1761 in Great Britain
Encyclopedia
.svg.png) 1761 in Great Britain: |
| Other years |
| 1759 1759 in Great Britain Events from the year 1759 in Great Britain. The year was dubbed an Annus Mirabilis due to a succession of military victories in the Seven Years' War against French-led opponents.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George II... | 1760 1760 in Great Britain Events from the year 1760 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - George II , George III*Prime Minister - Duke of Newcastle, Whig-Events:... | 1761 | 1762 1762 in Great Britain Events from the year 1762 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George III*Prime Minister - Duke of Newcastle, Whig , Earl of Bute, Tory-Events:* January - The "Cock Lane ghost" appears in London.... | 1763 1763 in Great Britain Events from the year 1763 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George III*Prime Minister - Earl of Bute, Tory , George Grenville, Whig-Events:... |
| Sport |
| 1761 English cricket season 1761 English cricket season The famous Chertsey Cricket Club was active in the 1761 English cricket season but overall there was again a scarcity of games possibly because of the war situation.- Matches :-Other events:... |
Events from the year 1761 in Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
.
Incumbents
- Monarch - King George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
- Prime Minister - Duke of NewcastleThomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-TyneThomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
, ToryToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Events
- 16 January - In IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, general Sir Eyre Coote captures Pondicherry from the FrenchFranceThe 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...
. - 25 March–5 May - A general electionBritish general election, 1761The British general election, 1761 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
is held. - 15 July–16 July - Seven Years' WarSeven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
: a combined PrussianKingdom of PrussiaThe Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
-HanoverianElectorate of HanoverThe Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
-British force led by Prince Ferdinand of BrunswickDuke Ferdinand of BrunswickFerdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg , was a Prussian field marshal known for his participation in the Seven Years' War...
defeats a large French army at the Battle of VillinghausenBattle of VillinghausenThe Battle of Villinghausen was a battle in the Seven Years' War fought on 15 and 16 July 1761 between a large French army and a combined Prussian-Hanoverian-British force led by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.-Background:...
. - 17 July - James BrindleyJames BrindleyJames Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
completes the Bridgewater CanalBridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
from WorsleyWorsleyWorsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
to ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. - 15 August - Seven Years' War: France and SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sign the Pacte de FamillePacte de FamilleThe Pacte de Famille is one of three separate, but similar alliances between the Bourbon kings of France and Spain.- The first Pacte de Famille :...
forming an alliance against Britain. - September - Prime Minister William Pitt the ElderWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
fails to garner support to declare war of Spain. - 8 September - King George III marries Charlotte of Mecklenburg-StrelitzCharlotte of Mecklenburg-StrelitzCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
at St. James Palace. - 14 October - Great Malvern TornadoGreat Malvern Tornado of 1761The Great Malvern Tornado of 1761 occurred on Wednesday, October 14th 1761 in the vicinity of Great Malvern, Worcestershire, in England. It was described as follows:...
. - 22 September - Coronation of King George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. - 5 October - PittWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
resigns as Secretary of State for the Southern DepartmentSecretary of State for the Southern DepartmentThe Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782.Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but...
. The ToryToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
The Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
forms a new administration.
Undated
- Establishment of Matthew BoultonMatthew BoultonMatthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
's Soho ManufactorySoho ManufactoryThe Soho Manufactory was an early factory which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle, in Soho, Smethwick, England, during the Industrial Revolution.-Beginnings:...
near BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to serve the "toy industryToy industryThe toy industry is an economic sector that produces small goods in any material. The production of toys is called toymaking. Hinges, buttons, belt buckles and hooks are all examples of goods that were once considered "toys" and could be produced in metal, leather or glass, amongst others...
", considered as the first modern factoryFactoryA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in Britain. - Buckingham PalaceBuckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, LondonLondonLondon 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...
, sold to George III; remodelling as a house for Queen Charlotte will begin the following year. - The village of Nuneham CourtenayNuneham CourtenayNuneham Courtenay is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford.-Manor:The toponym evolved from Newenham. In the 14th century the village belonged to the Courtenay family and in 1764 "Newenham" was changed to "Nuneham"....
in OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
is demolished and rebuilt on a new site by Simon, Earl HarcourtSimon Harcourt, 1st Earl HarcourtSimon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC, FRS, Viceroy of Ireland , known as 2nd Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, between 1727 and 1749, was a British diplomat and general....
to improve the landscapingLandscapingLandscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
of Nuneham HouseNuneham HouseNuneham House is a Palladian villa, at Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire England. It was built for Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt in 1756. It is owned by Oxford University and is currently used as a retreat centre by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University...
.
Births
- 17 January - James Hall, geologist (died 18321832 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1832 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King William IV*Prime Minister - Earl Grey, Whig-Events:...
) - 13 March - Henry ShrapnelHenry ShrapnelHenry Shrapnel was a British Army officer and inventor, most famously, of the "shrapnel shell".Henry Shrapnel was born in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England....
, British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and inventor (died 18421842 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1842 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch—Queen Victoria* Prime Minister—Robert Peel, Conservative-Events:...
