A volume of manuscript maps of military encampments in southern England, and tables of dispositions of the troops, during the American War of Independence. War of American Independence (1775-83).

Each page is numbered, top right (recto) and top left (verso). Several of the numbered pages, generally those on the verso, are blank. The maps are catalogued individually.

Annotations: Dummy sheet: Title [ink:] A Collection of Drawn Plans of Encampments and Dispositions of the Army in Great Britain, / from 1778 to 1782: by George Morrison, drawn by Daniel Paterson. / One Volume Oblong Folio ... [black pencil:] 5 L 1 / [old heading, red ink:] Encampments in England 1778 - 1782 / [black pencil, in a modern hand:] UL = III 51 K. Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned? shield, the scrolled letter W below. Size: 48.3 x 33.3 cm (sheet).

The title page of this volume was written sometime on or after 7 July 1783 (the date of Daniel Paterson's commission as Captain in the 36th Regiment of Foot, with which rank he styles himself) and 1791 in which year he ceased to be an Assistant Quartermaster General (he signs himself as ‘Assistant to the Quart. Mast. General’ on the title-page).

The maps will have been compiled from original field surveys and draft maps which would have been made between 1778 and 1782 (the last encampment ended on 13 November 1782). Where the surveyors' names are mentioned on the maps, the ranks with which they are designated are consistent with the date of the encampment. The fair copies in this volume would probably have been drawn up by Paterson, in the immediate aftermath of the American War of Independence, as a presentation set sometime in or after 1784 (the date of Bowles's printed plan of London, RCIN 734032.an) and in or before 1791. An execution date of c.1784-1791 has, therefore, been assigned to all the maps, and this is also consistent with the date of Paterson's commission as Captain in the 36th Foot (11 July 1783), which rank and regiment he gives on the title-page (see above).

This volume, together with its companion volume of maps of encampments of the Seven Years War at RCIN 731068, was presented, possibly in loose sheets, to George III sometime between 1784 and 1796, in which year General George Morrison (1703/4?-1799), the compiler and presenter of this volume, ceased to be Quartermaster-General, 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.

George Morrison, an engineer, had seen service in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48) and, ‘having earned the good opinion of the Duke of Cumberland he was brought to the notice of George II and joined the household of the young Prince of Wales, later George III. After his appointment as Quartermaster-General he was in frequent attendance on George III. Encampment maps, such as those in this volume, would have formed part of the stock in trade of a quartermaster.

Daniel Paterson, the draughtsman of most of the plans, was born in 1738 and began his military career as an Ensign in the 30th Foot on 13 December 1765 (just six weeks after Cumberland's death on 31 October) and ended as Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, a post which he held from 31 December 1812 until his death on 14 April 1825. In the meantime, he had made a name for himself as the author of many commercially-produced maps and itineraries, the first of which, A Scale of Distances of the Principal Cities and Towns of England was published in 1766.

One of the surveyors of the maps is recorded as a Lieutenant Green in 1778 and Captain Green in 1779. According to Houlding's 18th-Century British Officers Database of regular army officers and their ranks (unpublished), there were twenty-five officers with the name Green for the period 1778-1782, the rank of only one of whom, Justly Watson Green, fits with those recorded in this volume. This identification is undoubtedly sound and is supported by the British Library volume (see below) which refers to him as ‘I.W. Green’. Justly Watson Green, (later Sir Justly Watson Green, second Baronet, 1755-1826), was the son of the engineer, General Sir William Green (1725-1811), the architect of the defence works of Gibraltar in the 1770s and Director of Engineers during the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-83). Sir William had married the daughter of the engineer Justly Watson (who was Sub-Director at Landguard Fort) after whom Justly Watson Green was named. J.W. Green, who had been trained in topographical map-making at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, became, on 12 September 1783 (having not long since completed the surveys for some of the maps in this volume) ‘instructor in Mathematicks and other branches of military knowledge’ to The Prince Edward, later Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820), fourth son of George III.

