So we will start with the year 1811, the Regency having begun in February that year. George, the Prince Regent, was now heading for forty-nine and was no longer Prince Charming. Wellesley, who was eventually to become the Duke of Wellington, had been fighting the French on the Iberian Peninsular (Portugal and Spain) since May of 1809.
January 1811 saw a very cold winter.
- Jan. 4: A heavy fall of snow rendered the northern roads almost
impassable. The river Severn froze. The River Thames froze - Jan. 5: Two outside passengers on the Carlisle coach frozen to death.
- Jan. 10. A monster, or women hater, dangerously wounded a female in St. James's Park
- Jan. 13: Gallant Action in which the merchant ship Cumberland, Capt. Barratt, beat off four French privateers.
- Jan. 16: A chimney sweep's boy suffocated in a chimney in Orchard street, Westminister.
- Jan. 22: The Cosgrove Aqueduct, an iron aqueduct bridge of the Grand Junction Canal over the
river Ouse near Stratford (pictured here), opened for the passage of boats. This is a cast iron trough in which canal boats navigated from one side of the river to the other passing through several locks as it moves up hill. A tow path runs alongside the canal on one side, on the other it looks something like an infinity pool. - Jan. 31: there was an eruption of a volcano in 80 fathoms of water, near Azores.
- Feb.6: His R.H. the Prince of Wales was sworn into office of Regent.
- Feb.10: A conflagration near Limehouse hole stairs (on the river near the southwest India dock) destroyed four warehouses and twelve dwelling houses.
- Feb.23: A decree of Bonaparte ordered prisoners of war to be employed as laborers.
- Feb.26: John Liles sentenced to seven years transportation, for bigamy.
- Feb.26: Hadje Hassan, ambassador from Algiers, had his first audience of the Prince Regent.
- Feb.27: The House of representatives in the American congress passed a bill prohibiting intercourse with Great Britain and on Feb. 28 Mr. Pinkney, the American minister in this country, had his audience of leave.
