PERIOD OF HISTORY
Gold is discovered in california 1848
On 24th January 1848, a man called James Marshall from New Jersey, was helping to build a sawmill on the America River for a man called Johann Sutter. He went to free the wheel in the millrace and saw, in the shallow pool that formed, a nuggett of gold, just over the size of a…
Read MoreManchester Ship Canal 1894
The Manchester Ship Canal was opened in 1894 and was the largest river navigation canal in the world. It took six years to build and cost £15 million. It was 58km long and started at the Mersey estuary in Liverpool and terminated at the dock in Manchester. It allowed the newly created Port of Manchester…
Read MoreSir Robert Peel 1834
Sir Robert Peel(2nd Baronet) became the 29th Prime Minister of Britain in December 1834 He was the son of Sir Robert Peel (1st Baronet) of the Cotton Mill fame aka Burton-on-Trent , a major industrialist and wealth producer, see related articles. His mother was the first wife of his father Ellen YATES, who we believe…
Read MoreRepeal 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 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 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 MoreFirst steam assisted crossing of the Atlantic 1819
The ship ‘Savannah’ left Georgia in America bound for Liverpool in the UK, on Monday, 24th May 1819. As well as sails, she was fitted with steam driven paddles and would be the first ship to attempt crossing the Atlantic under steam power. She was successful, even though steam power played only a small part…
Read MoreThe first railway terminus at Euston 1837
Euston station was the first mainline station to be built in London. In July 1837, the London and Birmingham Railway opened it’s first terminus. It was to have been built at Camden at Chalk Farm but it was proposed that that it should be brought closer to the metropolis and an Act of parliament in…
Read MoreCharles Dickens born 1812
Novelist and philanthropist? Follow the Charles Dickens Trails via Charles Dickens and our Intrguing Snippets for a fast easy to use overview to the wider picture..
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