Parliament Summoned
William III of Orange summons a new Parliament as the European crisis and the French recognition of the Stuart claimant intensify.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1701 in England — Page 2
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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40Named events on this page
31Named people on this page
5Places on this page
November
December
Birth of Francis Ayscough
Francis Ayscough was born on 19 December 1701; he later became a Church of England cleric and served as Clerk of the Closet to Frederick, Prince of Wales.
Ambitious Stepmother Performed
Nicholas Rowe's tragedy The Ambitious Stepmother was probably performed in London in December 1701, drawing its dramatic conflict from a struggle for power within a royal family.
Parliamentary Response to Stuart Claim
William III of Orange urges Parliament to respond firmly after Louis XIV recognizes James Francis Edward Stuart as king of England and Scotland.
Other events (month unknown)
Act Of Settlement Designates Sophia
The Act of Settlement designated Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant descendants as successors should the reigning line fail.
Advancement and Reformation of Modern Poetry Published
John Dennis published The Advancement and Reformation of Modern Poetry, a work of literary criticism considering how modern poetry could be strengthened and reformed.
Allied Army Command
Takes a leading command role in the Allied forces in the Netherlands as the coalition prepares for war.
Antiochus the Great Performed
Jane Wiseman's tragedy Antiochus the Great was performed in November 1701, bringing a historical drama by a woman author to the London stage.
Atlantic Magnetic Variation Chart Published
Halley published an innovative chart representing equal magnetic variation across the Atlantic.
Bevis Marks Synagogue Opens
The Bevis Marks Synagogue opened in London in 1701 for the Sephardi Jewish community; Quaker builder Joseph Avis had been contracted to construct the building in 1699.
Birth of Harriet Godolphin
Harriet Godolphin was born in 1701 into the influential Godolphin family and later became Duchess of Newcastle upon Tyne through her marriage to politician Thomas Pelham Holles.
Birth of Henry Hindley
Henry Hindley was born around 1701 in England and later became a clockmaker and scientific instrument maker noted for his precision engineering in York.
Birth of Thomas Bayes
Thomas Bayes is born in London; his exact birth date remains uncertain.
Christian Hero Published
Richard Steele published The Christian Hero in 1701, presenting a moral argument for virtue and religious conduct through examples drawn from historical figures.
Commander in Chief
Appointed commander-in-chief of English forces serving with the Dutch.
Death of Edward Rich
Death of Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick, 3rd Earl of Holland
Double Distress Performed
Mary Pix's play The Double Distress was performed around March 1701, adding another work by a prominent female dramatist to the London stage.
Dutch Negotiations
Negotiates military and diplomatic arrangements with Dutch leaders at The Hague.
Essay on the Balance of Power Published
Charles Davenant published An Essay upon the Balance of Power in 1701, analysing the European diplomatic situation and the dangers posed by the struggle over the Spanish succession.
Essay on the Ideal World Published
The English philosopher John Norris published the first part of An Essay Towards the Theory of the Ideal or Intelligible World in 1701, developing a philosophical account of ideas and human knowledge.
Halley Surveys English Channel Tides
Halley investigated coastal and tidal conditions as part of his hydrographic work.
Hampton Court Privy Garden
William III of Orange completes major work on the formal Privy Garden at Hampton Court, part of his extensive transformation of the palace and grounds.
Harley Elected Speaker of Commons
On 10 February 1701, Robert Harley defeated Sir Richard Onslow by 249 votes to 129 to become Speaker of the English House of Commons.
Humour of the Age Appears
Thomas Baker's comedy The Humour of the Age appeared in 1701, contributing to the contemporary London theatrical repertoire and its satire of fashionable behaviour.
Jew of Venice Premieres
George Granville's adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, titled The Jew of Venice, premiered at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1701 with Thomas Betterton playing Bassanio.
Judgment of Paris Performed
William Congreve's masque The Judgment of Paris was performed in March 1701, treating the mythological choice of Paris in a musical dramatic entertainment.
Ladies Defiance Published
Lady Mary Chudleigh published The Ladies Defiance, a poetic response to arguments about marriage and women's subordination that engaged in contemporary debate over women's independence.
Ladies Visiting Day Performed
William Burnaby's comedy The Ladies Visiting Day appeared in 1701, presenting fashionable sociability and the conventions of polite visiting as subjects for stage comedy.
Legislation
The Act of Settlement gives the succession to Sophia & the German House of Hanover
Love Makes a Man Published
Colley Cibber's Love Makes a Man was published in 1701 after its December 1700 performance; the comedy adapted material from two plays by Beaumont and Fletcher.
Loves Victim Staged
Charles Gildon's tragedy Love's Victim, also titled The Queen of Wales, was performed and published anonymously in 1701.
Missionary Society Founded in London
On 16 June 1701, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was established by royal charter, following efforts led by Anglican clergyman Thomas Bray to support overseas ministry.
Missionary Society Organisation
Bray organises the new missionary society created by royal charter.
Missionary Society Support
Compton supports Anglican missionary organisation for England's overseas colonies.
New Miscellany of Original Poems Published
Charles Gildon published A New Miscellany of Original Poems in 1701, an anthology that included verse by Anne Finch and other contemporary writers.
Newton Publishes Heat Scale
Isaac Newton anonymously published Scala graduum caloris in the Royal Society Philosophical Transactions in 1701, setting out temperature measurements based on a liquid thermometer and reference points for heat.
Original Power of the People Published
Daniel Defoe published The Original Power of the Collective Body of the People of England, a political pamphlet arguing for the people's foundational role in legitimate government.
Posthumous Poetry Collection Appears
A collection titled Poems on Various Occasions and Translations from Several Authors appeared under John Dryden's name in 1701, the year after the poet's death.
Reform of Royal Succession
The Act of Settlement gives the succession to Sophia & the German House of Hanover
Rochester Poems Reissued Posthumously
A London edition of Poems on Several Occasions attributed to John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, appeared in 1701, more than twenty years after his death.
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.