Plans of encampments in England, 1756-62

A volume of plans of military encampments in southern England between 1756 and 1762. The Seven Years War (1756-63).

It is probable that Paterson had access to earlier, perhaps contemporary, maps of the encampments from the Seven Years War from which he would have made these presentation copies. Morrison’s own collection of maps, now in the British Library (Add MSS 15532 and 15533) included contemporary work, not just by Morrison himself, but also by colleagues such as William Roy (1726-91) who, like Morrison, was in the Engineer Corps and became a Deputy Quartermaster-General in 1761.

This volume, together with its companion volume (RCIN 734032), was presented, possibly in loose sheets, to George III sometime between 1784 and 1796, in which year General George Morrison (1703/4?-26 November 1799), the compiler and presenter of the two volumes, ceased to be Quartermaster-General (the rank he assigns to himself in the dedication on the title-page), a post he had held since June 1763. A presentation date of c.1784-c.1791 would be consistent with Paterson’s rank of AQMG, but the terminal date for presentation of 1796 has been used in order to be consistent with Morrison’s relinquishing his post as QMG in that year. Both sets of maps and accompanying tables and diagrams were subsequently bound in the Royal Bindery.

Contents, in order of appearance:
Title-page
Index
Plan of the Encampment of a Regim:^t of Dragoons
Text: Blandford 1756
Blandford 1756
Text: Coxheath 1756
Coxheath 1756
Byfleet 1756
Text: Barham Downs 1757 & 1760
Barham Downs 1757
Text: Salisbury 1757
Salisbury 1757
Text: Dorchester 1757
Dorchester 1757
Text: Amersham 1757
Penn near Amersham 1757
Text: Isle of Wight 1757 & 1758
Isle of Wight 1757, 1758
Order of battle 1762
Text: Chatham 1756-1762
Chatham 1756-1762
Text: Winchester 1756-1762
Winchester 1756-1762
Text: Sendheath 1759-1762
Sendheath 1759-1762
Text: Brentwood 1759-1762
Warley 1759-1762.

Dedication: Most humbly PRESENTED to his Majesty / by HIS MAJESTY’S MOST DUTIFUL / & MOST OBEDIENT SERVANT / George Morrison Quarter Master General.

Bound in full red leather binding; dark blue leather label to centre of top board, edged with decorative gold tooling with a fleuron to each corner and stamped lettering in gold: 'ENCAMPMENTS / IN SOUTH-BRITAIN / FROM 1756, TO 1762'; elaborate filigree designs in gold tooling to the edges of top and bottom boards; spine with six ridges, decorative gold tooling to panels in between the ridges; marbled paste-downs and end papers; gilt head, fore and tail edges to pages; map pages are numbered in ink, top right (contemporary, in Paterson’s hand); pencil guiding lines for the lettering are visible on the title-page.

British Library Copy:
A similar, but not identical, set of maps is preserved in the British Library, Add MS 15532. This set of fourteen maps and plans with associated text formerly belonged to Morrison himself and was purchased by the British Museum in 1845. A brief description of the British Library volume, and the differences between it and 731068, are as follows (where the BL maps relate to the maps in RCIN 731068 the details are given under the individual map entries for the Royal Collection copy): Bound volume: full tan leather binding; upper board tan calf with double gilt lines along all edges, with dark blue leather label with gold lettering: ‘ENCAMPMENTS / IN SOUTH BRITAIN / FROM 1756 TO 1762.’ and edged with gold tooling. Spine with three dark blue leather labels edged with gold tooling and with gold lettering: ‘ENCAMPMENTS . IN SOUTH . BRITAIN . FROM 1756 TO 62’ // ‘MUS. BRIT. / JURE EMPT.’ // ’15,332 / PLUT.’; no gilt edges to pages. Size: binding: 37.3 x 54.8 cm. Front endpapers marbled; George Morrison's bookplate with his coat of arms is pasted to the inside of the upper board. No title-page.

Contents of BL ADD MS 15532

1.  Index
2.  Text: Proportions to be Observed in Encamping a Regim.^t of Dragoons …
3.  Plan of the Encampment of a Regim.^t of Dragoons …
4.  Text: Encampment at Blandford 1756
5.  Plan of the Encampment near Blandford call’d Shroton Camp 1756
6.  Text: Encampment on Coxheath 1756
7.  Plan of the Encampment on Cox Heath 1756
8.  Text: Encampment at Dorchester 1757
9.  Plan of the Ground proposed for an Encampment near Dorchester Apr 22d 1757
10. Sketch of the Ground near Dorchester from Maiden Castle to Charminster Drove
11. Text: Encampment at Salisbury 1757
12. Plan of the Encampment near Salisbury 1757
13. Text: Encampment at Amersham 1757
14. Plan of the Encampment near Amersham Bucks 1757
15. Text: Encampments in the Isle of Wight 27^th July 1757
16. Plan of the Encampments near Newport in the Isle of Wight in 1758 & 1759
17. Plan of the little Park at Windsor July 1771
18. Text: Encampments at Barham Downs 1757
19. Plan of the Encampment on Barham Downs 1757
20. BLANK
21. Order of Battle of his Maiestys Forces in South Britain Iuly 1762
22. Text: Encampment at Chatham 1756
23. Plan of His Majestys Dock Yard at Chatham with the Lines &c May 1756
24. Text: Encampments at Send-heath 1759
25. Plan of the Encampment on Send-Heath 1762
26. Text: Encampment at Brentwood 1759
27. Plan of the Encampment near Brentwood 1762
28. Text: Encampment at Winchester 1756
29. Plan of the Encampment at Winchester 1762
30. BLANK
30.[sic] Sketch of the Country from Maldon to Tilbury Fort [1757]
31. Sketch of Hyde Park … 7 Battalions of Foot Guards … to be reviewed by His Majesty 1763
32. Plan for Encampment of a Detachment of Foot Guards Little Park Windsor 23 July 1771
33. Sketch of the little Park Windsor 23 July 1771

