Support for George Churchill's Election
Attends the St Albans election in support of his brother George Churchill's parliamentary candidacy.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1701 in England
Explore 104 historical events and records for England in 1701.
Historical records for England in 1701
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 104 unique records.
104Unique records
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37Named events on this page
23Named people on this page
11Places on this page
January
Castle Rising Election
Walpole enters Parliament as member for Castle Rising.
East Grinstead Parliamentary Election
The poet and diplomat Matthew Prior was elected to the English House of Commons for East Grinstead in January 1701, beginning a period of parliamentary service alongside his literary career.
February
Opening of Parliament
William III of Orange opens Parliament and urges members to address European security and the unresolved succession question.
Speaker of House of Commons
Harley is chosen Speaker when the new Parliament assembles.
April
Death of Joseph Haines
Joseph Haines, an English actor and comic performer associated with the Restoration stage, died on 4 April 1701 after a career combining theatrical performance and humorous writing.
May
Birth of William Emerson
William Emerson was born in England on 14 May 1701 and later became a mathematician known for influential textbooks on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and mechanics.
King's Bench and Fleet Prisons Conference
Manages a parliamentary conference on amendments to legislation regulating the King's Bench and Fleet prisons.
Commander-in-Chief English Forces Abroad
Appointed commander-in-chief of the English forces serving abroad.
Impeachment Proceedings
Somers answers impeachment charges arising from the partition treaties.
June
Impeachment Division Teller
Acts as a teller in a Lords division during the dispute over the impeachment of leading Whig peers.
Act of Settlement
William III of Orange gives royal assent to the Act of Settlement, which secures the future English succession in the Protestant House of Hanover.
Heir Presumptive
Anne remains first in the Protestant succession established by Parliament.
Judicial Tenure Reform
William III of Orange assents to the Act of Settlement, including provisions that strengthen the security of judicial tenure.
SPG Royal Charter
William III of Orange grants a royal charter to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
Somers Impeachment Vote
Votes against the acquittal of Lord Somers during the contentious impeachment proceedings.
Acquittal
The Lords acquit Somers after the Commons fails to prosecute its charges.
SPG Royal Charter
Bray secures a royal charter for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
July
Royal Sovereign Launched
Master shipwright Fisher Harding built the 100-gun first-rate Royal Sovereign, which was launched at Woolwich Dockyard in July 1701 for service in the English Royal Navy.
August
Death of William Hedges
Sir William Hedges died on 6 August 1701; he had previously served as the East India Company's first governor in Bengal and later became an influential London merchant.
Death of Charles Sedley
Sir Charles Sedley, fifth Baronet, died on 20 August 1701; he was known for his Restoration comedies, poetry and participation in parliamentary life.
Death of John Granville
John Granville, first Earl of Bath and a prominent supporter of the Stuart Restoration, died on 22 August 1701, ending a long career in royal and regional politics.
Alliance Diplomacy
As plenipotentiary, signs the Grand Alliance treaty at The Hague.
Grand Alliance Treaty
Signs the Grand Alliance treaty binding England, the Dutch Republic and the Emperor against France.
Grand Alliance Negotiations
William III of Orange directs negotiations for a renewed European alliance as the Spanish succession crisis moves toward war.
September
Death of Charles Granville
Charles Granville became second Earl of Bath after his father died in August 1701, but died himself on 4 September, leaving the earldom to his young son William Henry Granville.
Grand Alliance
Supports the Grand Alliance against Bourbon control of Spain.
Grand Alliance
William III of Orange joins England with the Dutch Republic and the Habsburg monarchy in the Grand Alliance formed at The Hague.
Death of James II
James II dies in exile after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage.
Death of James II
Death of James II, cerebral haemorrhage
Jacobite Claim
James assumes his father's claim to the English and Scottish crowns.
Recognition by France
Louis XIV recognises James as James III of England and VIII of Scotland.
Succession
Succeeded as the Pretender to the English throne by James Edward, "the Old Pretender"
Response to Stuart Recognition
William III of Orange condemns Louis XIV's recognition of James Francis Edward Stuart as the rightful English king.
October
Death of Joseph Williamson
Sir Joseph Williamson, a former secretary of state and experienced English diplomat, died on 3 October 1701 and was subsequently buried in Westminster Abbey.
Collegiate School Foundation
Pierpont helps organise the ministers who establish Connecticut's Collegiate School.
Collegiate School Rector
Pierson becomes the first rector of Connecticut's new Collegiate School.
November
Death of Charles Gerard
Charles Gerard, second Earl of Macclesfield, died on 5 November 1701 after serving as an English envoy to Hanover during negotiations concerning the Protestant succession.
Member of Parliament
Elected again as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge.
Cambridge Election
Newton is returned to Parliament for Cambridge University.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.