) - 7 June - John Rennie the Elder, civil engineer (died 18211821 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1821 in the United Kingdom. This is a Census year.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George IV*Prime Minister - Earl of Liverpool, Tory-Events:...
) - 27 October - Matthew BaillieMatthew BaillieMatthew Baillie was a Scottish physician and pathologist.-Life:...
, physician and pathologist (died 18231823 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1823 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George IV*Prime Minister - Lord Liverpool, Tory-Events:...
) - 13 November - John MooreJohn Moore (British soldier)Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, KB was a British soldier and General. He is best known for his military training reforms and for his death at the Battle of Corunna, in which his force was defeated but gained a tactical advantage over a French army under Marshal Soult during the Peninsular...
, general (died 18091809 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1809 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - George III of the United Kingdom*Prime Minister - William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, Tory , Spencer Perceval, Tory-Events:...
) - 30 November - Smithson TennantSmithson TennantSmithson Tennant FRS was an English chemist.Tennant is best known for his discovery of the elements iridium and osmium, which he found in the residues from the solution of platinum ores in 1803. He also contributed to the proof of the identity of diamond and charcoal. The mineral tennantite is...
, chemist (died 18151815 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1815 in the United Kingdom. 1815 marked the end of years of war between the United Kingdom and France when Duke of Wellington won a decisive victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Fighting in the War of 1812 between the UK and the United States also ceased...
)
Deaths
- 4 January - Stephen HalesStephen HalesStephen Hales, FRS was an English physiologist, chemist and inventor.Hales studied the role of air and water in the maintenance of both plant and animal life. He gave accurate accounts of the movements of water in plants, and demonstrated that plants absorb air...
, physiologist, chemist, and inventor (born 16771677 in EnglandEvents from the year 1677 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 16 February - Politicians the Earl of Shaftesbury, Duke of Buckingham, Lord Wharton and the Earl of Salisbury are arrested and sent to the Tower of London....
) - 10 January - Edward BoscawenEdward BoscawenAdmiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
, admiral (born 17111711 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1711 in Great Britain.-Events:* 24 February - The London premiere of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage.* 1 March - First edition of the magazine The Spectator published....
) - 9 April - William LawWilliam LawWilliam Law was an English cleric, divine and theological writer.-Early life:Law was born at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire in 1686. In 1705 he entered as a sizar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge; in 1711 he was elected fellow of his college and was ordained...
, minister (born 16861686 in EnglandEvents from the year 1686 in the Kingdom of England.- Events :* 10 July - Court of Ecclesiastical Commission created.* 17 July - King James appoints four Catholics to the Privy Council of England.-Undated:...
) - 15 April - Archibald Campbell, Duke of ArgyllArchibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of ArgyllArchibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, 1st Earl of Ilay was a Scottish nobleman, politician, lawyer, businessman and soldier...
, politician (born 1682) - 17 April
- Thomas BayesThomas BayesThomas Bayes was an English mathematician and Presbyterian minister, known for having formulated a specific case of the theorem that bears his name: Bayes' theorem...
, mathematician (born c.17021702 in EnglandEvents from the year 1702 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 8 March - William III dies; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England....
) - Benjamin HoadlyBenjamin HoadlyBenjamin Hoadly was an English clergyman, who was successively Bishop of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury, and Winchester. He is best known as the initiator of the Bangorian Controversy.-Life:...
, theologian, Bishop (born 16761676 in EnglandEvents from the year 1676 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 18 February - Isaac Newton observes to Robert Hooke that "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"....
)
- Thomas Bayes
- 14 May - Thomas SimpsonThomas SimpsonThomas Simpson FRS was a British mathematician, inventor and eponym of Simpson's rule to approximate definite integrals...
, mathematician (born 17101710 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1710 in Great Britain.-Events:* January - Food shortages in major cities due to the harsh winter.* 27 February–21 March - Trial of Henry Sacheverell for preaching criticism of the Glorious Revolution which was considered subversive by the Whig government.* 1 March - Riots in...
) - 4 July - Samuel RichardsonSamuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson was an 18th-century English writer and printer. He is best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded , Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady and The History of Sir Charles Grandison...
, writer (born 16891689 in EnglandEvents from the year 1689 in the Kingdom of England.-Incumbents:*Co-monarchs - King William III and Queen Mary.-Events:...
) - 30 November - John DollondJohn DollondJohn Dollond was an English optician, known for his successful optics business and his patenting and commercialization of achromatic doublets.-Biography:...
, optician (born 17061706 in EnglandEvents from the year 1706 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* February - Regency Act requires the senior officers of state to proclaim the next Protestant heir as successor to the English throne on the death of Queen Anne.* 8 April - George Farquhar's play The Recruiting Officer first performed...
) - 23 December - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnellAlestair Ruadh MacDonnellAlestair Ruadh MacDonnell [or MacDonell] , chief of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, a Scottish Jacobite who has been identified by Andrew Lang as the secret agent "Pickle," who acted as a spy on Prince Charles Edward after 1750.He was the third Lord MacDonell in the Jacobite Peerage.The family were a...
, Jacobite spy (born c.17251725 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1725 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - George I of Great Britain*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig-Events:* 18 May - The Order of the Bath founded by King George I....
)