St Philips, 1756

A Plan of / S.T PHILIPS CASTLE, / on the Island of MINORCA; / with its Fortifications, & the Entrance / of the Harbour of Port Mahon / By Jno Armstrong Esq.r / Surveyor General to the Hon.ble Board of Ordnance. 1756

A plan of the French siege of Fort St Philips, Minorca, 8 May-29 June 1756. Seven Years War (1756-63). Oriented with south-east to top (cardinal points).

This plan is in an earlier state than RCIN 731076, and lacks the positions of the French batteries. The attribution of the manuscript annotations to William Cunningham, who was present at the siege, is made on the basis of the old catalogue entry and on the handwriting which resembles his. A manuscript note in what appears to be Cunningham's hand [ink on paper, 21.9 x 18.2 cm (sheet)], is pasted to the left side of the map. The paper has two tears and offsetting from the map. The text reads: ‘The following Table contains a full & distinct account of all ye batterys / constructed by ye French against ye Castle of S.tPhilips, as well with respect to ye / different times of their opening, as to ye number of Guns, Mortars, & Howitzers, / mounted in each battery; together with their respective distances, from ye / Center of ye Castle, & nearest Out works. [There follows a table with the column headings:] Gun Battery; Mortar D.o; N.o of Guns; Mortars D.o; Dist: from y.e / Center of Ye Castle / yards; Dist. From y.e / Outworks. / D.o; Time of / Opening’. The details are given for 16 batteries. The table is followed by the remainder of the text: ‘N.B. The new work in y.e cover’d way upon y.e salient angle of y.e Carolina Lunet, / with y.e two low flanks in y.e cover’d way of yewest and southwest Lunets, & the NW / Tenaile before y.e southeast Ravelin, were all constructed before y.e French landed: / as also y.e Stockade work between y.e Kane and Queen’s Redouts. // The new four gun battery in y.e Place of arms before y.e left face of the North / = west Ravelin made during y.e Siege: As also a new intended battery, tho’ not / quite finish’d the Night of y.e Storm, on y.e left face of y.e Queen’s Redout, / with the parapet of y.e Northwest Curtain of y.e Castle thickned 6 foot, and / the Platforms lengthned backwards.’

Dedication: [following on from title, in title cartouche:] To the Most High Puissant & Noble Prince / Charles Duke of Marlborough & Master Gen.l of ye Ordnance, / Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, &c. &c. / This Plan, is most humbly Inscribed / by his Graces most Devoted & Obed.t hum.ble Serv.t / Jn.o Rocque / 1756.

Additional text: [left, below title cartouche, in rectangular panel, a key A-I, K-T, V-Z, U, a-b, d-f:] Explanation.

Condition: four fold lines; worn and torn along folds, repaired by being laid down on linen; brown staining and foxing. Verso: considerable foxing; bottom, right of centre, water-stained patch, fragments and shadow from the removal of Cumberland's cipher label.