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An Authentic Plan of the River St. Laurence From Sillery, to the Fall of Montmorenci, With the Operations of the Siege of Quebec…
London, [1768]. Hand-colored engraving, 13” x 18.625” on larger sheet. CONDITION: Good, expertly repaired tear across inset view at upper-right corner, as well as two shorter repaired tears minimally affecting ships from left and three lines of title from bottom, two very small losses with minimal effect on printed area; expertly backed with Japanese tissue. An important Seven Years’ War map highlighting British and French positions during the 1759 siege of Quebec and Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which culminated in the British capture of the city. Jefferys’ finely detailed plan captures the critical months leading up to the confrontation of September 13th, 1759. It traces the shifting positions and movements around Quebec that resulted in British triumph, a turning point that ultimately led to the fall of the city and, a few years later, the cession of French Canada to Britain under the 1763 Treaty of Paris. This is the second state of the map, with Jeffreys’ address preceding “price 2d” in the publication line at lower right. The area of focus is the St. Lawrence River from the town of Sillery to past Montmorency Falls, including the northwestern part of Ile d’Orleans. Quebec City is shown in plan with buildings in red, enclosed on a peninsula by city walls. The surrounding area depicts towns, roads, bridges, wooded areas, farmhouses, churches, fortifications, military camps, hospitals, and other sites of interest. Topography is shown in hachures, and the shoals and channels of the St. Lawrence are marked in dotted lines. The map is oriented to approximately the northwest, with scale given in British miles. By depicting a wider area, Jeffreys highlights the strategic significance of the preceding siege and naval actions that prepared the way for the battle. A table in the upper right lists the “Defences of Quebec,” including battery names, with the number of guns and mortars for each. Two insets in the upper right of the map provide additional context. The leftmost shows the course of the St. Lawrence River from its confluence with the Richelieu River to Ile d’Orleans. The rightmost is a battle plan of the September 13th confrontation, “brought from thence by an officer of distinction.” The map is dedicated “to the Right Honourable William Pitt Esqr., one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council and Principal Secretary of State &c.” William Pitt (“The Elder,” 1708–1778) was a leading figure in the British cabinet during the Seven Years’ War who later served as prime minister. The battle for Quebec followed a string of British victories in North America, including the capture of the French fortress at Louisbourg on Île Royale (Cape Breton Island) the year prior, and several victories along the St. Lawrence River. Moving upriver towards Quebec City, British forces under the command of General James Wolfe established two camps on opposite sides of the river: one on the south shore and another east of Montmorency Falls, opposite the French encampment of General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. The British fleet, depicted here as finely-illustrated miniature vessels (with names provided), was commanded by Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders. Several annotations provide information about the obstacles encountered by the British in the progression of the siege. One such note, near the center of the map, describes an attempted French attack on the British fleet using burning rafts (also depicted), which were diverted by British soldiers in small boats. Other feints, attacks, and movements are described in a similar manner. Prior to the battle, British troops were transported in ships upstream of Quebec City, landing near Sillery. Marching east toward the city, the British encountered French resistance at the Plains of Abraham, a field named after an early settler, Abraham Martin. The inset showing the September 13th battle depicts the British and French formations, led by generals Wolfe and Montcalm, respectively. The commanders of sub-units on both sides are also named. On the British side, General Wolfe led a professional company of soldiers that included “Highlanders” and “Royal Americans.” The French side was less well-trained and included local militias—the “Burghers of Quebec” and “Indians” both appear in the northern part of the French formation. The short battle saw the deaths of both generals—Wolfe and Montcalm—and ended in British victory. The British occupied Quebec City, albeit tenuously, until the end of the war. Thomas Jeffreys (ca. 1719–1771) was the leading cartographer of the British Empire in his day, contributing a number of important maps and atlases of Great Britain, North America, and the Caribbean. Born in Birmingham, Jeffreys moved to London and apprenticed to Emmanuel Bowen in 1735. After a few years in the business, Jeffreys was appointed Geographer to Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1744. In 1760 he became Geographer to King George III. Despite receiving acclaim for his work, Jeffreys nevertheless experienced financial difficulties and was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1766, though he recovered his business. Upon his death a few years later, his workshop was passed to his son Thomas Jeffreys Jr. and partner William Faden, the latter succeeding Jeffreys as Royal Geographer. Throughout his career, Jeffreys collaborated with other cartographers and publishers, including Thomas Kitchin (Small English Atlas, 1749) and Robert Sayer (A General Typography of North America, 1768). Several of his most important works were published posthumously. A fine British map of military circumstances in and about Quebec during the Seven Years’ War. REFERENCES: Kershaw 1017; “Siege of Québec” and “Battle of the Plains of Abraham” at National Battlefields Commission (Canada) online; De Bruin, Tabitha. “Battle of the Plains of Abraham” at the Canadian Encyclopedia online; “Thomas Jeffreys” at the British Museum online; Moreland, Carl and David Bannister. Christie’s Collector’s Guide: Antique Maps (Oxford: Phaidon and Christie’s Limited, 1986), pp. 169–70.
Item #9798
Price: $2,500.00
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