1822 The King surrendered £30,000 per annum of the civil list. A coroner’s jury decided that publicans are legally bound to receive into their houses all persons in extremity. Fifteen thousand Greeks massacred in the island of Scio, by the Turks. A south-west gale so retarded the flow of the tide in the Thames, that it was fordable at London bridge. Subscriptions opened for the starving Irish peasantry, which amounted to £300,000. Dreadful cases of misery and oppression published. Upwards of 800 Greek virgins exposed in the slave markets, and 20,000 Christians slaughtered in various villages. The Marquis of Londonderry, cut his throat at his house, North Cray. Mr. Canning appointed Secretary of State, in lieu of the Marquis of Londonderry. Grand eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the most tremendous since 1794. Fonthill abbey purchased by Mr. Farquhar, for £330,000. Sir William Herschell, the celebrated Astronomer, died. Canova, the celebrated Sculptor, died. Madame Lætitia Bonaparte, mother of the late Emperor of France, died.
1823 George IV presented to the nation the library of his late father, at Buckingham House, consisting of 120,000 vols. An insurrection of the Negroes at Martinique detected: several planters had died by poison. Two hundred Negroes ordered for execution. Captain Parry arrived from his exploratory voyage to the Polar regions; he had failed in the chief object of the expedition. Three grand Musical Festivals held within a month, at York, Birmingham, and Gloucester, produced the enormous sum of £30,500. By the melancholy accident from fire damp, at the William Pitt colliery near Whitehaven, 14 men, 16 boys, and two girls, lost their lives; 17 horses were also killed. Dr. Jenner, discoverer of Vaccination, died. Mrs. Radcliffe, authoress of the Mysteries of Udolpho, &c., died. At Rochetts, Earl St. Vincent died. At Kincardine, Admiral Lord Keith, died. At Rome, Pope Pius the Seventh, died.
1824 A subterraneous forest of oak was discovered, on the shores of the Solway Frith, beyond Brough, imbedded in a stiff blue clay; the trees were of large dimensions, and the wood so perfect as to be scarce perceptible from new timber, although it must have lain there many thousands of years. Mr. Mantell discovered, in the iron sand-stone of Sussex, the teeth of a herbivorous reptile of gigantic magnitude, being of the lizard tribe; from a thigh bone found, it must have equalled the elephant in height, and been more than 60 feet long. The pictures of J. J. Angerstein, 38 in number, purchased by Government for £57,000 to begin a national gallery; Sir G. Beaumont liberally presented his collection to the public for that purpose. The Hecla, discovery ship, with Captain Parry left her moorings on a voyage of discovery to the Arctic region. Mr. Harris, accompanied by Miss Stocks, ascended in a balloon, when the former was killed by being thrown from the car. The remains of Lord Byron were conveyed from London, amidst a concourse of people, for Newstead Abbey. A copy of Columbus’ letter to the King of Spain, on the discovery of America, sold for 34 guineas. Particulars were received respecting the death of the celebrated traveller Belzoni, at Gato on his journey to Timbuctoo. Mr. Sadler, jun., the aëronaut, was killed on descending in his balloon, near Blackburn in Lancashire. The enormous timber ship, called the Columbus, arrived at Blackwall, from the river St. Lawrence, being 300 feet long, 50 broad, and 30 deep. Patrick Grant died, aged 111; to this venerable Highlander, His Majesty had granted a pension of a guinea a week.
1825 In January, wool was exported from England to the United States of America, being the first instance for two centuries. Organic remains of antediluvian animals found in a cave near Chudleigh. Steam engines in England, representing the power of 320,000 horses, equal to 1,920,000 men, managed by 36,000 only, now add to the power of our population 1,884,000 men! A phenomenon observed on the coast of Kent, being a cloud, resting part on the sea, extending as far as the eye could reach, reflecting two distinct images of every vessel passing, one inverted, the other in its proper position, apparently sailing in the air. An earthquake happened in Algiers, when the town of Blida, was totally destroyed, and, of a population of 15,000 persons, scarcely 300 were left alive. £2,000 granted to Mr. M‘Adam for improvement of the roads. The Tower of Fonthill-Abbey fell, and destroyed great part of that elegant building.
1826 London was visited by such a dense fog, in the forenoon, that candles were burned in all the shops. The abduction of Miss Turner by E. G. Wakefield. The death of the celebrated composer, Baron Von Weber, occurred, being in his 40th year. Mr. Canning dined with the King of France, and Sir Walter Scott with the King of England.
1827 Canal Excavation by the plough in lieu of manual labour. It is remarkable, that England, which usually sets the example to all Europe in the application of machinery as a substitute for manual labour, should have been anticipated by the small state of Wurtemberg; an extensive line of canal having been projected, and sanctioned by the Government, an eminent engineer constructed a set of ploughs of various forms to suit the nature of the soil to be intersected, which, by the aid of from eight to twelve horses, excavated the line of canal, at less than a fourth of the price which would have been expended in manual labour. His Royal Highness the Duke of York expired. Will of Mr. Rundel, the silversmith, proved, whose personal property amounted to £1,200,000. The steam vessel George the Fourth left Portsmouth for Africa. Mr. Canning appointed chancellor of the Exchequer, April 24. Mr. Canning expired, Aug. 8. Lord Goderich appointed Premier. Death of Dr. Good, F.R.S., author of various works on Science, &c. Death of Rebecca Fury, of Falmouth, Jamaica, aged 140. Clapperton’s second voyage to Africa. Parry’s attempt to reach the North Pole over the ice without success. Lord Liverpool died, George Canning succeeded. Intervention of England, France, and Russia in the affairs of Greece: battle of Navarino. Premiership and death of Canning.
1828 Duke of Wellington premier. Russian invasion of Turkey. Capo d’Istria President of Greece: a French army in the Morea. Don Miguel usurps the throne of Portugal.
1829 The Russian Field-Marshal Diebitsch crosses the Balkan. Treaty of Adrianople. Independence of Greece recognized by Turkey. Catholic emancipation in England.
1830 Accession of William IV. Algiers taken by the French. July 25th, revolution at Paris: abdication of Charles X: Duke of Orleans called to the throne, by the title of Louis Philippe, King of the French, Belgian and Polish revolutions.
1831 The cholera appears in Europe. Polish insurrection suppressed, and the kingdom of Poland incorporated with the Russian empire. London conferences: Leopold of Saxe-Coburg chosen King of Belgium.