Very little is known about the Ensign, later Captain, Morrison who is identified, on f.149 [pencil number: 74] of the British Library copy (see below), as ‘Ed:^d Morrison’. The Houlding database shows that while there were twelve Morrisons in the regular army for the period 1778-1782, none of them held the rank of Ensign or Captain. However, the List of the General and Field Officers, As they rank in the Army … on the British and Irish Establishments, London: Printed for J. Millan (1778), p.51, does record an Ensign Edward Morrison (date of commission 20 January 1777) in the Coldstream Regiment of Foot-Guards and it may be that they are one and the same.

The present volume contains plans of the following camps: 1778: Buckland Down, Weovil Heath & Portsmouth, Coombe Basset & Salisbury, Winchester, Coxheath, Warley Common, Hengrave & Fornham. 1779: Plymouth, Salisbury, Rye to Hastings, Aldborough, Cavenham Heath, Lexden Heath. 1780: London, Dartford Heath, Waterdown Forest, Ranmer Common, Tiptree Heath, Danbury Comon, Tenpenny Heath, Blackheath, Finchley Common. 1781: Roborough Down, Lenham Heath, Hornwood Heath. 1782: Portsmouth, Chatham, Sheerness, Harwich, Woodbridge, Yarmouth (Norfolk).

The regimental rectangles which are drawn to represent each encamped regiment are coloured according to the colours of the coats and facings of each regiment. These colours are described in the catalogue entries according to how they appear on the map; the authority consulted on British uniforms for this period is Lawson, (reprinted 1974), vol. III.

For further reading, see:
E. Baigent, ‘Paterson, Daniel (1738–1825)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edn 2014.
C.C.P. Lawson, A history of the uniforms of the British Army, vol. III. London, 1961; reprinted 1974.
R.H. Vetch, ‘Green, Sir William, first baronet (1725–1811)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004; online edn 2008.
R.H. Vetch, ‘Morrison, George (1703/4?–1799)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004.

BRITISH LIBRARY COPY

A similar, but not identical, set of maps is preserved in the British Library (formerly British Museum library), Add MS 15533. It was originally in the possession of George Morrison and contains many of the same maps, though in a less polished style, together with other maps and sketches which do not appear in the volume which Morrison presented to George III. A brief description of the British Library volume, and the differences between it and RCIN 734032, are as follows (where the BL maps relate to the maps in RCIN 734032 the details for the BL copy are given under the individual map entries for the Royal Collection volume): the BL volume was rebound by the British Library in 1981. George Morrison’s bookplate was removed from the old binding and pasted to the verso of the 'new' upper board. The original flyleaf (watermark: ‘JWHATMAN’), bears the ink inscription made, presumably, by a British Museum employee: ‘Purchased of Tho.^s Rodd, / 14.^th June 1845. / (who bought it at the sale of / Gen.^l Morrison’s library / at Fletcher’s Auction rooms.)’.

The title-page of the British Library volume has identical wording, with the same line endings, but slightly different punctuation. This suggests that it may have been intended as a record copy for Morrison’s own retention; this would explain the looser draughting and the inclusion of additional material. It is not signed by him and his name does not appear in the volume.

Like RCIN 734032, the pages in the BL volume are numbered in ink, top right on the recto and top left on the verso. Most of the versos are blank. These ink numbers have been crossed out and a new number, in pencil, has been substituted, probably by British Museum or British Library staff. The sequence of pencil numbers apply only to pages with images; blank pages are not numbered. The page numbers used in the descriptions of the BL maps which follow are taken from the original ink numbering sequence.

The following maps in BL Add MS 15533 are not present in K.Mil:

p.65 Title: PLAN / OF THE ENCAMPMENT ON / GREAT WARLEY COMMON / commanded by / LIEUT: GEN: PARKER / from 7.^th June to 29.^th Nov.^r / 1779.
Creator(s) [bottom right, outside border:] Survey’d by Ens. Morrison, & Lieut. Green. Ass.^ts to the Q.^r M.^r Gen.^l.
Scale 1:7,088. Scale bar: [129 mm =] 1000 Yards.
Medium & Support: Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on one sheet of paper which is pasted to a paper mount.
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters G R below.
Size: 32.4 x 36.0 cm (neatline); 34.2 x 36.4 cm (image); 34.8 x 38.0 (sheet).
Notes: Oriented with east-north-east to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

