Legacy

On the centenary of Bartholomew's death (14 April 2020), he was commemorated publicly and named as a publisher who helped to put 'Edinburgh on the map'.[10]

References

  1. Sprent, F.P. (1927). "Bartholomew, John George" . Dictionary of National Biography (3rd supplement). p. 33.
  2. Bartholomew, John C.; Winch (11 August 2022). "Bartholomew family (per. 1805–1986), map publishers". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-58384. Retrieved 21 June 2026. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  3. Leslie Gardiner (1976). Bartholomew 150 Years. John Bartholomew & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-85152-791-4.
  4. "John George Bartholomew and the naming of Antarctica, CAIRT Issue 13". Cairt. National Library of Scotland. 2008. ISSN 1477-4186. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  5. "The Bartholomew Archive". Digital.nls.uk.
  6. Bartholomew, J.G., Clarke, W.E., Grimshaw, P.H., 1911. Atlas of Zoogeography. John Bartholomew and Co., Edinburgh.
  7. "Bartholomew Archive". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  8. "Bartholomew Archive, Inventory No. 975 – Williams, J.F. 1898–1900, 1906–7" (PDF). Nls.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  9. Waterston, C.D.; Macmillan Shearer, A. (July 2006). "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. Biographical Index Part One" (PDF). Edinburgh: Royal Society of Edinburgh. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  10. "World-Famous Bartholomew Cartography Empire Helped Put Edinburgh On The Map". Edinburgh Evening News. 14 April 2020. John George Bartholomew centenary tribute