1715 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1715 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George I of Great Britain

Events

* February to March - General election results in victory for the Whigs.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 210-212|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 27 March - Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke flees to France. His part in secret negotiations with France leading to the Treaty of Utrecht has cast suspicion on him in the eyes of the Whig government. He becomes secretary of state to the Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart.citebook|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=294–295]
* 10 June - Bolingbroke impeached by Parliament.
* 9 July - Imprisonment of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer in the Tower of London for his part in the negotiations over the Treaty of Utrecht.
* 12 July - Habeas Corpus Act suspended due to fear of Jacobite rebellion.
* 1 August
** The Riot Act comes into force.cite book|title=The Pocket Date Book|publisher=Chapman and Hall|author=William L. R. Cates|year=1863]
** First Doggett's Coat and Badge rowing race held on the River Thames.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 6 September - First of the major Jacobite Rebellions in Scotland against the rule of King George I. John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar raised the standard of James Francis Edward Stuart and marched on Edinburgh.
* 9 November–14 November - Jacobite forces defeated by Government troops at the Battle of Preston.
* 13 November - Battle of Sheriffmuir: an indecisive battle is fought between Jacobites and the Duke of Argyll's army.
* 14 November - Battle of Preston: Government forces defeat a Jacobite incursion.
* 15 November - Barrier Treaty signed by Britain, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic.
* 22 December - The Pretender joins Jacobite rebels at Peterhead.

Undated

* The Septennial Act sets the length of Parliaments to seven years. [cite web|url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?activeTextDocId=1516478|title=Septennial Act, UK Statute Law Database|accessdate=2007-09-03]

Births

* 3 April - William Watson, physician and scientist (died 1787)
* 19 April - James Nares, composer (died 1783)
* 4 May - Richard Graves, writer (died 1804)
* 5 November - John Brown, writer (died 1766)

Deaths

* 17 March - Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury (born 1643)
* 19 May - Charles Montagu, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1661)
* 14 October - Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury (born 1636)
* 15 October - Humphry Ditton, mathematician (born 1675)
* 15 December - George Hickes, minister and scholar (born 1642)
* 28 December - William Carstares, clergyman (born 1649)

References

ee also