1744 in Great Britain
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
 1744 in Great Britain: |
| Other years |
| 1742 | 1743 | 1744 | 1745 | 1746 |
| Sport |
| 1744 English cricket season |
Events from the year 1744 in Great Britain.
Incumbents
- Monarch - George II
- Prime Minister - Henry Pelham (Whig)
Events
- 10–11 February (22–23 February New Style) - War of the Austrian Succession: British fleet defeated by a Franco-Spanish fleet at the Battle of Toulon[1] with loss of the fire ship HMS Anne Galley and all her crew.
- 27 February - A planned French invasion of Britain fails when a violent storm partially wrecks the French invasion force attempting to cross from Dunkirk to Maldon.
- 4–15 March - War of the Austrian Succession: France declares war on Britain.[2]
- 3 October - HMS Victory (1737) is wrecked on the Casquets in the Channel Islands with the loss of around 900 lives.
- 28 December–8 January 1745 - War of the Austrian Succession: The Quadruple Alliance of Britain, Austria, Saxony-Poland and the United Netherlands is formed against Prussia.[2]
- Undated - Mineral springs discovered at Thorp Spa in the West Riding of Yorkshire by John Shires.
Publications
- April - Eliza Haywood's monthly The Female Spectator begins publication, the first periodical written for women by a woman.
- Samuel Johnson's biography of Richard Savage.[2]
- John Newbery's children's book A Little Pretty Pocket-Book.
- Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, containing the earliest known printed versions of many nursery rhymes.
- William Williams Pantycelyn's first collection of Welsh hymns Aleluia (first part).
- The first known Laws of cricket.[3]
- First definitive version of the national anthem God Save the King in Thesaurus Musicus.[3]
Births
- 13 February - David Allan, painter (died 1796)
- 19 May - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen of George III of Great Britain (died 1818)
Deaths
- 14 February - John Hadley, inventor (born 1682)
- 30 May - Alexander Pope, writer (born 1688)
- 9 August - James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, patron of the arts (born 1673)
- 18 October - Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, friend of Queen Anne (born 1660)
