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
View of the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 1780 (Cabo de São Vicente, Portugal) 37°01'21"N 08°59'25"W
published 1782Mezzotint with etching and engraving; printed and laid down on paper, the paper brought round the edges of the recto | 47.2 x 59.9 cm (image) | RCIN 734054
The Battle of Cape St Vincent was the first major naval victory for the British over their European enemies during the war.
Additional text: [bottom centre, between title and imprint:] This PLATE is designed to represent the British Fleet in pursuit of the Flying Enemy with their Van beginning the Attack, which commenced between Four and Five o clock in the Evening, and continued till Two o Clock the next Morning and tho the Weather was tempestuous with a heavy Sea, the following Ships of the Enemy were taken & destroy'd. [with a list of the Spanish ships and the number of their guns, and the fate they suffered.]
For further reading, see:
K. Breen, 'Rodney, George Bridges, first Baron Rodney (bap. 1718, d. 1792)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008.
Condition: one fold line.
Robert Sayer (1725?-29 January 1794) and John Bennett (active 1774-83) (publisher) [bottom centre, below text:] London, Printed for R. Sayer and J. Bennett, Map, Chart and Printsellers. N.o 53, Fleet Street, as the Act directs, 10 June 1782.
Robert Dodd (1748-1815) (artist) [bottom left, below edge of view:] R. Dodd pinx.t
Robert Laurie (c. 1755-1836) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view:] R. Lawrie fecit
Subject(s)
Royal NavyNavy-SpainWatermark: Dovecote; countermark: indistinct, two names: [?] FIN / [?]
Condition: one fold line
42.3 x 59.9 cm (neatline)
47.2 x 59.9 cm (image)
47.9 x 61.2 cm (platemark)
48.2 x 61.6 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
Admiral S.R GEO: BRYDGES RODNEY, with a Fleet under his command, defeating A Squadron of SPANISH Ships of War, commanded by DON JUAN DE LANGARA, in the Night, 16. Jan.y 1780, near Cape S,t Vincent. [bottom centre]
Additional text:
[bottom centre, between title and imprint:] This PLATE is designed to represent the British Fleet in pursuit of the Flying Enemy with their Van beginning the Attack, which commenced between Four and Five o clock in the Evening, and continued till Two o Clock the next Morning and tho the Weather was tempestuous with a heavy Sea, the following Ships of the Enemy were taken & destroy'd. [with a list of the Spanish ships and the number of their guns, and the fate they suffered.]
Annotations:
George III heading [black pencil:] Military Naval Engagement 16 Jan 1780 Port folio No 5.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, black pencil:] XIV. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] 81.a; [bottom left, black pencil in a modern hand:] According to Cust [i.e. Parker], 81a was published June 19 1786. This therefore looks like the subsequent annotation opp.p.82, and not 81a CMB May 1987; [bottom left, black pencil, obscured by paper backing: the old heading]; [bottom right, black pencil:] -3; [right of centre, black pencil, obscured by paper backing:] 2.
K. Mil. dummy sheet:
Title [ink:] Admiral Sir G. B. Rodney, with a Fleet under his command, defeating a Squadron of Spanish / Ships of War, commanded by Don Juan de Langara, in the night of the 16.th of Jan.y 1780; / near Cape S.t Vincent: by R. Dodd, engraved by Lawrie 1782 / Port-folio N.o [black pencil:] 5 - 2 Table / [in a modern hand, crossed out in black pencil:] U.L. Naval / [George III heading, red ink:] Naval Engagement 16 Jan. 1780; [black pencil, erased, partly legible:] oversize folder Box XIV.
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the scrolled letter W below.
Size: 48.1 x 33.2 cm (sheet).George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement Admiral Sir G. B. Rodney with a Fleet under his command defeating a Squadron of Spanish Ships of War commanded by Don Juan de Langara in the night of the 16.th of January 1780, near Cape S.t Vincent: by R. Dodd, engraved by Lawrie, 1782.
Subject(s)
Cabo de São Vicente, Portugal (37°01'21"N 08°59'25"W)
Bibliographic reference(s)
H. Parker, Naval battles from the collection of prints formed and owned by Commander Sir Charles Leopold Cust. With an introduction by C.N. Robinson, 2 vols., London 1911, no.81. Parker 81.a describes a later state of this view, published in 1786 by Sayer alone, after his partnership with Bennett was disolved in 1785 on the latter's becoming insane. (Worms & Baynton-Williams, 2011, p.69.)
L. Worms and A. Baynton-Williams, British map engravers a dictionary of engravers, lithographers and their principal employers to 1850, London 2011
Page revisions
11 April 2026
Current version
