War of the Austrian Succession (1740-8)
Includes much of the mapping collected by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, as Captain General of the British army
Battle of Dettingen, 1743
Plan of the BATTLE of DETTINGEN Gained by the ALLIES of the QUEEN of HUNGARY under the Command / of HIS MAJESTY The KING of GREAT BRITAIN over the FRENCH...
1743 or laterPencil, pen, ink and watercolour on two pieces of paper, joined; laid down on coarse linen and edged with red silk; two brass rings for hanging, one at each corner, missing; pink linen tie to left edge | Scale: 1:12,000 approx. | RCIN 728093
The Battle of Dettingen was the last in which a British monarch (George II, 1683-1760) took part, and the first in which William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the King's third son, saw active service. Cumberland received a serious wound in the calf which was to trouble him for the rest of his life: a shot had left a hole ‘as big as a hen's egg and the extremities of some of the muscle which it had torn asunder in its passage were quite drove out of the wound’.
This is the earliest known example of a map having been commissioned by order of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721-65). The draughtsmanship is in Napier's typically spidery style. The colours are very faded, indicating a long exposure to light, suggesting that it had hung on display, and that it may perhaps be the plan of Dettingen which was recorded after Cumberland's death as hanging in the Billiard Room in Cumberland Lodge. Although the map was apparently surveyed by Robert Napier and the map is in his hand, it is not certain that the writing of the ‘Explanation’ is by him. This calligraphy is more in the style of a Board of Ordnance draughtsman and is typical also, of the finished style of writing used by Thomas Sandby, Dugal Campbell, and, later, William Roy.
Insets: [bottom right, in rectangular box:] GENERAL PLAN OF THE SITUATION OF THE TWO ARMIES June 15/26 / the day before the Action.
Scale: 1:30,000 approx. Scale bar: Scale of three Miles [160 mm =].
Size: 15.7 x 46.0 cm (neatline).
Additional text: [left, down left side of map, a column of text giving an account of the battle, and containing a key to the letters on the map; text begins:] Explanation / The French having laid Bridges over the Mayne at Seligenstadt PP, cover’d / them with an Intrenchment & pierced holes through the Old Wall of the Town …
For further reading, see:
Y. Hodson, ‘Prince William: Royal Map Collector’, The Map Collector, no.44, Autumn 1988.
Condition: one fold line; creased; brown with age; very faded with fugitive colours, probably resulting from long exposure to light; dirty strip down right side. Verso: induced discolouration; the pattern of dirt down the right side is consistent with the map having been stored rolled and tied.
Robert Napier (c. 1703-1766) (surveyor and draughtsman) [below title, in title box:] From an exact Survey of the Ground taken by command of HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE. by Rob.t Napier Aide de Camp to His Royal Highness.
Watermark: None visible
Condition: one fold line; creased; brown with age; very faded with fugitive colours, probably resulting from long exposure to light; dirty strip down right side. Verso: induced discolouration; the pattern of dirt down the right side is consistent with the map having been stored rolled and tied.
Materials: laid down on coarse linen and edged with red silk; two brass rings for hanging, one at each corner, missing; pink linen tie to left edge
Scale: 1:12,000 approx. Scale bar: Scale of three English Miles [405 mm =].
63.5 x 67.3 cm (neatline)
64.5 x 85.8 cm (image)
67.1 x 88.5 cm (sheet)
Manuscript title:
Plan of the BATTLE of DETTINGEN Gained by the ALLIES of the QUEEN of HUNGARY under the Command / of HIS MAJESTY The KING of GREAT BRITAIN over the FRENCH ARMY (Allies to The EMPEROR) commanded by / The Marshal Duc de Noailles. June the 16/27 1743. [top right, in rectangular panel]
Insets:
[bottom right, in rectangular box:] GENERAL PLAN OF THE SITUATION OF THE TWO ARMIES June 15/26 / the day before the Action. Scale: 1:30,000 approx. Scale bar: Scale of three Miles [160 mm =]. Size: 15.7 x 46.0 cm (neatline).
Additional text:
Explanation / The French having laid Bridges over the Mayne at Seligenstadt PP, cover’d / them with an Intrenchment & pierced holes through the Old Wall of the Town …[left, down left side of map, a column of text giving an account of the battle, and containing a key to the letters on the map]
Annotations:
George III heading: Military. [bottom left, black pencil]; Dettingen 1743. [Bottom right, black pencil]
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) V/11 [bottom right, ink, perhaps in Schultz's hand, on a cream-coloured label pasted to the linen backing]; VIII 93 / Dettingen [bottom right, blue biro, in a modern hand, on a red-printed Royal Library label].
K. Mil Dummy sheet:
Title [ink:] A drawn Plan of the Battle of Dettingen, gained by the Allies of the Queen of Hungary, under the command of H.M. the King of Great Britain, over the French army, Allies of the Emperor, commanded by the Marshal Duc de Noailles, June 16/27 1743 – from a Survey taken by command of HRH the Duke, by Rob.t Napier, Aide de Camp to HRH. 2 sheets; [also in ink:] A Roll ..... [in black pencil:] 5 Table 2.d; [in black pencil, in a modern hand:] Big: sep: seq. George III heading: Battle of Dettingen 27 June 1743; [in black pencil, right of old heading, erased, perhaps in a modern hand:] Folder too big.
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters B&W below.
Size: 47.1 x 32.6 cm.George III catalogue entry:
Dettingen A drawn Plan of the Battle of Dettingen gained by the Allies of the Queen of Hungary, under the command of H. M. the King of Great Britain, over the French Army, Allies of the Emperor, commanded by the Marshal Duc de Noailles, June 16/27 1743: from a Survey taken by command of H. R. H. the Duke: by Rob.t Napier, Aide de Camp to HRH. 2 sheets.
Subject(s)
Dettingen am Main, Bavaria, Germany (50°02'29"N 09°02'00"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
Y. Hodson, ‘Prince William: Royal Map Collector’, The Map Collector, no.44, Autumn 1988.
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
