The paper presents a brief biography of the Arrowsmith firm, a family business that dominated the map publishing trade in London during the 19th Century and remained in operation for 83 years. Founded in 1786 by Aaron Arrowsmith, the firm later passed into the hands of two sons and finally to a nephew, John, the last of the line. The firm was responsible for many fine cartographic productions, and made notable contributions to the cartography of Canada, including the first great map of Canada based on original surveys