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This map of part of the Saint Lawrence River was engraved for Thomas Mante’s History of the Late War in North America, published in 1772. It provides a detailed depiction of the river's course from Lake Ontario to Montreal, an essential route for military campaigns during the French and Indian War. The engraving, executed by Thomas Kitchin, reflects British military intelligence and cartographic precision, showing one of the routes leading to the British siege of Montreal.
The map highlights key geographical features, including the Lake of a Thousand Islands, Lake St. Francis, and major rapids, as well as strategically significant locations such as Fort William Augustus, Indian settlements, and key military encampments. Notably, the map includes detailed depictions of British siege operations near Isle Royal and La Galet Fort, with precise labels indicating "English Army during the Siege," "Battery," and "Lines." It also shows dotted lines of routes leading to the "Army Landing" on the Island of Montreal.
The presence of multiple British encampments and siegeworks along the river suggests a deliberate strategy to isolate and pressure French positions. The map captures the layered nature of the British advance, with forces carefully positioned to control access points and support naval movements along the St. Lawrence.
The broader historical context of this map aligns with the final phase of the British conquest of New France. By 1760, three separate British forces—led by Jeffrey Amherst, James Murray, and William Haviland—were converging on Montreal, leaving the French with no viable means of resistance. The fortifications illustrated here, particularly around Isle Royal and La Galet Fort, highlight the last major defensive positions before the city’s surrender. These siege lines demonstrate the strategic foresight of British engineers, who ensured that Montreal was effectively surrounded and cut off from reinforcements.
Thomas Mante
Thomas Mante’s History of the Late War in North America (1772) is a detailed account of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), focusing on military campaigns and geopolitical developments. Mante, a British army officer and historian, offers a firsthand perspective on key events and battles, including Braddock’s defeat, the capture of Louisbourg, and the pivotal Battle of Quebec. His narrative emphasizes British strategy and leadership while critiquing colonial and military mismanagement.
The book is notable for its inclusion of detailed maps illustrating the theaters of war, providing essential context for military operations. Mante’s work is one of the earliest comprehensive histories of the conflict, blending analysis with firsthand observation, and remains a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of the struggle for dominance in North America.
Rarity
Mante's History of the Late War in North America is rare on the market, and the maps almost never appear separately.
This is the first example of this map we have seen on the market.
Thomas Kitchin was a British cartographer and engraver. Born in Southwark, England, Kitchin was the eldest of several children. He was apprenticed to the map engraver Emanuel Bowen from 1732 to 1739, and he married Bowen’s daughter, Sarah, in December 1739. By 1741 Kitchin was working independently and in 1746 he began taking on apprentices at his firm. His son Thomas Bowen Kitchin was apprenticed to him starting in 1754. By 1755 Kitchin was established in Holborn Hill, where his firm produced all kinds of engraved materials, including portraits and caricatures. He married his second wife, Jane, in 1762. Beginning in 1773 Kitchin was referred to as Hydrographer to the King, a position his son also later held. He retired to St. Albans and continued making maps until the end of his life.
A prolific engraver known for his technical facility, clean lettering, and impressive etched decorations, Kitchin produced several important works throughout his career. He produced John Elphinstone’s map of Scotland in 1746, and the first pocket atlas of Scotland, Geographia Scotiae, in 1748/1749. He co-published The Small English Atlas in 1749 with another of Bowen’s apprentices, Thomas Jefferys. He produced The Large English Atlas serially with Emanuel Bowen from 1749 to 1760. The latter was the most important county atlas since the Elizabethan era, and the first real attempt to cover the whole country at a large scale. In 1755 Kitchin engraved the important John Mitchell map of North America, which was used at the peace treaties of Paris and Versailles. In 1770 he produced the twelve-sheet road map England and Wales and in 1769–70 he produced Bernhard Ratzer’s plans of New York. In 1783, he published The Traveller’s Guide through England and Wales.