Inserted on a separate page, at some unknown date, between pages 94 and 95: Title ‘Sketch of the Encampment on Blackheath 10.^th Aug. 1780 / Creator(s) By Lieut. Paterson Assist.^t to the Q.^r M.^r Gen:^l. Scale1:8,877. Scale bar: [103 mm=] 1000 Yards. Medium & SupportMS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper, pasted down onto paper mount.Size (n) 235 x 158; (i) 267 x 161; (s) 324 x 231. Watermark None. Notes Oriented with east to top (cardinal points). The title is written in brown ink, possibly by Paterson himself; the map appears to be drawn in a less accomplished hand. The pencil annotation: ‘*94’ is written, top right, in perhaps, an early nineteenth-century hand, and has been crossed out in black pencil.

Inserted on a separate page, at some unknown date, between pages 96 and 97: Title ‘Sketch of the Encampment on Finchley Common 10.^th Aug. 1780 / Creator(s) By Lieut. Paterson Assist.^t to the Q.^r M.^r Gen:^l. Scale1:10,653. Scale bar: [103 mm=] 1200 Yards. Additional text [top left:] A a Running Spring of Good, clear Water, / sufficient to serve the whole Camp, but / more particularly convenient for the Left / B a square-built Wellof most excellent Water, / likewise sufficient / for the whole Camp, but / more particularly convenient for the Right. Medium & SupportMS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper, pasted down onto paper mount.Size (n) 235 x 158; (i) 267 x 161; (s) 324 x 231. Watermark None. Notes Oriented with north to top (cardinal points). The title is written in brown ink, possibly by Paterson himself; the map appears to be drawn in a less accomplished hand.

p.99 Title ‘SKETCH OF / WINDSOR LITTLE PARK / with / THE ENCAMPMENT OF / Five Comp.^s of the 2.^d Bat.ⁿ Royal / during the Election of a Member for the / Borough of Windsor / in Sept.^r 1780. Creator(s) Anon. Scale 1:7,882. Scale bar: Scale of Yards [116 mm =] 1000 Yards. Medium & Support MS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper, pasted down on a paper mount [i.e. the page]. Watermark JWHATMAN. Size (n) 309 x 316; (i) 314 x 321; (s) 344 x 482. Notes Oriented with north to top (cardinal points). Shows the layout of the castle buildings, Windsor High Street, Eton Bridge and part of Eton, and the walled Little Park.

p.131 Title ‘Lines measured near Billericay / according to Col. Roy’s Report & Estimate / in 1781. / Being part of the same Ground Reported / by him in 1778. Creator(s) Anon, but in the style of Roy or Morrison. Scale 1:2,375.Scale bar: Scale of Yards [231 mm =] 600 Yards. Medium & Support MS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Size (i) a nd (s) 368 x 529. Annotations (R) [tc, bp, cropped, in an early hand:] N.^o 3Watermark Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters G R below. Notes Oriented with west to top (cardinal point with magnetic north). Hedgerows, windmills, watercourses, settlements and roads are shown; the boundaries of the proposed camps are drawn in red ink.

p.133 Title ‘A PLAN / of / PLAYDON HEIGHTS / The TOWNS of RYE and WINCHELSEA / CADBORO HILL and the RIVERS. Creators(s) [following on from title:] Surveyed in Aug:^t 1778 by I: W: Green Ass:^t to the Q: M: Gen:^l Scale 1:11,016. Scale bar: A Scale of Yards [83 mm =] 1000. Additional text [right:] N: B: The Mouths of both the Harbours are / choaked up with Sand at low Tides. // The New Harbour at the Draw Bridge / is 20 feet deep at high Water, & 9 feet deep / at low Water; above Rye Ferry it is only / two or three paces over at low Water, but / impassable on account of the Mud. // All the Salts are overflowed at Spring / Tides. // Playdon Church is higher than the Ground / at Cadboro or Winchelsea. Rye is consid = / =erably lower than any of the above Places; / the Weather Cock on Rye Steeple is about / 300 feet above the Salts. [bottom right, a key to gates and buildings etc, a-h, k, m-o:] References. Medium & Support MS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper; guarded into volume.Size (n) 507 x 491; (i) 511 x 496; (s) 525 x 512. Watermark J WHATMAN Notes Oriented with north-west to top (cardinal points with magnetic north). A very finely executed map showing all the manmade and natural physical details of military importance.

