7th April

[chenrezig]

1739 English highwayman Dick Turpin was hanged in York for murdering an inn-keeper. Before becoming a highwayman, he had been a butcher's apprentice.

1770 William Wordsworth, English romantic poet and Poet Laureate, was born, in Cockermouth, Cumbria. He died on 23rd April 1850 and was buried at St. Oswald's church in Grasmere.

1827 Chemist John Walker of Stockton on Tees sold the world's first box of 'friction matches' that he had invented the previous year. He charged one shilling for a box of 50 matches. Each box was supplied a piece of sandpaper, folded double, through which the match had to be drawn to ignite it. He named the matches 'Congreves' in honour of the inventor and rocket pioneer, Sir William Congreve.

1832 Joseph Thompson, a farmer, went to Carlisle to sell his wife, both having agreed to part. A large crowd gathered as he offered her for 50 shillings. After an hour, the price was knocked down to 20 shillings, together with a Newfoundland dog as an incentive.

1853 Queen Victoria became the first monarch to receive chloroform. It was administered to ease the birth of her eighth child, Prince Leopold.

1908 H. H. Asquith of the Liberal Party took office as Prime Minister. He served until 1916 making him the longest continuously serving Prime Minister of the 20th century until 5th January 1988, when his record was surpassed by Margaret Thatcher.

1914 The House of Commons passed the Irish Home Rule Bill.

1930 The birth of German-born, British actor Andrew Sachs. He made his name for his portrayal of Manuel in Fawlty Towers.

1936 Butlins opened its first family holiday camp at Skegness. One of the original chalets is on site and is a grade II listed building.

1958 An Easter march to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston attracted 3,000 anti atomic bomb marchers and a further 12,000 members of the new CND movement (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament).

1968 British world motor-racing champion Jim Clark died in a crash at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany.

1976 MP John Stonehouse resigned from the Labour Party, leaving James Callaghan's government in a minority of one. Stonehouse is best remembered for faking his own suicide (20th November 1974), by leaving a pile of clothes on a Miami beach. He was presumed dead, and obituaries were published, despite the fact that no body had been found. In reality, he was en route to Australia, hoping to set up a new life with his mistress and secretary, Sheila Buckley. He also faced 18 charges of theft, forgery, attempted insurance frauds and conspiracy.

1986 Home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair sold the rights to his machines to Amstrad.

1997 The 150th Grand National (cancelled on the 5th) due to bomb threats by the IRA, was held for the first time ever on a Monday, with the organisers offering free admission. Some 20,000 people had been left stranded over the weekend, as their cars and coaches were locked in the course. There was limited accommodation space in the city and surrounding areas, and those local residents not affected by the incident opened their doors and took in many of those stranded.

[annie]

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