3 January – first known arrest of a fugitive achieved through use of the new
electric telegraph when murderer
John Tawell is arrested after being followed by a detective alerted prior to Tawell's arrival at
London Paddington station.
26 March – Sisterhood of the Holy Cross ('Park Village Community') established as the first
Anglican sisterhood, to minister to the poor of
St Pancras, London.[4]
20 May – the last fatal duel between Englishmen on English soil takes place near
Gosport.[7]James Alexander Seton is shot and dies twelve days later from his wound. His opponent, Royal Marine Lieutenant Charles Lawes Pym, is tried for murder a year later, but acquitted.
31 May – launch of the first English lake steamer Lady of the Lake for
Windermere.[8]
31 October–1 November – an emergency meeting of the
Cabinet (summoned on 15 October by Sir
Robert Peel, the
Prime Minister) votes against Peel on the distribution of famine relief in Ireland, considering it would call the
Corn Laws into question.[13][14]
9–10 November – Peel orders the secret purchase of £100,000 worth of
maize and meal from the United States for distribution in Ireland.[13][15][16]
20 November – Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata:
Battle of Vuelta de Obligado: the Anglo-French fleet narrowly defeats the
Argentine Confederation on the waters of the
Paraná River but the victors suffer serious damage to their ships and Argentina attracts political support in South America.
5 December – unable to persuade his Cabinet to repeal the Corn Laws in the face of the Great Famine in Ireland, Peel tenders his resignation as Prime Minister[15] to the Queen but is reinstated days later when
Lord John Russell is unable to form a government.[13]
3 January – first known arrest of a fugitive achieved through use of the new
electric telegraph when murderer
John Tawell is arrested after being followed by a detective alerted prior to Tawell's arrival at
London Paddington station.
26 March – Sisterhood of the Holy Cross ('Park Village Community') established as the first
Anglican sisterhood, to minister to the poor of
St Pancras, London.[4]
20 May – the last fatal duel between Englishmen on English soil takes place near
Gosport.[7]James Alexander Seton is shot and dies twelve days later from his wound. His opponent, Royal Marine Lieutenant Charles Lawes Pym, is tried for murder a year later, but acquitted.
31 May – launch of the first English lake steamer Lady of the Lake for
Windermere.[8]
31 October–1 November – an emergency meeting of the
Cabinet (summoned on 15 October by Sir
Robert Peel, the
Prime Minister) votes against Peel on the distribution of famine relief in Ireland, considering it would call the
Corn Laws into question.[13][14]
9–10 November – Peel orders the secret purchase of £100,000 worth of
maize and meal from the United States for distribution in Ireland.[13][15][16]
20 November – Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata:
Battle of Vuelta de Obligado: the Anglo-French fleet narrowly defeats the
Argentine Confederation on the waters of the
Paraná River but the victors suffer serious damage to their ships and Argentina attracts political support in South America.
5 December – unable to persuade his Cabinet to repeal the Corn Laws in the face of the Great Famine in Ireland, Peel tenders his resignation as Prime Minister[15] to the Queen but is reinstated days later when
Lord John Russell is unable to form a government.[13]