1739 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1739 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George II of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig

Events

* 14 January - Britain and Spain sign the Convention of Pardo.cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8]
* 16 January - First performance of George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Saul" in London.
* 4 April - First performance of Handel's "Israel in Egypt".
* 17 October - The Foundling Hospital is created in London by Thomas Coram.
* 23 October - Britain declares war on Spain. This becomes known as the War of Jenkins' Ear.
* 21 November - The British capture the South American silver exporting town of Porto Bello from the Spanish.
* December to February 1740 - The 'Great Frost': unusually harsh winter in southern England.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 215-216|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]

Publications

* David Hume's anonymous "A Treatise on Human Nature".

Births

* 6 January - David Dale, philanthropist (died 1806)
* 26 January - George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough (died 1817)
* 4 February - John Robison, physicist (died 1805)
* 25 March - Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (died 1767)
* 16 May - Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk (died 1779)
* 5 November - Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton (died 1819)
* 4 December - Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston (died 1802)

Deaths

* 7 April - Dick Turpin, highwayman (hanged) (born 1705)
* 19 April - Nicholas Saunderson, scientist and mathematician (born 1682)
* 4 September - George Lillo, playwright (born 1693)
* 21 October - William Montagu, 2nd Duke of Manchester (born 1700)

References

ee also