History
Repeal of the Navigation Acts 1850
The Repeal of the Navigation Acts by the British Parliament, on 26th June 1850, ends the restriction on foreign shipping, allowing US clipper ships to bring cargoes of China tea into British ports.
Read MoreHouses of Parliament Destroyed by fire 1834
On 16th October 1834, a group of workmen, working in the Houses of Parliament, were charged with burning two cartloads of old wooden tally sticks. This duty they duly discharged, using the furnaces in the basement of the House of Lords. As the day progressed the wooden floors and panelling became very hot but the…
Read MoreLondon Daily News 1850
The London Daily News is published on 21st January 1850. It is the first cheap newspaper to be produced on the streets of London and so news becomes more accessible to the working class and poor citizens of London. It is established by the architect Joseph Paxton and the paper’s first editor is Charles Dickens.
Read MoreSir Robert Walpole 1721
Sir Robert Walpole becomes Englands first Prime Minister in April 1721
Read MoreCholera District of Bermondsey 1849
Cholera outbreak London 1849
Read MoreMarshalsea Prison first mentioned in 1373
The Marshalsea debtors prison first records show it existing as early as 1373…Charles Dickens father was imprisoned there and this had a major impact on Dickens work.
Read MoreThe Marshalsea Prison 1842
Marshalsea Prison finally closes 1842
Read MoreSt George The Martyr Southwark
The church of St George The Martyr has been documented since 1122 but the present church was built between 1734 and 1736 by the architect, John Price. In the middle ages Borough High Street ran south from London Bridge and at it’s end stood the church of St George with fields lying beyond. In 1951…
Read MoreSmallpox Vaccination 1853
The compulsory smallpox vaccination 1853 was another step by parliament in an attempt to protect society from the ravages of this disease. The disease was killing 20% of those infected and tearing it’s way through urban communities.
Read MoreThe first telephone conversation 1876
The first wire telephone conversation took place between Alexander Graham Bell and his colleague Thomas Watson, over a distance of 3km between Boston and Cambridge US.
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