Map of encampment on Finchley Common, 1780 (Finchley Common, Greater London, UK) 51°36'03"N 00°10'00"W

A map of the encampment on Finchley Common, 10 August-20 October 1780. American War of Independence (1775-83). Oriented with north-east to top (cardinal points).

The area is bounded by Whetstone, Colney Hatch, Nether Street and Totteridge Green. The encamped regiments, with colour of facings in parentheses, are: 18th or Royal Irish Regiment of Foot (blue); 2nd or the Queen's Royal Regiment (blue); 2nd or South Hampshire Militia (yellow; changed from black velvet to yellow in 1780).

This is one of 31 maps of encampments which are likely to have been drawn up as a set from original field surveys and draft maps between about 1782 (the last encampment ended on 13 November 1782) and sometime in or after 1784 (the date of Bowles's plan of London, RCIN 734032.am). The original field surveys and draft maps from which they will have been compiled would have been made between 1778 and 1782, according to the actual dates of the encampments. The execution date for the fair drawings of the maps of 1783 or later has, however, been assigned to all the encampment maps, consistent with the date of Paterson's commission as Captain in the 36th Foot, with which rank he styles himself on the title page of the volume.

In: 'Plans of Encampments and Dispositions of the Army in Great Britain from 1778 to 1782. Presented to King George III by George Morrison, Quarter Master General. Drawn by Captain Dan. Paterson, 36.^th Reg.^t Assistant to the Quart. Mast. General.' See main entry under RCIN 734032.

BL Add MS 15533: p.97 PLAN / OF THE / ENCAMPMENT / ON / FINCHLEY COMMON / UNDER THE COMMAND / OF / MAJOR GEN:^L FAUCITT / from 10.^th Aug. to 20^th Oct.^r / 1780. [Bottom right, below border:] Surveyed by I∙W∙ Green, Assistant to the Q:^r M:^r General. Watermark: JWHATMAN.

Condition: flat; no fold lines.