1721 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1721 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George I of Great Britain
*Prime Minister - (From 4 April) Robert Walpole, Whig

Events

* 9 March - John Aislabie imprisoned in the Tower of London, found guilt for corruption for his part in the South Sea Company collapse as Chancellor of the Exchequer.citebook|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8]
* 4 April - Robert Walpole becomes the first Prime Minister. [cite web|url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page174.asp|title=PMs in history, Sir Robert Walope, number-10.gov.uk|accessdate=2007-09-03]

Undated

* Lady Mary Wortley Montagu introduces smallpox inoculation to Britain, the Prince of Wales is inoculated and the procedure becomes fashionable.
* Nathan Bailey publishes "An Universal Etymological English Dictionary".
* Thomas Guy founds Guy's Hospital in London. [cite web|url=http://www.gsttcharity.org.uk/aboutus/index.html|title=History of Guy's and St Thomas' Charity|accessdate=2007-09-03]

Births

* 2 January - John Manners, Marquess of Granby (died 1770)
* 19 March - Tobias Smollett, physician and author (died 1771)
* 15 April - Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, military leader (died 1765)
* 14 July - John Douglas, Anglican bishop and man of letters (died 1807)
* 4 August - Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, politician (died 1803)
* 31 August - George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol, statesman (died 1775)
* 9 November - Mark Akenside, poet and physician (died 1770)
* 6 December - James Elphinston, philologist (died 1809)

Deaths

* 5 February - James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope, statesman and soldier (born c. 1673)
* 16 February - James Craggs the Younger, politician (born 1686)
* 24 February - John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, statesman and poet (born 1648)
* 16 March - James Craggs the Elder, politician (born 1657)
* 8 July - Elihu Yale, educationist (born 1649, Massachusetts)
* 3 August - Grinling Gibbons, sculptor (born 1648, Rotterdam)
* 18 September - Matthew Prior, poet and diplomat (born 1664)
* 11 October - Edward Colston, merchant and philanthropist (born 1636)
* 13 December - Alexander Selkirk, sailor (born 1676)
* 17 December - Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough, statesman (born 1650)

References

ee also