1853 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1853 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Victoria
• Prime Minister – George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (Coalition)

Events

• 20 January – the United Kingdom annexes
  Lower Burma ending the Second Anglo-Burmese War
  .
• 4 February –
  Halifax Permanent Benefit Building Society takes its first deposits.^[1]
• 14 February – United Kingdom Alliance for the Suppression of the Traffic in all Intoxicating Liquors formed in Manchester.
• 15 February – PS Queen Victoria sinks in a snowstorm at night entering Dublin Bay with the loss of more than 80 lives.
• 18 February – a treaty is signed with the United States concerning international copyright.^[2]
• 29 March – Manchester is granted city status by letters patent.^[3][4]
• May – the world's first public aquarium is opened in London Zoo.^[5]
• 5 May – Perpetual Maritime Truce comes into force between the United Kingdom and the rulers of the Sheikhdoms of the Lower Gulf, later known as the Trucial States.^[6]
• 6 June – naval fleet travels to
  Besika Bay to fend off Russian threats to the Ottoman Empire.^[7]
• 25 June – Hochster v De La Tour, a landmark case on anticipatory breach of contract in English contract law, is decided in the Court of Queen's Bench.
• 1 July – first constitution of the Cape Colony provides for a legislative council.^[7]
• 1 August – under terms of the Vaccination Act, all children born after this date are to receive compulsory vaccination against smallpox during their first 3 months of life, with defaulting parents subject to a fine.^[8]
• 12 August – Licensing (Scotland)
  Act (known after its sponsor as the 'Forbes Mackenzie Act') regulates the supply of intoxicating beverages in Scotland.^[9]
• September (approx.) – first
  Carlisle.^[10][11]
• 14 September –
  St Leger
  .
• 28 September – emigrant ship Annie Jane sinks in heavy seas off the Scottish island of Vatersay with the loss of 350 lives.^[12]
• 31 October–15 May 1854 – lockout of Preston cotton mill workers seeking reinstatement of ten per cent of their pay; this will be Britain's longest industrial dispute up to this date.^[13]
• 3 December – Crimean War: a protocol is signed with France, Austria, and Prussia for restoring peace between Russia and Turkey.^[2]
• 14 December –
  Palmerston resigns as Home Secretary over demands for parliamentary reform, but changes his mind on 23 December.^[7]
• 15 December – the Sierra redwood Sequoiadendron giganteum is introduced to England as Wellingtonia by William Lobb.^[14]

Undated

• Penal Servitude Act provides for convicted criminals to serve their entire sentence in prison, rather than suffer transportation, and also to be freed on licence.^[15]
• Betting Houses Act prohibits
  racecourses
  .
• Skye and Raasay.^[16]
• J. S. Fry & Sons of Bristol produce their Cream Stick, predecessor of Fry's Chocolate Cream and the first mass produced chocolate bar.

Publications

• Charlotte Brontë's novel Villette (published as by Currer Bell).
• Mrs Gaskell's novel Ruth.
• John Mason Neale and Thomas Helmore's adaptations Carols for Christmas-Tide, including the first appearance of "Good King Wenceslas".^[17][18]
• Robert Smith Surtees
  ' comic novel Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour.
• Charlotte M. Yonge's novel The Heir of Redclyffe.^[19]

Births

• 29 March – Elihu Thomson, engineer and inventor (died 1937)
• 7 April – Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, member of the royal family (died 1884)
• 3 June –
  Flinders Petrie
  , Egyptologist (died 1942)
• 5 July – Cecil Rhodes, businessman (died 1902)

Deaths

• 27 January – John Iltyd Nicholl, Welsh politician (born 1797)
• 12 April – James Foster, ironmaster (born 1786)
• 15 August – Frederick William Robertson, Anglican preacher (born 1816)
• 19 August –
  Sir George Cockburn
  , Naval commander (born 1772)
• 29 August –
  Commander-in-Chief in India
  (born 1782)
• 6 September – George Bradshaw, cartographer and timetable publisher (born 1800)

References