These two maps on one sheet are of paramount importance to the mapping of Singapore and the newly established settlement of Singapore Town.

The upper map is based on the work by Captain James Franklin, a surveyor from Bengal, who was the first to portray the island with any geographical accuracy. Franklin's manuscript chart was finished in 1822 and this 1828 engraving is one of the earliest if not the earliest printed versions based on the manuscript. It is often cited and used as a cartographic reference on the history of Singapore.

The lower map is one of the few maps that is named after its cartographer, the "Jackson Plan" after Lieut. Philip Jackson, the surveyor who was put in charge of the development of the fledgling settlement that was to become Singapore Town. The legendary driving force behind modern Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, worked closely with Jackson, ensuring that his own contribution was incorporated into the initial manuscript of the plan. For this reason, this map is also sometimes referred to as the "Raffles Town Plan".

Although this was ultimately only a planned version of Singapore Town and circumstances forced subsequent changes in the development of the settlement, it was still hugely influential and much of the old Town is still laid out according to Jackson's plan. For this reason, the map is generally cited as being the first plan of the settlement.

Jackson completed the initial survey and sketch in 1822 and this map is its first appearance in printed form, in 1828.

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