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War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14)

Sieges, marches, encampments and famous battles from 1701 to 1712 in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands

ANONYMOUS

Siege of Bouchain, 1711

1711 or later

Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper; laid down on paper | Scale: not stated. 1:27,000 approx. | RCIN 726070

A sketch of the siege of Bouchain, 6 August-13 September 1711, by the Allied army, commanded by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), resulting in the surrender of the French, commanded by Marshal Claude Louis Hector de Villars (1643-1734). War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14). Oriented with north-north-east to top.

The date of 6 August-13 September for the beginning of the siege and surrender of the fortress is taken from Ostwald (2007), p.343.

This rough sketch shows some of the siege works, the encampments, and the line of circumvallation around Bouchain. The text, by referring to French works as ‘nostre’, and the Allied camps and lines as those of the ‘ennemis’, indicate that this sketch was made by someone on the French side.

Additional text: [top left, a key, 1-36, to the positions of the camps, line of circumvallation, French retrenchments, places, bridges, etc.]

Condition: four fold lines; brown stains around edges from the paste used to attach the backing paper; repaired along centre fold by paper strips before being laid down.
  • Anonymous (cartographer)

  • Coat of arms; backing paper: IHS [with a cross on the H] I VILLEDARY

    Mark, stamped: 143

    Condition: four fold lines; brown stains around edges from the paste used to attach the backing paper; repaired along centre fold by paper strips before being laid down

  • Scale: not stated. 1:27,000 approx.

    36.7 x 24.0 cm (image and sheet)

  • Manuscript title:

    No title

    Additional text:

    [top left, a key, 1-36, to the positions of the camps, line of circumvallation, French retrenchments, places, bridges, etc.]

    Annotations:

    George III heading: Bouchain 7 Aug.t - 14 Sept.r 1711.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, black pencil:] 114. (Verso) [top right, red pencil:] 101; [top left, obscured by paper backing, black pencil: some calculations]; [top right, ink, in different hand?, obscured by paper backing: 12 lines of text]; [bottom, ink, obscured by paper backing:] to be tacked upon a blank sheet; [and, bottom right, black pencil, obscured by paper backing:] 105 [and:] Bouchain 1711.

    George III catalouge entry:

    Bouchain Plan dessiné de la Ville de Bouchain avec les Lignes de Circonvalation en 1711.

  • Subject(s)

    Bouchain, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (50°17'06"N 03°18'53"E)

  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    J. Ostwald, Vauban under siege: engineering efficiency and martial vigor in the War of the Spanish Succession, Leiden 2007