f.1 Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters GR below. 

f.2 The following inscription in ink: 'Purchased of Thomas Rodd. / 14th. June 1845. / (bought by him at the sale / of Gen^l. Morrison's library at / Fletcher's Auction room;) / in April.' Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, suspending a ‘4’ and the letters L V G.

f.3 Blank. Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters GR below.
 

f.5 Index. [top right, black pencil:] 1. The bottom line of the ink border has been scraped out to allow the insertions of later plans: Windsor, etc. Watermark: J WHATMAN.

[f.10; top right of verso, ink or black pencil:] 9. [Not in K.Mil. This plan has the appearance of a William Roy (1726-1790, later Major-General) manuscript:] 'PLAN of the GROUND proposed for an ENCAMPMENT near DORCHESTER / Ap 22^d 1757.' Scale: 1:12,000. Scale bar [101mm =] 4000 Feet. Size: 31.4 x 36.7 cm (neatline). Watermark: indistinct. Together with another map, on the same sheet of paper and in the same hand, not in K.Mil: [top right of verso, black pencil:] 10. ‘SKETCH of the GROUND near / DORCHESTER FROM MAIDEN CASTLE / To CHARMINSTER DROVE. Scale: Scale bar: Scale of 5000 yards [126 mm =]. Size: 39.7 x 20.0 cm (neatline). Both maps oriented with north to top (cardinal point also showing magnetic north). Watermark: none visible. [There must be some error in drawing up the scale bars because the first map appears to be twice the scale of the second, more like 1:6,000.]. It is possible that the author of these plans is William Roy; inclusions of detail such as Maumbury ‘A Roman Amphitheatre', and Roman Way from Weymouth and Roman Way from Exeter may point to him. There is no exact equivalent in the BL set to the 'Plan of the Encampment near Dorchester 1757' in K.Mil, but the positions of the camp as finally adopted are drawn in black ink over the coloured formations of Roy's ms.

[f.17] Not in K.Mil. [top right, black pencil:] 17. 'Plan of the Little Park at Windsor, / shewing the situation of the Encampment pro= / posed for a Detachment of the Foot Guards, / consisting of 300 Grenadiers & 500 Hat-men. / July 1771.' Scale: 1:7,200. Scale bar 5 inches = 1000 yards. Watermark: on page: [J WHATMAN]. Size: 30.0 x 34.6 cm (image). Oriented with north to top (cardinal points). This map is pasted in to the volume and may have been added later.

[f.30] Not in K.Mil. [top right of verso, black pencil:] 30.'Sketch of the Country from / Maldon to Tilbury Fort.' Scale: 1:63,360. Scale bar: Scale of Miles [2 inches =] 2 miles. Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, a ‘4’ supending the letters L V G below; countermark: the letters I H S with a cvross above and IVILLEDARY below. Size: 54.5 x 75.9 cm (sheet). Oriented with north to top (cardinal points). The style of draughtsmanship is similar to that of William Roy or, perhaps, David Dundas (1735?-1820, later General).

f.31 Not in K.Mil. 'Sketch of Hyde Park with the Position of the 7 Batt / of Foot Guards as they are to be reviewed by His Majesty / 1763.' Scale: 1:8,000. Scale bar: [113 mm =] 1000 yards. Watermark: indistinct; cropped: [part of a coat of arms]. Size: 22.5 x 17.0 cm (neatline). The style of draughtsmanship is similar to that of William Roy.

[f.32] Not in K.Mil. [top right of reverse, black pencil:] 32. 'Plan for the Encampment of a Detachment of Foot Guards in the little Park Windsor / consisting of 300 Grenadiers & 500 Hat-men. 23 July, 1771.' This is a diagram. Watermark: JWHATMAN. Size: 30.6 x 45.4 cm (image)

[f.33] Not in K.Mil. [top right, black pencil:] 33. 'Sketch of the little Park Windsor, shewing the / situation of the Encampment of a Detachment / of Foot Guards consisting of 300 Grenadiers and / 500 Hat-men formed on the 23 July 1771 on / account of the Instalation [sic] at Windsor on the 25^h'' Scale: 1:8,000. Scale bar: [117 mm =] 1000 yards. Watermark: JWHATMAN. Size: 29.9 x 34.6 cm (neatline).