A PLAN OF THE TOWN OF NEWPORT

Published by J F W Des Barres, 1781

The Hydrographic Office was founded in 1795 to provide the Royal Navy with accurate charts and surveys of their areas of operation. That proud tradition has been maintained to the present day and over the years famous surveyors and explorers such as Cook, Flinders, Vancouver and Bligh have contributed to this task. Among these famous names Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barres stands pre-eminent.

The request of the Admiralty for charts of the coasts of Nova Scotia and the American colonies launched Des Barres on ten active years of continuous surveying. He returned to England in 1774 and was immediately engaged on publishing his charts of the American coast. The outcome was an unparalleled series of views and charts that appeared under the title ' Atlantic Neptune'.

This detailed plan of Newport, Rhode Island was first published in 1776 and amended on a number of occasions throughout the War of Independence. The strategic position of Rhode Island was recognised by both sides during the conflict and the British occupied the island at the end of 1776. It was evacuated in October 1778 and later in 1780 the French under the Count de Rochambeau landed in support of the Continental army.