| |
Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1705 | - 1705—1705: First workable steam pumping engine devised by Thomas Newcomen (some say c1710
or 1711)
|
| 2 | 1707 | - 16 Jan 1707—16 Jan 1707: Union with Scotland - Scots agree to send 16 peers and 45 MPs to English
Parliament in return for full trading privileges - Scottish Parliament meets for the last time in
March
|
| 3 | 1712 | - 1712—1712: Last trial for witchcraft in England (Jane Wenham)
|
| 4 | 1714 | - 1714—1714: Longitude Act: prize of ?20,000 offered to the inventor of a workable method of
determining a ship's longitude (won by John Harrison in 1773 for his chronometer).
|
| 5 | 1726 | - 1726—1726: Invention of the chronometer by John Harrison
|
| 6 | 1731 | - 1731—1731: Invention of sextant by John Hadley
|
| 7 | 1733 | - 1733—1733: Law forbidding the use of Latin in parish registers generally obeyed - some continued in
Latin for a few years
|
| 8 | 1739 | - 7 Apr 1739—7 Apr 1739: Dick Turpin, highwayman, hanged at York
|
| 9 | 1744 | - 1744—1744: Tune 'God Save the King' makes its appearance
|
| 10 | 1746 | - 16 Apr 1746—16 Apr 1746: Battle of Culloden - last battle fought in Britain - 5,000 Highlanders routed by
the Duke of Cumberland and 9,000 loyalists Scots - Young Pretender Charles flees to
Continent, ending Jacobite hopes forever - the wearing of the kilt prohibited
|
| 11 | 1752 | - 3 Sep 1752—3 Sep 1752: Julian Calendar dropped and Gregorian Calendar adopted in England and
Scotland, making this Sep 14
|
| 12 | 1754 | - 1754—1754: Hardwicke Act (1753): Banns to be called, and Printed Marriage Register forms to be
used - Quakers & Jews exempt
|
| 13 | 1755 | - 1755—1755: Publication of Dictionary of the English Language' by Dr Samuel Johnson
|
| 14 | 1762 | - 1762—1762: Cigars introduced into Britain from Cuba
|
| 15 | 1764 | - 1764—1764: James Hargeaves invents the Spinning Jenny (but destroyed 1768)
|
| 16 | 1767 | - 1767—1767: Newcomen's steam pumping engine perfected by James Watt
|
| 17 | 1768 | - 6 Dec 1768—6 Dec 1768: The first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica' published in Edinburgh by
William Smellie
|
| 18 | 1769 | - 1769—1769: Arkwright invents water frame (textile production)
|
| 19 | 1770 | - 28 Apr 1770—28 Apr 1770: Capt James Cook lands in Australia (Botany Bay) ? Aug 21: formally claims
Australia for Britain
|
Bef 1749 - 
