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The Seven Years War (1756-63)

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

    JOHN ARCHER (D. 1799)

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

    c.1756

    Pencil, pen, black and red ink and watercolour on paper | Scale: 1:4,700 approx. | RCIN 731072.a

    A plan of the attack on St Philips, 1756. Seven Years War (1756-63). Oriented with south-east to top.

    An entry for a ‘drawn plan’ of ‘St Philips Castle with the attacks 1756; J: Archer’, appears under the heading ‘Sieges’, Portfolio D, in Robert Napier’s Catalogue (Vol.6/10). The entry is annotated in ink, in what appears to be a contemporary hand: ‘missing’. The accompanying manuscript journal is at RCIN 731072.b.

    Additional text: [below title, an alpha-numerical key to the bastions, counterguard, inward ravelin, ravelin, outer ravelin and lunette and other features, and a key to the symbols.]

    Condition: one fold line; induced discolouration on both sides.

    • John Archer (d. 1799) (surveyor and draughtsman) [top left, inside neatline:] Plan taken at the Seige by I. Archer, Eng,r

      Subject(s)

      Army-France
      Army-GB

    • Watermark: I H S [with cross] above I VILLEDARY

      Mark, stamped: 785

      Condition: one fold line; induced discolouration on both sides

    • Scale: 1:4,700 approx. Scale bar: [78 mm =] 1200 Foot.

      33.7 x 51.2 cm (neatline)

      34.1 x 51.7 cm (image)

      38.1 x 55.4 cm (sheet)

    • Manuscript title:

      ATTACKS of S:t PHILIPS CASTLE / 1756. [top centre, inside neatline]

      Additional text:

      [below title, an alpha-numerical key to the bastions, counterguard, inward ravelin, ravelin, outer ravelin and lunette and other features, and a key to the symbols.]

      Annotations:

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

      Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [top, left of centre, black pencil, in Mason's hand:] VIII/27; [bottom right, black pencil:] 5; [bottom, right of centre, black pencil:] XVI/[26-3b?].

      George III catalogue entry:

      Philips, S.t A drawn Plan of the Attacks of S.t Philip’s Castle in the Island of Minorca, 1756. by John Archer Eng.r with a MS. Journal of the Siege by D.o.

    • Subject(s)

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

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    • 3 November 2024

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