1546. THOMAS ELYOT, an eminent English scholar, died. He published the
first _Latin and English Dictionary_ in that country.
1602. BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD sailed from England in a shallop with 32
persons to effect a colony in the northern part of Virginia. He was the
first Englishman who came in a direct course to this part of America,
instead of making the circuit by the Canaries and the West Indies. After
a passage of 7 weeks they made land in 43 degrees.
1630. CHARLES I renewed the patent granted by his father to Ben Jonson,
as poet laureate. The pension was augmented from 100 marks to 100
pounds, with the grace cup of "one tierce of Canary Spanish wine," to be
delivered annually from the royal cellars at Whitehall.
1644. The English parliament made an ordinance to enjoin every family
one meal per week, and to contribute the value thereof to the kingdom.
1649. JOHN WINTHROP, first governor of Massachusetts colony, died at
Boston, aged 63. He came out to America 1630, as governor of the colony;
to which he continued to be re-elected, with a few years intermission,
till his death. He kept an accurate journal of the events of the early
colony from its foundation to the time of his death, two volumes of
which were published at Hartford 1790; and the third, which had been a
long time lost, appeared in 1826.
1662. BRIAN DUPPA, an English bishop, died. He was distinguished for his
learning and virtues, and the firmness of his adherence to the cause of
the Stuarts during their misfortunes.
1676. Marlborough, Mass., destroyed by the Indians. So completely did
the enemy finish their horrid purposes here, that the inhabitants
deserted their dwellings and sought shelter elsewhere. On the following
evening a party of about forty men went out in search of the Indians;
and coming upon them towards morning lying around their fires to the
number of about three hundred, fired in upon them. Although it was so
dark at a short distance from the fires that "an Indian could not be
discerned from a better man," yet they discharged several volleys upon
them, and came off without the loss of one of the band. The few houses
which escaped the brand on this occasion were razed by the enemy soon
after.
1688. WINSTON CHURCHILL, an English historian, died; better known as the
father of the great duke of Marlborough.
1699. "After an extraordinary storm," says Evelyn, "there came up the
Thames a whale which was 56 feet long. Such and a larger of the spout
kind, was killed there 40 years ago. _That year died Cromwell._" The
reverend antiquary probably considered this a _prodigious_ omen of the
usurper's dissolution.
1702. WILLIAM COURTEN died; a collector of whatever was curious and
important in medallic and antiquarian history. He left 38 vols. folio,
and 8 quarto, which together with his collection were purchased for the
British museum at £20,000; scarcely the value of the coins and precious
stones.
1707. The _regalia_ of Scotland deposited in an oaken chest, at the
Edinburgh castle.
1711. Engagement between the British ship Lion, 60 guns, Capt. Walpole,
and 4 French ships, in which the latter were beaten off. Walpole had his
right arm shot off; and it may be mentioned that Lord Nelson had the
same sword in his hand when his right arm was shot off, 1797.
1719. A Spanish fleet under the duke of Ormond, intended for the
invasion of England in favor of the pretender, was dispersed by a storm.
1726. JOHN VANBRUGH, an English dramatist and architect, died. He was
knighted by Queen Anne, and held several lucrative offices; but a want
of economy in the management of his income kept him in indigence, and
his dramas were produced in rapid succession to retrieve his credit.
Few of his pieces, although popular at the time, still keep the stage.
1729. ROBERT MOSS, a popular London preacher, died. His sermons have
been published in 8 vols.; and he is the author of some poems, and small
tracts.
1730. The landgrave of Hesse Cassel, father of the king of Sweden, died.
The Swedish monarch was declared successor.
1756. GILBERT WEST, an English poet, died. He was a man of polished
manners and great erudition.
1772. CHARLES DINEAU DUCLOS, historiographer of France, died. He was
also a distinguished member of the French academy, and was engaged in
the _Dictionary_ and _History of the Society_.
1784. THOMAS BOND, a distinguished American physician, died. After
spending considerable time in preparatory study at Paris, he returned
and commenced practice in Philadelphia, where he acquired a great
reputation in his profession, and as a man of letters.
1794. Congress passed an embargo law.
1799. Battle of Verona, between the French and Austrians. The battle
continued from morning till night, and the loss on both sides was so
great, that each army found it necessary to retreat.
1806. Broome county, in New York, erected.
1812. Earthquake in Venezuela, South America; the town of St. Philip
with a population of 1,200 souls was entirely swallowed up, and it is
supposed that about 20,000 persons perished in the whole province.
Caraccas, with a population of 40,000, was destroyed, and from 10,000 to
40,000 persons perished, authorities differ.
1813. The American batteries at Black Rock opened their fire on the
British, and silenced their lower battery.
1814. Gen. HULL, tried at Albany by court martial for surrendering
Detroit, was found guilty and sentenced to be shot. His punishment was
remitted by the president.
1814. Battle of St. Dizier in France, in which Bonaparte defeated
Winzingerode.
1814. Engagement in the bay of La Hogue, between the British ship Hebrus
and French frigate L'Etoile. French loss, 40 killed, 71 wounded; British
13 killed, 25 wounded.
1832. The Asiatic cholera appeared in Paris. During its prevalence 1 in
33 of the population died. In the whole of France 229,534 persons were
attacked, and 94,665 died.
1838. WILLIAM H. ASHLEY died near Boonville, Missouri. He was the first
lieut. governor of that state, and a man highly respected for his great
enterprise, talents, integrity and principle. He emigrated from
Virginia at the age of 30, and settled near the lead mines. In 1822 he
projected the scheme of uniting the Indian trade of the Rocky mountains
with the hunting and trapping business; and having enlisted about 300
hardy men, they, after various successes and reverses, realized handsome
fortunes.
1839. POWER LE POER TRENCH, archbishop of Tuam and primate of Connaught,
in Ireland, died. He was distinguished for his talents, eloquence and
learning, and greatly revered for his benevolence and piety.
1850. SAMUEL T. ARMSTRONG, a distinguished American bookseller, died in
Boston.
1852. While the engineer Maillefert and his assistants were engaged in
submarine blastings at Hellgate, New York harbor, by accident a charge
exploded and instantly killed Capt. Southard and 2 others. Maillefert
and others were raised several feet, and fell into the water; but were
rescued with few injuries.
1854. JONATHAN HARRINGTON died, aged 85; a fifer for the minute men who
assembled on Lexington Green on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775,
and the last survivor of the gallant band who were engaged in that first
conflict of the American revolution.