1761 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1761 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George III of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tory

Events

* 16 January - In India, general Sir Eyre Coote captures Pondicherry from the French.cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=320–321]
* 25 March–5 May - A general election is held.
* 15 July–16 July - Seven Years' War: a combined Prussian-Hanoverian-British force led by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick defeats a large French army at the Battle of Villinghausen.
* 17 July - Opening of the Bridgewater Canal between Leeds and Liverpool.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 15 August - Seven Years' War: France and Spain sign the Pacte de Famille forming an alliance against Britain.
* September - Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder fails to garner support to declare war of Spain.
* 8 September - King George III marries Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at St. James Palace.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 222-224|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 22 September - Coronation of the King George III.
* 5 October - William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham resigns as Secretary of State for the Southern Department. The Tory John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute forms a new administration.

Undated

* Britain helps Portugal resist a joint French-Spanish invasion.
* Opening of Matthew Boulton's Soho Manufactory.
* James Brindley completes the Bridgewater Canal from Worsley to Manchester.

Births

* 17 January - James Hall, geologist (died 1832)
* 13 March - Henry Shrapnel, British Army officer and inventor (died 1842)
* 27 October - Matthew Baillie, physician and pathologist (died 1823)
* 13 November - John Moore, general (died 1809)

Deaths

* 4 January - Stephen Hales, physiologist, chemist, and inventor (born 1677)
* 10 January - Edward Boscawen, admiral (born 1711)
* 9 April - William Law, minister (born 1686)
* 15 April - Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, politician (born 1682)
* 17 April
** Thomas Bayes, mathematician (born c.1702)
** Benjamin Hoadly, theologian, Bishop (born 1676)
* 14 May - Thomas Simpson, mathematician (born 1710)
* 4 July - Samuel Richardson, writer (born 1689)
* 30 November - John Dollond, optician (born 1706)
* 23 December - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Jacobite spy (born c.1725)

References

ee also