Le Cordier, Samson

Leçons données dans l'Académie Royale de Navigation establie dans la Ville de Dieppe, dans lesquelles il est amplement traité et solidement demonstré la science et la pratique dont les maistres et pilotes doivent estre capables afin de s'acquiter dignement de la conduitte des Vaisseaux et navires ... 1 Tome. Illustrated with pen-drawn diagrams and figures: the title is within an ornamental panel. The first 7 ll. are paginated, 329-341, and include the title-page (p. 335). The text follows pagination 1 to 305, after which is the unpaginated 'Table alphabétique des Latitudes et Longitudes des Lieux' on 27 ll.: the first leaf of this is numbered 305, and the first (blank) after the end is numbered 306, the remaining four unnumbered leaves are also blank. Pp. 307-328 are apparently missing, presumably at the beginning. The date c. 1690 has been tentatively assigned to this MS., as many of the tables, and examples for practice are dated 1690. The text is in the form of question and answer, and contains perhaps notes of lectures. Produced in Dieppe.

c. 1690

1 volume 7 ll. + 305 pp. + 32 ll. (last 5 bl.). 8vo. 17 x 111/2 cm. Original vellum binding.

Purchased 1930.

On the title-page the author describes himself as 'Hydrographe entretenu pour le service du Roy, Examinateur des maîtres et pilotes, et jaugeur des Navires sous l'Authorité de Monseigneur l'Admiral'.

The B.M. Catalogue contains an entry for a work entitled 'Instruction des pilotes' published in 1683 by one Samson Le Cordier, who seems to be the same as the author of this MS. A Nicolas Cordier [1682-1766] was professor of navigation for forty years at Dieppe, and was perhaps the son of Samson Le Cordier.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).