Map of Hunsrück, 1691-1735 (Hunsrück [hill], Hesse, Germany) 51°01ʹ34ʺN 09°06ʹ03ʺE

One of three maps of Hunsrück from 1691 to 1735. War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). These three sheets appear, from the title, to be a copy of part of the series of large-scale military topographical mapping of the region of Lorraine between 1728 and 1739. This was undertaken by Jean-Baptiste Naudin (active 1688-1726), his brother Jaques (active 1702-41, known as Naudin le Jeune, Naudin Cadet, and then Naudin Père), his son, Jean-Jaques Naudin who was born c.1714 and began surveying and plan drawing in about 1732 and Jacques Denis (born c.1686) who took part in all the surveys of Lorraine from 1732. The Elector Palatine from 1742 to 1799 was Charles Theodore. The other two maps can be found at RCINs 724050.a and c.

The surviving maps from this series are preserved in the Médiathèque de Metz, the Service Historique de la Défence, and the Institut Géographique National and a map covering a similar area to this K.Mil. example, is in the King's Topographical Collection in the British Library (K.Top.LXXXVIII.62).

The maps catalogued here are in a different draughting style to those of the Naudins or of Denis and are presumably, therefore, the work of Capitaine de Groth. Part 1 (RCIN 724050.a) overlaps slightly with part of the eastern edge of Map 07 (RES ROL 011); none of Part 2 (RCIN 724050.b) appears to be covered by any of the other extant maps, while Part 3 (RCIN 724050.c) appears to be a direct copy. Part 3 covers the same area as Map C08 in the collection of the Médiathèque de Metz (RES ROL 012), but the different draughting style is presumably that of Capitaine de Groth. Place-name spellings are rendered in German rather than in French, and other differences in detail include the omission of some of the annotations such as 'P.P.' for stone bridge at, for example, Wiebelskirchen (Wibelskircken on the Metz copy) or 'P.B.' for wooden bridge at Hamgardt (Hamgard); names are occasionally omitted, such as that of the River Austler north of Niederkirch and Winsweiller, south of Alsbrick. Occasionally there is the insertion of a name which is missing from the Metz example, such as the addition of 'Gresenhus' in between Ramberg (Bamberg) and Dernebach, south-west of Neustadt.

The area covered extends further east than the examples in France. Where there is some overlap, a comparison between the two shows considerable difference in detail. This ranges from the method of showing relief, to differences in outline of settlements, in the alignment and colouring of roads, and in the spelling of place-names, of which there are numerous examples. RCIN 724050.a (near the top of the sheet) has the place-name 'Steinkahlenfels' in the vicinity of Kirn, but is rendered as 'Stinkalfelds' on the Metz copy. Many place-names appear on the Royal Collection examples, but not on the Metz copy and vice-versa. Furthermore, fords marked on the original map are not indicated on the German copy.

Additional text: [bottom right, below surveyors' names:] Remarques / Il y a quelque Noin de village, les quells par mégard ont èté transe / mis, ils sont cependant marqué [with a maltese cross], et on trouue un Signe par= / =eille proche l'un de l'autre Signifie que Les noms doiuent etre / pris l'un pour l'autre.

Condition: five modern folds; creased; paper very fragile and torn, or about to be torn; surface dirt along left edge. Verso: surface dirt along left edge; formerly kept as a roll, the surface dirt pattern shows in what direction the map was rolled, i.e. from left to right.