Hyde Park, 1803

MILITARY SKETCH OF HYDE PARK

A sketch, with manuscript annotations, of the position of the Volunteer troops in Hyde Park when reviewed by George III on 28 October 1803. Napoleonic Wars (1803-15).

The positions of the volunteer regiments have been drawn onto the printed map in ink and watercolour and the names of the Volunteer regiments, together with the names of their commanding officers, are written in ink, top left. An accompanying manuscript letter, pasted to the left edge of the map, explains the map. Written from the Horse Guards on 27 October 1803, it informs George III that the 'accompanying Plan of Hyde Park, on which is drawn the Position that the Troops will occupy Tomorrow', is a temporary plan because the engraved maps which had been prepared in advance were found to be in error and could not be corrected and finished 'till a late Hour to night' and that 'M. General Brownrigg will have the Honour to present them Tomorrow Morning to their Majesty's corrected'.

Major-General Sir Robert Brownrigg (1759-1833; later, Lieutenant-General and Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Ceylon), was promoted to Major-General and Quartermaster-General at the Horse Guards in 1803, sometime before he wrote this letter. He had previously been Military Secretary to Frederick, Duke of York, when he had been Commander-in-Chief at the Horse Guards. Brownrigg remained one of the Duke's principal assistants during the Duke's reforms of the army, and gained credit for his role.

For further reading, see:
G.S. Powell, 'Brownrigg, Sir Robert, first baronet (1759–1833)', DNB, 2004; online edition 2013.

Condition: no fold lines; surface dirt and discoloured. Verso: induced discolouration; heavy surface dirt along left edge, consistent with having been rolled.