| |
Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1737 | - 1737: Licensing Act
Licensing Act restricts the number of London theatres and subects plays to censorship of the Lord Chamberlain (till 1950s)
|
| 2 | 1738 | - 24 May 1738: John Wesley
John Wesley has his conversion experience
|
| 3 | 1739 | - 1739: Methodist revival
Wesley and Whitefield commence great Methodist revival
- 7 Apr 1739: Dick Turpin
Dick Turpin, highwayman, hanged at York
- 23 Oct 1739: War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear starts: Robert Walpole reluctantly declares war on Spain
|
| 4 | 1741 | - 1741: Benjamin Ingham
Benjamin Ingham founded the Moravian Methodists or Inghamites - Earliest Moravian registers
|
| 5 | 1742 | - 1742: England goes to war with Spain
England goes to war with Spain - incited by William Pitt the Elder (Earl of Chatham) for the sake of trade
|
| 6 | 1743 | - 16 Jun 1743: Battle of Dettingen
(June 27 in Gregorian calendar): Battle of Dettingen - last time a British sovereign (George II) led troops in battle
|
| 7 | 1744 | - 1744: God Save the King
Tune 'God Save the King' makes its appearance
|
| 8 | 1745 | - 1745: Jacobite rebellion in Scotland
Jacobite rebellion in Scotland ('The Forty-five')
- 19 Aug 1745: Bonnie Prince Charlie
Bonnie Prince Charlie (The Young Pretender) lands in the western Highlands - raises support among Episcopalian and Catholic clans - The Pretender's army invades Perth, Edinburgh, and England as far as Derby
|
| 9 | 1746 | - 16 Apr 1746: Battle of Culloden
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
|
| 10 | 1747 | - 1747: Abolition of Heritable Jurisdictions
Abolition of Heritable Jurisdictions in Scotland. It abolished the traditional rights of jurisdiction afforded to a Scottish clan chief.
- 1747: Act for Pacification
Act for Pacification of the Highlands
|
| 11 | 1749 | - 27 Apr 1749: Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks
First performance of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks (in Green Park,
London)
|
| 12 | 1750 | - Feb 1750: Earthquakes in London and the Home Counties
Series of earthquakes in London and the Home Counties cause panic with
predictions of an apocalypse (Feb/Mar)
- 16 Nov 1750: Westminster Bridge opened
Original Westminster Bridge opened (replaced in 1862 due to subsidence)
|
| 13 | 1751 | - Mar 1751: Chesterfield's Calendar Act
Chesterfield's Calendar Act passed - royal assent to the bill was given on 22
May 1751 - It reformed the calendar of England and British Dominions so that a new year began on 1 January rather than 25 March (Lady Day) and would run according to the Gregorian calendar, as used in most of western Europe.
|
| 14 | 1752 | - 1752: Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin invents the lightning conductor
- 3 Sep 1752: Julian Calendar dropped
Julian Calendar dropped and Gregorian Calendar adopted in England and Scotland, making this Sep 14
|
| 15 | 1753 | - 1753: British Museum
Private collection of Sir Hans Sloane forms the basis of the British Museum
- 1 May 1753: Species Plantarum
Publication of 'Species Plantarum' by Linnaeus and the formal start date of plant taxonomy
|
| 16 | 1754 | - 1754: Hardwicke Act
Hardwicke Act (1753): Banns to be called, and Printed Marriage Register forms to be used - Quakers & Jews exempt
- 1754: Cow Inn at Haslemere
In the General Election, the Cow Inn at Haslemere, Surrey caused a national scandal by subdividing the freehold to create eight votes instead of one
- 1754: British troops
First British troops not belonging to the East India Company despatched to India
|
| 17 | 1755 | - 1755: Dr Samuel Johnson
Publication of Dictionary of the English Language' by Dr Samuel Johnson
- 1755—1827: Canal construction began
Period of canal construction began in Britain (till 1827)
- 2 Dec 1755: Eddystone Lighthouse destroyed
Second Eddystone Lighthouse destroyed by fire
|
| 18 | 1756 | - 15 May 1756: Seven Years War
The Seven Years War with France (Pitt's trade war) begins
- Jun 1756: Black Hole of Calcutta
Black Hole of Calcutta - 146 Britons imprisoned, most die according to British
sources
|
| 19 | 1757 | - 1757: Empire of India
The foundation laid for the Empire of India
- 14 Mar 1757: Admiral Byng
Admiral Byng shot at Portsmouth for failing to relieve Minorca
- 23 Jun 1757: battle of Plassey
The Nawab of Bengal tries to expel the British, but is defeated at the battle of Plassey (Palashi, June 23) - the East India Company forces are led by Robert Clive
|
Abt 1737 - 1757 (~ 19 years)