England, South East, 1755

1755 or later

Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on four sheets of paper, joined; laid down on two pieces of coarse linen, stitched together; edged with pink silk; two pink linen ties to bottom edge; no evidence of the former existence of brass rings for hanging; no ties missing. | Scale: 1:159,300 approx. | RCIN 731055

A map of the cantonments of the troops in south-east England, 1755. Oriented with north to top. There is no authority on the map itself for the statement in the old catalogue entry that it was drawn by ‘order of the Board of Ordnance’ and the map lacks the stamped red broad arrow that was used to denote Board of Ordnance property. Maps were routinely drawn showing the distribution of the quarters of troops; this map purports to show the cantonments on the eve of the Seven Years War (1756-63). However, there is no key to the map which lacks any symbols to denote the places where troops were quartered and therefore it is not certain that every place which is named had troops billetted there. The style of draughting is typical of the mid-eighteenth-century Board of Ordnance Drawing Room at the Tower of London. The basic topographical details of rivers, roads and settlements, as well as the coastal outline, will have been taken from published maps. Condition: six fold lines; surface dirt. Verso: brown discolouration; heavy surface dirt; centre: small patch of red sealing wax; formerly stored as a roll.

? Board of Ordnance (producer)
Watermark: None visible; obscured by linen backing

Condition: six fold lines; surface dirt. Verso: brown discolouration; heavy surface dirt; centre: small patch of red sealing wax; formerly stored as a roll
Scale: 1:159,300 approx. Scale bars: Scales of Miles Great, 52 to a Degree [202 mm = 20]; Middle, 60 to a Degree [173 mm = 20]; Little, 70 to a Degree [150 mm = 20].

100.7 x 104.7 cm (neatline)

101.2 x 105.0 cm (image)

103.0 x 106.9 cm (sheet)
Manuscript title:

No title

Annotations:

George III heading: [black pencil] Military.

Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [along left edge, ink:] Ordnance Map round London 1755.; XII/5. 100 1; [bottom left, black pencil:] Ordnance map round London 1755; [top left, black pencil:] Red; [top right, black pencil:] Cantonments [? sept]; [left of centre, black pencil, partly legible:] S.M.F. […]; [top right, ink on contemporary paper label, in Mason’s hand:] III/48, [top right, a small white red-printed Royal Library label with, in a modern hand, in red ink:] XI 55 / Ordnance map round LONDON.

Gerorge III catalogue entry:

Cantonment A drawn Map, done by order of the Board of Ordnance, exhibiting the cantonments of the Troops in the country round London, from Northampton and Winchester to the Seas, 1755. 4 sheets.

K. Mil. dummy sheet:

Title [ink:] A drawn Map, done by order of the Board of Ordnance, exhibiting the Cantonments of the Troops / in the Country round London, from Northampton and Winchester to the sea 1755. 4 sheets / A Roll .... [black pencil:] 5 Table 2.^d / [black pencil, in a modern hand:] Oversize / [old heading:] Cantonments round London 1755 / [red ink:] no title.
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters B&W below.
Size: 47.1 x 32.8 cm (sheet).

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14 March 2024
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England, South East, 1755

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