1709 in Great Britain:

Other years

1707 | 1708 | 1709 | 1710 | 1711

Events from the year 1709 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

• Monarch - Anne of Great Britain

Events

• January to March - Unusually cold weather brings floating ice into the North Sea.^[1]
• 2 February - Alexander Selkirk is rescued from shipwreck on a desert island, inspiring the book Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.^[2]
• 12 April - first edition of society magazine Tatler published.^[2]
• 30 July - War of the Spanish Succession: Capture of Tournai by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy.^[3]
• 11 September - War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Malplaquet - Great Britain, Netherlands and Austria led by the Duke of Marlborough defeat France. The song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is based on the French song "Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre" composed following this battle.^[3]
• 9 October - War of the Spanish Succession: British army captures Mons.^[1]

Undated

• Enaction of Britain's first copyright law, the Statute of Anne.^[3]
• Abraham Darby pioneers the first coke-consuming blast furnace.^[3]
• The earliest known match involving county teams played between Kent and Surrey.^[4]
• Construction of Marlborough House begins.^[1]

Births

• 17 January - George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton, politician (died 1773)
• 18 September - Samuel Johnson, writer and lexicographer (died 1784)
• 2 November - Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, (died 1759)
• John Cleland, English novelist (died 1789)

Deaths

• 24 January - George Rooke, English admiral (born 1650)
• 15 February - John Philips, poet (born 1676)
• 9 March - Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, English diplomat (born c. 1638)
• 30 June - Edward Lhuyd, scientist (born 1660)
• 17 July - Robert Bolling, English settler in Virginia (born 1646)
• 9 October - Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, English mistress of Charles II of England (born 1640)
• 23 November - William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, Favourite of William III of England (born 1649, Netherlands)

References

See also