p.135 Title ‘A SKETCH / OF / BRABORNE LEESE / between HYTHE and ASHFORD / taken in Sep:^r 1778 Creator(s) by I: W: Green Assis:^t to the Q: M: Gen:^l. [br, below border:] By Lieut. Green Assis.^t to the Q.^r M.^rGen.^l Scale 1:7,200. Scale bar: Scale of Yards [127 =] 1000. Medium & Support MS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Size (n) 335 x 489; (i) 350 x 492; (s) 368 x 533. Watermark JWHATMAN Annotations [r, red ink, an extension of the field boundaries with a reference to an unnumbered page.] Notes Oriented with west-north-west to top (cardinal points).

p.137 Title ‘SKETCH of the most Eligible Situation for an ENCAMPMENT of Six Battalions of Foot on HOUNSLOW HEATH, Sept.^r 1779. Creator(s) [br, below border:] Reported by Lieut. Paterson 30.^th Reg.^t Assist.^t to the Quar.^r Mast.^r Gen.^l Scale 1:16,184. Scale bar: [113 mm =] 2000 Yards. Medium & Support MS. Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters G R below. Size (n) 288 x 433; (i) 312 x 437; (s) 368 x 533. Notes Oriented with north-west (magnetic north) to top (cardinal points and magnetic north), This shows the outline of ‘Vestiges of a Camp in 1740 / which fronted towards Hounslow.’ This was facing in the opposite direction to the proposed camp as set out on this plan.

p.139 Title ‘SKETCH of the most Eligible Situation for an ENCAMPMENT of Six Battalions of Foot in the Neighbourhood of ESHER COMMON, Sept.^r 1779. Creator(s) [br, below border:] Reported by Lieut. Paterson, 30.^th Reg.^t Assist.^t to the Quar.^r Mast. Gen.^l Scale 1:16,184. Scale bar: [113 mm =] 2000 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark JWHATMAN Size (n) 290 x 432; (i) 355 x 435; (s) 368 x 533. Notes Oriented with north to top (cardinal points with magnetic north). This shows Lord Ligonier’s property at Cobham

p.141 Title ‘SKETCH of LINES for ENCAMPMENT between CROYDON and EPSOM 1779. Creator(s) [br, below border:] Reported by I: W: Green, Assis:^t to the Quarter Master General. Scale 1:28,263. Scale bar: [55 mm =] 1700 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark None visible. Size (n) 328 x 522; (i) 343 x 555; (s) 356 x 533. Notes Oriented with magnetic north to top [i.e. north-north-west] (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.143 Title A PLAN / OF / FAIRLIGHT DOWN / In the NEIGHBOURHOOD of HASTINGS / WITH THE / PROPOSED ENCAMPMENT / FOR THE YEAR / 1779 Creator(s) [ br, below border, cropped:] Survey’d by Lieut Green Ass^t to the Qu^r M^r [Gen^l] Scale 1:10,828. Scale bar: Scale of Yards [76 mm =] 900. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark JWHATMAN Size (n) 355 x 426; (i) 362 x 429; (s) 367 x 531. Notes Oriented with north-north-east to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.145 Title PLAN / of / The Ground for ENCAMPMENT / marked on / TIPTREY HEATH / 1779 Creator(s) [br, inside neatline:] J: W: Green, Assistant to / the Quarter Master General Scale 1:16,328. Scale bar: Scale of Yards [56 mm =] 1000. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark JWHATMAN Size (n) 348 x 407; (i) 356 x 501; (s) 368 x 525. Notes Oriented with west-north-west to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.147 Title SKETCH of GROUND for ENCAMPMENT near DANBURY 1779. Creator(s) [br, below border:] By Lieut. Green Ass.^t to the Quar. Mast. Gen.^l Scale 1:12,700. Scale bar: [72 mm =] 1000 Yards Medium & Support Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters G R below. Size (n) 218 x 292; (i) 235 x 296; (s) 367 x 530. Notes No indication of orientation.

