1884 in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
 1884 in the United Kingdom: |
| Other years |
| 1882 1882 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1882 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal-Events:* 25 January — London Chamber of Commerce founded.... | 1883 1883 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1883 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal-Events:* January 1 — Augustus Pitt Rivers takes office as Britain's first Inspector of Ancient Monuments.... | 1884 | 1885 1885 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1885 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal , Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative-Events:... | 1886 1886 in the United Kingdom Events from the year 1886 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative , William Ewart Gladstone, Liberal , Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative-Events:* 13 January — After six years of campaigning, the... |
| Sport |
| 1884 English cricket season 1884 English cricket season The 1884 English cricket season saw Fred Spofforth, an overseas bowler, take the most wickets-Leading batsmen:Lord Harris was the leading runscorer with 1417 @ 33.73-External sources:* -Annual reviews:... |
 1883–84 in English football |
Events from the year 1884 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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Incumbents
- Monarch — Queen Victoria
- Prime Minister — William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, LiberalLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Events
- 4 January — The Fabian SocietyFabian SocietyThe Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
is founded in 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...
. - 18 January — Dr William PriceWilliam Price (doctor)William Price was a Welsh physician who achieved notoriety for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and his involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement...
attempts to cremateCremationCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
the body of his infant son, Jesus Christ Price, setting a legal precedent for cremation in the UK. - 26 January–29 March — The first British Home ChampionshipBritish Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
is held between the football teams of EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, IrelandIreland national football team (IFA)The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
, ScotlandScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and WalesWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. - 1 February — First fascicle of what will become the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
is published. - 15 February — Emma Keyse is murdered and John 'Babbacombe' LeeJohn 'Babbacombe' LeeJohn Henry George Lee , better known as John "Babbacombe" Lee or "The Man They Couldn't Hang", was a British man famous for surviving three attempts to hang him for murder....
is suspected. - 22 April — Colchester earthquake1884 Colchester earthquakeThe Colchester earthquake, also known as the Great English Earthquake, occurred on 22 April 1884. It caused considerable damage in Colchester and the surrounding villages in Essex...
: four die in the UK's most destructive earthquake. - 8 July — The NSPCCNSPCCThe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
is founded as the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. - 28 September — The Marks & SpencerMarks & SpencerMarks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
department store chain starts life as Michael MarksMichael MarksMichael Marks, , was one of the two co-founders of the retail chain Marks & Spencer.-Biography:...
’ market stall in Leeds Kirkgate MarketLeeds Kirkgate MarketLeeds Kirkgate Market is a market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located on Vicar Lane. It is the largest covered market in Europe. There are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week.-History:...
, YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. - 13 October
- International Meridian ConferenceInternational Meridian ConferenceThe International Meridian Conference was a conference held in October 1884 in Washington, D.C., in the United States to determine the Prime Meridian of the world. The conference was held at the request of U.S. President Chester A...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
fixes the Greenwich meridian as the world's prime meridian. - Mahdist WarMahdist WarThe Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
: General Charles GordonCharles George GordonMajor-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
besieged in KhartoumKhartoumKhartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
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- International Meridian Conference
- 18 October — University of Wales, Bangor founded.
- 2 November — The "Home Office BabyHome Office BabyThe Home Office Baby was an 1884 publicity stunt perpetrated by the Rev. J. Mirehouse, the eccentric rector of Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England....
" is delivered to the Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. - 4 December — Tom Dudley and Edwin Stephens are convicted of murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in the survival cannibalismCannibalismCannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
case of R v. Dudley and Stephens. - 9 December — Dudley and Stephens receive the mandatory death penalty with a recommendation for clemency.
- 10 December — Third Reform Act gives farm workers the vote, subject to the same restrictions as already applied elsewhere.
- 13 December — Dudley and Stephens are told that the death penalties have been commuted to six months' imprisonmentImprisonmentImprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
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Publications
- A New English Dictionary on historical principlesOxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
, part 1, edited by James A. H. MurrayJames Murray (lexicographer)Sir James Augustus Henry Murray was a Scottish lexicographer and philologist. He was the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary from 1879 until his death.-Life and learning:...
. - Arnold ToynbeeArnold ToynbeeArnold Toynbee was a British economic historian also noted for his social commitment and desire to improve the living conditions of the working classes.-Biography:...
's lectures (collected posthumously) Lectures on the Industrial Revolution in England.
Births
- 18 January — Arthur RansomeArthur RansomeArthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
, author and journalist (died 19671967 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1967 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch – Elizabeth II* Prime Minister – Harold Wilson, Labour Party-January:* January – UK release of the London-set film Blowup....
) - 13 March — Sir Hugh WalpoleHugh WalpoleSir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large...
, novelist (died 19411941 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1941 in the United Kingdom. This year is dominated by World War II.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George VI*Prime Minister - Winston Churchill, coalition-Events:...
) - 10 May — Olga PetrovaOlga PetrovaOlga Petrova was an American actress, screenwriter and playwright. Born as Muriel Harding in England, she moved to the United States and became a star of vaudeville using the stage name Olga Petrova. Petrova starred in a number of films for Solax Studios and was Metro Pictures first diva, usually...
, English-born actress (died 19771977 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1977 in the United Kingdom. This is the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year.-Incumbents:*Monarch - Elizabeth II*Prime Minister - James Callaghan, Labour-Events:...
) - 19 December — Stanley UnwinStanley Unwin (publisher)Sir Stanley Unwin was a British publisher, founder of the George Allen and Unwin house in 1914. This published serious and sometimes controversial authors like Bertrand Russell and Mahatma Gandhi....
, publisher (died 19681968 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1968 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch – Elizabeth II* Prime Minister – Harold Wilson, Labour Party-Events:* January – Ford Escort car introduced....
)
Deaths
- 1 March — Isaac TodhunterIsaac TodhunterIsaac Todhunter FRS , was an English mathematician who is best known today for the books he wrote on mathematics and its history.- Life and work :...
, mathematician (born 18201820 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1820 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George III , King George IV*Prime Minister - Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, Tory-Events:...
) - 28 March — Prince Leopold, Duke of AlbanyPrince Leopold, Duke of AlbanyThe Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was the eighth child and fourth son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow...
, member of the royal family (born 18531853 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1853 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — Lord Aberdeen, Peelite-Events:* 20 January — The United Kingdom annexes Lower Burma ending the Second Anglo-Burmese War....
) - 5 April — John WisdenJohn WisdenJohn Wisden was an English cricketer who played 190 first-class cricket matches for three English county cricket teams, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex...
, cricketer and creator of Wisden Cricketers' AlmanackWisden Cricketers' AlmanackWisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
(born 18261826 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1826 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George IV*Prime Minister - Lord Liverpool, Tory-Events:...
) - 10 September — George BenthamGeorge BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
, botanist (born 18001800 in Great BritainEvents from the year 1800 in Great Britain.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George III*Prime Minister - William Pitt the Younger, Tory-Events:* 8 January - First soup kitchens open in London.* 17 March - catches fire with the loss of 700 lives....
) - 6 November — Henry FawcettHenry FawcettHenry Fawcett PC was a blind British academic, statesman and economist.-Background and education:Fawcett was born in Salisbury, and educated at King's College School and the University of Cambridge: entering Peterhouse in 1852, he migrated to Trinity Hall the following year, and became a fellow...
, statesman, economist and Postmaster General (born 18331833 in the United KingdomEvents from the year 1833 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King William IV*Prime Minister - Earl Grey, Whig-Events:* 3 January - British forces re-establish British rule on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic....
)