American War of Independence (1775-83)
George III’s maps and views showing the development of the war at home and abroad, from North America to India
Map of the siege of Pondicherry, 1778 (Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India) 11°55'48"N 79°49'48"E
1779Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour; drawn on four sheets of paper, joined | Scale: 1:5,700 approx. | RCIN 734043
George Maule, the Chief Engineer, may have signed this map to confirm its authenticity and he may not have been the surveyor or draughtsman.
Substantial changes have been made to the area since the mapping of the siege of 1760-61 (see, for example, RCINs 733020-23); the citadel within the town appears to have been demolished; more settlement has taken place outside the city walls. An unsual technique of stippling in a brownish shade has been used to colour unproductive land; this may have been applied by a dry brush, or by mouth spray. The regimental names which appear beside the regimental rectangles, have been written on slips of white paper which have then been pasted to the map.
The siege of Pondicherry was part of the American War of Independence and was the first action on the Indian sub-continent after the declaration of war between Great Britain and France and lasted from 21 August to 19 October 1778. The British, comprising about 1,500 regular soldiers and about 9,000 Sepoys, under the command of General Hector Munro and Admiral Edward Vernon, defeated the French under the command of the French Governor, General Guillaume de Bellecombe and Admiral François-Jean-Baptiste l'Ollivier de Tronjoli and 700 French Regulars and about 600 Sepoys.
Additional text: [top left, left of title panel, in plain rectangular panel, two keys, 1-29, to the bastions, batteries, and ravelins; a-q, to more batteries and redoubts, out posts, pontoon bridges, etc:] REFERENCES.
Condition: two fold lines; bottom edge cut off to neat line; small tears to edges; surface dirt along right edge. Verso: induced discolouration; heavy surface dirt along left edge.
? George Maule (d. 1793) (surveyor) [bottom right, inside neatline:] Geo. Maule Chief Eng.r 1779.
Subject(s)
Army-GBWatermark: Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, a scrolled W below; countermark: JWHATMAN
Mark, stamped: 1070
Condition: two fold lines; bottom edge cut off to neat line; small tears to edges; surface dirt along right edge. Verso: induced discolouration; heavy surface dirt along left edge
Scale: 1:5,700 approx. Scale bar: [136 mm =] 400 Toises.
88.0 x 95.7 cm (neatline)
88.4 x 96.4 cm (image)
91.1 x 101.7 cm (sheet)
Manuscript title:
A / PLAN / of / PONDICHERY / with the Attacks by the HON:ble COMPANYS Troops under the / Command of Major General / Hector Munro. [top left, in rectangular panel]
Additional text:
[top left, left of title panel, in plain rectangular panel, two keys, 1-29, to the bastions, batteries, and ravelins; a-q, to more batteries and redoubts, out posts, pontoon bridges, etc:] REFERENCES.
Annotations:
George III heading: None.
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [right, written twice, black pencil:] Pondicherry 1793 [the date crossed out, and in a modern hand:] wrong date CMB Jan '87; [right, black pencil:] XV/17B [crossed out and annotated in a modern hand:] wrong annotation CMB Jan '87; [right, black pencil:] XV/17C [crossed out and annotated in a modern hand:] wrong annotation CMB Jan '87; [right, black pencil, in a modern hand:] XIV/43 Pondicherry 17 Oct 1778 / CMB Jan '87; [right, black pencil, in a modern hand:] to be 43.b RC '96.
K. Mil. dummy sheet:
Title [ink:] A drawn Plan of Pondicherry, with the Attacks of the Hon.ble Company's Troops, under the / command of Major General Hector Munro: by George Maule, Chief Eng.r 1779 4 sheets / A Roll ... [black pencil:] 5 Table 2.d / [black pencil, in a modern hand:] to be 43.c RC '96] / [George III heading, black pencil and red ink:] Pondicherry 7 Aug. - 17 Oct. 1778.
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters B&W below.
Size: 47.0 x 32.7 cm (sheet).George III catalogue entry:
Pondicherry A drawn Plan of Pondicherry with the Attacks of the Honourable Company’s Troops under the command of Major General Hector Munro, invested the 7.th of August and taken the 17.th of Oct.r 1778: by George Maule chief Eng.r 1779.
Subject(s)
Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India (11°55'48"N 79°49'48"E)
Page revisions
3 November 2024
Current version
