1749 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1749 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George II of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Henry Pelham, Whig

Events

* February - Admiralty revises the command structure of the Royal Navy and issues new "Fighting Instructions".cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 219-220|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 1 February - King George II of Great Britain is introduced to two princes of Anamaboe who had been taken prisoners and made slaves. The government had paid their ransom and they were placed in the care of the Earl of Halifax. [cite web|url=http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/feb/1.htm|title=February 1st, Chambers' Book of Days|accessdate=2007-12-30]
* 17 March - George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Solomon" first performed.cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=313]
* 27 April - The first official performance of Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" finished early due to the outbreak of fire. The piece was composed by Handel to commemorate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle which ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748.
* 9 July - British settlement of Halifax, Nova Scotia is founded.

Undated

* Henry Fielding becomes magistrate at Bow Street, and first enlists the help of 'thief takers'.

Publications

* While in debtor's prison, John Cleland writes "Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure)". Released from prison, the book was published in London. Immediately, the Church of England asked the British Secretary of State to "stop the progress of this vile Book, which is an open insult upon Religion and good manners"." As a result, Cleland was arrested and charged with "corrupting the King's subjects."
* Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke's "Idea of a Patriot King".
* Henry Fielding's novel "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling".

Births

* 24 January - Charles James Fox, politician (died 1806)
* 29 January - William Sharp, engraver (died 1824)
* 17 May - Edward Jenner, physician (died 1823)

Deaths

* 18 June - Ambrose Philips, poet (born 1675)
* 3 July - William Jones, mathematician (born 1675)
* 14 September - Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham, soldier and politician (born 1675)

References

ee also