1742 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1742 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George II of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Robert Walpole, Whig (to 11 February), Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, Whig

Events

* January - The House of Commons votes on the alleged rigging of the Chippenham by-election. It becomes a motion of no confidence which leads to the resignation of Robert Walpole. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6524943.stm|title=A dozen Downing Street departures|accessdate=2007-07-14]
* 9 January - Robert Walpole made Earl of Orford and resigns as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer.cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=309]
* 12 February - John Carteret, 2nd Lord Carteret becomes Secretary of State for the Northern Department.
* 16 February - Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain. [cite web|url=http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page173.asp|title=Earl of Wilmington, PMs in history|accessdate=2007-07-14]
* 18 February - British attack La Guayra.
* 7 July - War of Jenkins' Ear: British troops defeat those of Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh in the Province of Georgia.
* 14 July - William Pulteney is created as 1st Earl of Bath.
* September - Construction starts on the Foundling Hospital in London. [cite book |title=The London Encyclopaedia|author=Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert|publisher= Macmillan|year= 1995|isbn =0-333-57688-8|pages=300–301]

Undated

* James Bradley succeeds Edmond Halley as Astronomer Royal.

Publications

* Henry Fielding's novel "Joseph Andrews".

Births

* 1 January - Isaac Reed, Shakespearean editor (died 1807)
* 8 January - Philip Astley, circus organiser (died 1814)
* 28 April - Henry Dundas, statesman (died 1811)
*"date unknown"
** George Chalmers, antiquarian (died 1825)
** John Stackhouse, botanist (died 1819)

Deaths

* 1 January - Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, statesman (born 1686)
* 14 January - Edmond Halley, astronomer (born 1656)
* 22 February - Charles Rivington, publisher (born 1688)
* 2 April - James Douglas, physician and anatomist (born 1675)
* 18 June - John Aislabie, politician (born 1670)
* 27 June - Nathan Bailey, philologist and lexicographer (year of birth unknown)
* 9 July - John Oldmixon, historian (born 1673)
* 14 July - Richard Bentley, scholar and critic (born 1662)
* 19 July - William Somervile, poet (born 1675)

References

ee also