There seem to have been no fireworks in London at the coronation of either Anne or the first two Georges, although on the former occasion rockets appear to have been fired from the Fleet at Spithead.
The Peace Rejoicings of 1713 were the occasion of another display on the Thames off Whitehall, the erection being about 400 feet long on barges chained together in the stream. A feature of this display was the water fireworks, described as: “1,500 small and large water Rockets; 5 large water Pyramids; 4 water fountains; 13 Pumps; 21 standing Rockets, with lights all swimming on the water; 84 of Coll Borgards; large and small Bees swarms, half of which were set with lights to swim on the water.”
The next event to be celebrated by firework displays on a large scale was the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle; these were given at Paris, The Hague, London, and St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin. The Duke of Richmond was responsible for a display on the Thames off Whitehall, the official display taking place in Green Park, and was on a scale unequalled in this country until well into the last century. It was conducted by the famous pyrotechnist Gaetano Ruggieri, who came over from France for the purpose, assisted by Gioseppe Sarti, under the direction of the Board of Ordnance.
Fireworks on the Thames, June 17th, 1688. To celebrate the birth of a son to King James II. known to fame first as the Prince of Wales, and afterwards as the Old Pretender.
Following the practice of the period, an elaborate structure was prepared. The following is taken from the official programme:
“A DESCRIPTION OF THE MACHINE FOR THE FIREWORKS, &c.
“The Machine is 114 feet high to the Top of His Majesty’s arms, and is 410 feet long. It was invented and designed by the Chevalier Servandoni and all the framing was performed by Mr. James Morris, Master Carpenter to the Office of Ordnance.
“The Ornaments of this Machine are all in Relief, and it is adorned with Frets, Gilding, Lustres, Artificial Flowers, Inscriptions, Statues, Allegorical Pictures, etc.”
According to a contemporary newspaper report, the construction occupied from November 7th until April 26th. It was composed of timber covered with canvas, whitewashed and sized.
The display commenced about six o’clock, and continued until after twelve; during the display the left wing caught fire, which prevented the firing of some of the devices. Indeed, according to Walpole, the Duke of Richmond’s display on the Thames a few weeks later consisted largely of fireworks which had not been fired owing to this occurrence, and which the noble duke had bought up cheap.
Among the items were included the following:—Regulated Pieces, Fixed Suns, Stars of six Points, and between each point a Ray, a large vertical Sun moved by double Fires, Cascades, Pyramids (40 feet high) of Gerbs, etc., etc. The chief piece seems to be one “from whence Fire issues out and retires within, twelve times alternately; when without, it forms a Glory; when within, it composes a Star of eight Points, and then changes to a Royal brilliant Wheel, whose Fire is thirty feet in diameter, and is moved by twelve fires.”