Claude J. Sauthier
Encyclopedia
Claude Joseph Sauthier was an illustrator, draftsman, surveyor, and mapmaker. He was employed by the British colonial government in the American colonies prior to and during the American Revolutionary War
.
, France
. His early training was as an illustrator and draftsman, and his influences were the master garden designers Dezallier d'Argenville
and Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond
. Several of Sauthier’s works from the 1750s are archived in the library of the Grand Seminaire de Strasbourg. In 1763, Sauthier wrote A Treatis on Public Architecture and Garden Planning.
William Tryon
. Sauthier accompanied Governor Tryon throughout the Province of North Carolina from 1768 to 1771, mapping towns that were deemed militarily important to Tryon. Sauthier surveyed and created maps of Bath
, Beaufort
, Brunswick Town, Cross Creek (now Fayetteville
), Edenton, Halifax
, Hillsborough
, New Bern, Salisbury
, Wilmington
, and the Camp and Battlefield of Alamance
. He was also involved in the design of the gardens of the governor’s house (now known as Tryon Palace
) in New Bern. Original copies of Sauthier’s maps are archived in the King George III's Topographical Collection at the British Library
in London
, the Public Record Office
in London, the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in Raleigh
, North Carolina, and the Clinton Collection at the William L. Clements Library
at the University of Michigan
.
, Sauthier accompanied him there, and was appointed surveyor for the Province of New York by Tryon. During this period, Sauthier was also instrumental in surveying the boundary between New York and Quebec
.
In 1776, Sauthier surveyed and mapped Staten Island
, New York, for British General William Howe, and surveyed and mapped Fort Washington
on Manhattan Island after troops under the command of General Hugh Percy
attacked and captured it. General Percy retained Sauthier on his staff when he commanded the British forces holding Rhode Island
.
In May of 1777, when General Percy returned to his familial home at Alnwick Castle
in England, Sauthier accompanied him, and was employed as Percy’s secretary.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Early life
Sauthier was born November 10, 1736 in StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His early training was as an illustrator and draftsman, and his influences were the master garden designers Dezallier d'Argenville
Dezallier d'Argenville
The family of Dezallier d'Argenville produced two writers and connoisseurs in the course of the 18th century.Antoine-Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville , avocat to the Parlement de Paris and secretary to the king, was a connoisseur of gardening who laid out two for himself and his family, before writing...
and Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond
Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond
Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond was a French architect and garden designer who became the chief architect of Saint Petersburg in 1716.- Career in France :...
. Several of Sauthier’s works from the 1750s are archived in the library of the Grand Seminaire de Strasbourg. In 1763, Sauthier wrote A Treatis on Public Architecture and Garden Planning.
Arrival in North Carolina
Sauthier migrated to America in 1767 at the request of British royal Governor of North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
. Sauthier accompanied Governor Tryon throughout the Province of North Carolina from 1768 to 1771, mapping towns that were deemed militarily important to Tryon. Sauthier surveyed and created maps of Bath
Bath, North Carolina
Bath is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 268 at the 2008 census. Incorporated in 1705, Bath was North Carolina's first port of entry. Bath is North Carolina's oldest town, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2005...
, Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina
Beaufort is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. Established in 1709, it is the third-oldest town in North Carolina.The population was 4,189 at the 2008 census and it is the county seat of Carteret County...
, Brunswick Town, Cross Creek (now Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
), Edenton, Halifax
Halifax, North Carolina
Halifax is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 344 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County...
, Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
, New Bern, Salisbury
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, and the Camp and Battlefield of Alamance
Battle of Alamance
The Battle of Alamance was the final battle of the War of the Regulation, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control. In the past, historians considered the battle to be the opening salvo of the American Revolution and locals agreed with this assessment...
. He was also involved in the design of the gardens of the governor’s house (now known as Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace is a modern reconstruction of the historical colonial royal governors' palace of the Province of North Carolina. It was constructed in the 1950s across the original mansion site located in the city of New Bern, North Carolina. Today it is a State Historic Site. The Palace gardens are...
) in New Bern. Original copies of Sauthier’s maps are archived in the King George III's Topographical Collection at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
in London, the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina, and the Clinton Collection at the William L. Clements Library
William L. Clements Library
The William L. Clements Library is a rare book and manuscript repository located on the University of Michigan's central campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Later life
When Tryon left North Carolina in mid-1771 to assume the position of British royal governor of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Sauthier accompanied him there, and was appointed surveyor for the Province of New York by Tryon. During this period, Sauthier was also instrumental in surveying the boundary between New York and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
In 1776, Sauthier surveyed and mapped Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York, for British General William Howe, and surveyed and mapped Fort Washington
Fort Washington (New York)
Fort Washington was a fortified position near the north end of Manhattan Island and was located at the highest point on the island. The Fort Washington Site is listed on the U.S...
on Manhattan Island after troops under the command of General Hugh Percy
Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland
Lieutenant-General Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, FRS was an officer in the British army and later a British peer...
attacked and captured it. General Percy retained Sauthier on his staff when he commanded the British forces holding Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
In May of 1777, when General Percy returned to his familial home at Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. It is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:Alnwick...
in England, Sauthier accompanied him, and was employed as Percy’s secretary.