The Morning News

A very handsome copy of a large map of the islands of Jekyll and St. Simons, prepared in 1740 by John Thomas, a civil engineer, for the Duke of Argyll, was presented to the society by Mrs. C. S. Maurice of Athens, Pa., through Capt. A. McC. Duncan. Capt. Duncan's letter, accompanying the gift, included the following quotation from a letter to him by Mrs. Maurice: "A copy of the old map of the islands of Jekyl and St. Simons, with the plan of the fortifications proposed for the latter island, said map being made in 1740 and found a few years since in an old bookstore in London by Mr. Edward Ayres, the well-known antiquarian, and presented by him to the Jekyl Island Club. This map I have had properly framed and propose presenting, through you, to the Georgia Historical Society, provided they care to accept it."

Capt. Duncan's letter stated that this proffer originated through an interview between himself and Mrs. Maurice last winter at Wormsloe, the residence of W. J. DeRenne, Esq., when she acknowledged to a lively interest in all matters affecting the early colonial history of Georgia, and expressed a desire to have a copy of the matter prepared for the society. Capt. Duncan stated that he presumed to declare that the society would highly appreciate this gracious purpose and gratefully accept the same.

The map was accepted with the thanks of the society, which the secretary was instructed to convey to Mrs. Maurice. The map contains a number of inscriptions in the old style English, and is a very interesting document.