1783 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1783 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George III of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, Whig (to 2 April), William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, Coalition (to 19 December), William Pitt the Younger, Tory

Events

* 4 February - American Revolutionary War: Great Britain formally declares that it will cease hostilities with the United States of America.
* 6 February - American Revolutionary War: Spain lifts the Great Siege of Gibraltar.cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=335–336]
* 24 February - William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne resigns as Prime Minister over the proposed peace terms with the United States.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 228-230|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* March - Zong Massacre: the case of a British slave-trader who threw 133 slaves overboard in order to claim on the insurance causes outrage amongst Abolitionists and creates new support for their cause. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml|title=BBC History British History Timeline|accessdate=2007-09-03]
* 2 April - Fox-North Coalition: William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland becomes First Lord of the Treasury. [cite web|url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page159.asp|title=PMs in history, Duke of Portland. 10 Downing Street website|accessdate=2007-09-01]
* Summer - a sulphurous haze from the eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland thought to have caused the deaths of more than 10,000 people in Britain. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3745749.stm|title=Volcano 'drove up UK death toll' BBC news|accessdate=2007-09-01]
* 3 September - American Revolutionary War: Great Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Paris ending the war. Britain also signs further treaties to end hostilities with France, Spain and the Netherlands.
* 7 November - The last public execution is held at Tyburn.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 25 November - American Revolutionary War: The last British troops leave New York City three months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
* 9 December - Executions begin to be held in Newgate Prison.
* 17 December - George III dismisses the Fox-North Coalition. It was succeeded by a government formed by William Pitt the Younger. [cite web|url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page161.asp|title=PMs in history, William Pitt. 10 Downing Street website|accessdate=2007-09-01]
* 19 December - William Pitt the Younger becomes the youngest-ever Prime Minister of Great Britain or the United Kingdom.
* Winter - a severe winter follows in the wake of the Laki eruption.

Undated

* Industrial Revolution: Henry Cort discovers the Puddling process for iron manufacture.
* John Moore enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Births

* 22 May - William Sturgeon, scientist (died 1850)
* 17 September - Samuel Prout, painter (died 1852)
* 22 October - James Henry Keith Stewart, Member of Parliament (died 1836)

Deaths

* 7 January - William Tans'ur, English hymnist (born 1700)
* 6 February - Capability Brown, landscape gardener (born 1716)
* 10 February - James Nares, composer (born 1715)
* 30 March - William Hunter, anatomist (born 1718)
* 18 September - Benjamin Kennicott, churchman and Hebrew scholar (born 1718)
* 16 December - William James, naval commander (born 1720)

References

See also