The reign of George III including the Regency (1760-1820)
George III is our longest serving King, whose reign spanned a period of great change and included the emergence of Britain as the predominant European power.
It was marred in part by poor relations with his eldest son the Prince of Wales. The Prince lived an extravagant and dissolute life that earned him the contempt of the people and of Caroline of Brunswick who he married in return for help with his debts. This followed an earlier “wedding” to the commoner, twice widowed and Roman Catholic Maria Fitzherbert, although without the kings consent that union was void.
The relationship between father and son was not helped by George III suffering from periods of mental illness including a point when he was unable to open parliament leading to a debate on a possible regency. The premature and permanent separation of the Prince from his wife did not help the situation.
Whilst all this was going on there was wider social and political unrest across Europe. Louis XVI of France was caught trying to secretly flee with his family from Paris. In Great Britain Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated in the Lobby of the House of Commons. It was at a time between these events that Prince of Wales finally became Prince Regent, effectively ruling in place of his father.
George III’s reign was a period of growing industrialisation and trade. George Stephenson tested his first locomotive Blucher. Blucher was named after the Prussian General who had fought against Napoleon and it was in this same year that Napoleon abdicated in France. Adam Smith the father of modern economics who notably set out the principles of a free market died during George's reign.
Another first in the reign of George III was the first crossing of the Channel by aircraft - in this case a hydrogen balloon. Later that same year the world experienced its first aviation disaster when a balloon crash landed in Ireland burning down 100 houses.
An improving transport network was making the world a smaller place. To Europe’s shame this included the slave trade although the battle against slavery was helped with the first graphic depiction of a slave ship appearing during this time. In the North East the first Wearmouth bridge was opened, made of cast iron it was the longest single span bridge in the world. Closer to home the canal network expanded and the Kennet and Avon Canal Act achieved Royal Assent.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Whilst not directly linked to this puzzle, there is lots of interesting and useful information about milestones to be found on the Milestone Society website.
Congratulations to redsox mark for the first to solve. The solution is out there if you book for it.