1838 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1838 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - Victoria of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, Whig

Events

* 10 January - a fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London. [cite book |title=The London Encyclopaedia|author=Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert|publisher= Macmillan|year= 1995|isbn =0-333-57688-8|pages=287]
* 8 April–23 April - The SS Great Western makes the Atlantic crossing to New York in 15 days setting a new speed record.cite web|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1820-1840|title=Icons, a portrait of England 1820-1840|accessdate=2007-09-12]
* May - the People's Charter is published calling for universal suffrage for male voters.
* 31 May - In Kent, self-declared Messiah John Nichols Thom kills a policeman who was sent to arrest him and flees to Bossenden Wood with 30 followers. Later in the day he dies when he tries to rally his followers to fight soldiers of the 45th Foot regiment.
* 28 June - The coronation of Queen Victoria takes place at Westminster Abbey.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006] Lord Melbourne denies her the traditional medieval banquet due to budget constraints, and furious critics refer to it as "The Penny Crowning." [Ian Anstruther,"The Knight and the Umbrella: An Account of the Eglinton Tournament -- 1839", Geoffrey Bles Ltd, London, 1963, p. 1]
* 4 August - The Court Journal prints a rumor that Archibald William Montgomerie, thirteenth Earl of Eglinton is going to host a great jousting tournament at his castle in Scotland. A few weeks later he confirms the rumor. [Mark Girouard, "The Return to Camelot: Chivalry and the English Gentleman", Yale University Press, 1981, p. 92.]
* September - The Tolpuddle Martyrs return to England.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 262-263|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 7 September - Grace Darling rescues 9 survivors from the wreck of "Forfarshire" off the Farne Islands.
* 17 September - First London to Birmingham train service.
* 18 September - Anti-Corn Law League founded by Richard Cobden.
* 1 October - First Afghan War begins.

Undated

* J. M. W. Turner paints "The Fighting Temeraire". [cite web|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1820-1840|title=Icons, a portrait of England 1820-1840|accessdate=2007-09-12]
* The Tin Duties Act 1838 ends taxation of the mines of Devon and Cornwall.

Publications

* Serialisation of Charles Dickens' novel "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby".

Births

* 6 February - Henry Irving, actor (d. 1905)
* 12 March - William Henry Perkin, chemist (d. 1907)
* 3 December - Octavia Hill, social reformer (d. 1912)
* 20 December - Edwin Abbott Abbott, theologian and author (d. 1926)

Deaths

* 13 January - John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1751)
* February - Thomas Creevey, politician (b. 1768)
* 4 March - William Fennex, cricketer (b. 1763)
* 4 March - James Carmichael Smyth, colonial administrator (b. 1779)
* 21 March - George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, colonial Governor (b. 1770)
* 24 March - Thomas Attwood, composer (b. 1765)
* 19 May - Richard Colt Hoare, antiquarian, artist, traveller and archaeologist (b. 1758)
* 19 July - Christmas Evans, Nonconformist minister (b. 1766)
* 25 August - William Annesley, 3rd Earl Annesley, noble and Member of Parliament (b. 1772)
* 18 September - Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington, Member of Parliamenrt (b. 1752)
* 22 December - John Villiers, 3rd Earl of Clarendon, Member of Parliament (b. 1757)

Unknown dates

* Sir Edward Barnes, soldier and governor of Ceylon (b. 1776)
* John Bonham-Carter, politician and barrister (b. 1788)
* Robert Cutlar Fergusson, lawyer and politician (b. 1768)

References

ee also