1840. John George Lambton, earl of Durham, died, aged 48. He was made governor-general of Canada in 1838, but returned the same year, and published a valuable work on Canada. He was regarded as the leader of the reform movement which agitated the country and his talents and merits were very differently estimated by different parties.
1849. The late king of Sardinia, Charles Albert, died at Lisbon.
1851. Horace Sebastiani, a French marshal, died at Paris, aged 80. He was born in Corsica, and bore a part in most of the great battles during Bonaparte's career. He was in the ministry under Louis Philippe, and ambassador both at Naples and London.
1852. The steam boat Henry Clay, on her passage from Albany to New York, took fire about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, near Yonkers, and was consumed to the water's edge; 56 persons lost their lives, so sudden and rapid was the destruction of the boat. She had been racing with the Armenia.
JULY 29.
1108. Philip I, king of France, died. He came to the throne at the age of 8 years; was ambitious and unscrupulous in his acts; engaged in war with England and Flanders, and was defeated by both.
1218. Louis Van Loon died; the husband of Ada, the expatriated queen of Holland.
1540. A statute was made confirming the seizures of the abbeys by Henry VIII.
1567. Prince James, less than 14 months old, was crowned king of Scotland at Stirling.
1578. Sebastian, king of Portugal, killed. He was unfortunate in his wars, and lost his life at Tangiers, in battle with the Moors. Camoens dedicated his Lusiad to this king, but he had the stupidity to treat the intended honor with contempt.