Plan of Villenore, 1760 (Villianur, Pondicherry, India) 11°54'00"N 79°45'00"E

A plan of Villenore, taken by the British, commanded by Colonel (later Sir), Eyre Coote (1726-83) on 20 July 1760. Seven Years War (1756-63): Third Carnatic War (1757-63). Oriented with west to top (cardinal points).

The attribution to Pleydell is made on stylistic grounds. This is one of fourteen manuscript plans in the collection by Pleydell of fortifications and/or actions during the Third Carnatic War (1757-63), which was part of the Seven Years War. They were all placed, in Cumberland's original collection, in Volume IV/70/1-14. Their current RCIN numbers are 732125, 732126, 733001-8, 733020, 733027, 733028. It is not known when they were drawn but it must have been sometime before Cumberland's death in 1765. The source material for this set of plans is unknown. There is no evidence to suggest that Pleydell ever went to India and, in 1760, he was serving in Germany.

Inset: [bottom right, in rectangular frame, a profile of the fort.] Scale: 1:4,303 approx. scale bar: [17 mm =] 80 y.^s. Size: 4.5 x 10.4 cm (neatline).

Additional text: [left, down left side of map in plain rectangular panel, a key, A-H, and short account of the action between the French, commanded by Lally, and the English, commanded by Col. Eyre Coote; begins:] A. Fort Villenore, built by the French in 1753, about 5 miles W. of Pondicherry, to protect the Town of Villenore, & Perambec, where the French had Country Houses. This place was invested by the English Army from Waldour, July 17.^th 1760 …]

Condition: no fold lines. Verso: induced discolouration; ink smudges.