p.149 Title SKETCH / OF THE / SERVICEABLE GROUND / ON THE LARGE PART OF / TIPTREY HEATH / 1780 Creator(s) [br, below border:] Reported by Ed:^d Morrison and I: W: Green, Assistants to the Quarter Master General. Scale 1:8,964. Scale bar: [102 mm =] 1000 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper, mounted on paper. Watermark [on page:] JWAHTMAN Size (n) 334 x 375; (i) 351 x 379; (s) 36 x 420. Notes Oriented with west-north-west to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.151 Title SKETCH / OF / LINES for ENCAMPMENT / ON / WATERDOWN FOREST / 1780 Creator(s) [br, below border:] Reported by Ed: Morrison & I: W: Green, Assist:^ts to the Quarter Master General Scale 1:13,252. Scale bar: [69 mm =] 1000 Yards Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper, mounted on the paper page. Watermark [on page:] Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the scrolled letter W below. Size (n) 280 x 507; (i) 295 x 510; (s) 318 x 534. Notes Oriented with north-north-east to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.153 Title Lines measured on the ascent of Boxley Hill, / west of the High Road from Maidston [sic] to Rochester; / and about half a mile south of Borham Down, at / Kitt’s Cott House / according to Capt. Morrison’s Report, 4.^th Apr: 1781. Creator(s) E Morrison [and William Roy, draughtsman]. Scale 1:3,214. Scale bar: [256 mm =] 900 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen and ink with grey wash on paper, guarded into volume. Watermark Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, the letters G R below; countermark: I TAYLOR Size (i) and (s) 358 x 491. Notes Oriented with [north-east] to top (magnetic north is pointing to the top left). This sketch appears to be in William Roy’s hand. The annotation ‘N.^o 1’ is written in bp, tc and other, now erased, pencil notes are present, bl.

p.155 Title Lines measured on the ascent of Boxley Hill, west of the High Road from Maidston [sic] to Rochester; / and about half a mile south of Borham Down, at / Kitt’s Cott House. / according to Col. Roy’s Report 10.^th Apr. 1781 Creator(s) William Roy (1726-1791). Scale 1:3,197. Scale bar: [143 mm =] 500 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and grey wash on paper. Watermark None visible. Size (i) and (s) 450 x 673. Notes Oriented with north-east to top (cardinal points with magnetic north). The pencil annotation ‘N.^o 2’ is top centre; other, now erased, pencil notes can be seen bl. This sketch covers more ground and gives more detail and information than Morrison’s sketch of the same area.

p.157 Title Callum Hill near Halstow / Kent. according to / Capt.ⁿ Morrison’s Report / 1781. Creator(s) Edward Morrison; Draughtsman [William Roy]. Scale 1:3,975. Scale bar: [138 mm = 600 Yards]. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink watercolour and grey wash on paper. Watermark Fleur-de-lys in crowned shield the letters G R below. Size (i) and (s) 376 x 536. Notes Oriented with north-west to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.159 Title Llines measured on Braborn Leese for/2 Reg.^tsLight Drag.^s 3 Batt.^s Infantry and / a Park of Artillery /according to Lieut. Paterson’s Report / 28.^th March, 1781. Creator(s) Paterson; Draughtsman [William Roy?]. Scale 1:7,562. Scale bar: [133 mm =] 1100 Yards. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour with grey wash on paper. Watermark JWHATMAN Size (i) and (s) 367 x 533. Notes Oriented with west to top (cardinal points with magnetic north).

p.161 Title PLAN / OF / THE ENVIRONS OF / PLYMOUTH Creator(s) Paterson? Scale 1:9,676. Scale bars: [189 mm =] 2000 Yards; [164 mm =] 1 Mile. Medium & Support Pencil, pen, ink and watercolour on paper. Watermark [too large to handle safely]. Size (i) 649 x 956; (s) 668 x 972. Notes Oriented with north to top (north point). This appears to be drawn on one sheet of paper.