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The Seven Years War (1756-63)

Manuscript and printed maps and views, correspondence and journals from the first global war

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    Plan of St Philips, 1756 (Sant-Felip, Port Mahon, Minorca, Balearic Islands) 39°52'01"N 04°18'13"E

    1756 or later

    Pencil, pen, black and red ink and grey wash on paper | Scale: 1:3,000 approx. | RCIN 731073

    A plan of Fort St Philips with the attacks of the French army, 1756. Seven Years War (1756-63). Oriented with south-east to top (cardinal points).

    Three engineers, who are known cartographers, were present at the siege: John Archer (active 1748-d.1799), John Henry Bastide (active 1711-d.1770), and William Cunningham (active 1744-d.1759). This plan is similar to Bastide's style.

    Insets: [top left, in trompe l'oeil scroll:] PROFIL of FORTS ANSTRUTHER and ARGILE [top right, in trompe l'oeil scroll:] PROFIL of QUEENS REDOUBT [the scale bars for the profiles do not state any units of measure.] [Bottom centre, below plan:] Front VIEW of the French Attack of St PHILIPS CASTLE with the State of its Ruins Taken from the Capital of the West Lunette and Kane.

    Additional text: [bottom right of plan, in a rectangular panel, an alphabetical key:] REFERENCES / to the / PLAN. [Left and right of the view, in rectangular panels, an alphabetical key:] REFERENCES / to the / VIEW.

    Condition: one fold line; small tear to bottom of fold. Verso: offsetting; bottom, right of centre: water-stained patch, fragments and shadow from the removal of Cumberland's cipher label.

    • Anonymous (cartographer)

      Subject(s)

      Army-France
      Army-GB

    • Watermark: Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, a ‘4’ suspending the letters L V G below; countermark: I H S [with cross] above I VILLEDARY

      Mark, stamped: 787

      Condition: one fold line; small tear to bottom of fold. Verso: offsetting; bottom, right of centre: water-stained patch, fragments and shadow from the removal of Cumberland's cipher label

    • Scale: 1:3,000 approx. Scale bar: Scale to the Plan [193 mm =] 300 Toises.

      36.1 x 51.1 cm (neatline)

      47.1 x 51.3 cm (image)

      49.7 x 53.7 cm (sheet)

    • Manuscript title:

      PLAN / of / FORT St PHILIPS / With the Attacks by the French. / The Troops Disembark’d, April ye 18th / Began Work April ye 26th / Open’d Batteries May. ye 8th / The Fort Capitulated June ye 29th [the date 1756 has been added in Mason's hand]. [top right, in rococo cartouche decorated with standards, trumpets and other accoutrements of war]

      Insets:

      [top left, in trompe l'oeil scroll:] PROFIL of FORTS ANSTRUTHER and ARGILE [top right, in trompe l'oeil scroll:] PROFIL of QUEENS REDOUBT [the scale bars for the profiles do not state any units of measure.] [Bottom centre, below plan:] Front VIEW of the French Attack of St PHILIPS CASTLE with the State of its Ruins Taken from the Capital of the West Lunette and Kane.

      Additional text:

      [bottom right of plan, in a rectangular panel, an alphabetical key:] REFERENCES / to the / PLAN. [Left and right of the view, in rectangular panels, an alphabetical key:] REFERENCES / to the / VIEW.

      Annotations:

      George III heading: S.t Philips 8 May - 29 June 1756.

      Other annotations: (Recto) [The date ‘1756’ appears to have been added to the title, perhaps by Mason.] (Verso) [bottom, left of centre, black pencil, in Mason's hand]: 28; [bottom right, black pencil:] 7; [right centre, red pencil:] 29.

      George III catalogue entry:

      Philips, St A drawn Plan of Fort St Philips attacked by the French the 8th day of May and taken the 29th of June 1756 with Profiles and a View of D.o

    • Subject(s)

      Sant-Felip, Port Mahon, Minorca, Balearic Islands (39°52'01"N 04°18'13"E)

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    • 23 May 2024

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