Battle of Corunna
The Battle diverts Napoleon from engulfing Spain with a single manoeuvre as planned. Killed in battle. Fights the battle as his troops are embarking for home
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1809 in Great Britain
Explore 47 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1809.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1809
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 47 unique records.
47Unique records
1 of 2Page
36Named events on this page
24Named people on this page
17Places on this page
January
Death of John Moore
Death of John Moore, killed at the Battle of Corunna
February
Birth of Charles Dawin
Birth of Charles Dawin, grandson of Josiah Wedgewood & Erasmus Darwin
April
Invasion of Portugal
Lands at Lisbon with a new British army
May
Floating Harbour Completed
Jessop's Floating Harbour works improve Bristol's port.
Battle of Oporto
Makes a surprise attack across the River Douro & drives the French from Oporto
June
Invasion of Spain
Wellington enters Spain
July
Marshal
Appointed Marshal General of the Portuguese army
Marshal
Appointed Marshal General of the Portuguese army
Battle of Talavera
Wellington is victorious, rewarded with the title Duke of Wellington. Defeats King Joseph & Marshal Jourdan
August
Birth of Alfred Tennyson
Birth of Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Death of Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton dies at Soho House after transforming Birmingham manufacturing.
September
Peerage
Created Viscount Wellington of Talavera
Peerage
Created Viscount Wellington of Talavera
October
Government
Calls for a Government of National unity
Prime Minister of Great Britain
Appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain
November
Home Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Home Secretary
December
Foreign Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Foreign Minister
Birth of fourth son
Born at 62 Rodney Street, William Ewart Gladstone was the fourth son of the slave-owning merchant Sir John Gladstone, and his second wife, Anne MacKenzie Robertson
Other events (month unknown)
British Protection Publicly Announced
British authorities proclaimed their protection of chiefs south and east of the Sutlej after ratifying the treaty.
Chief Secretary for Ireland
Refuses to become Chief Secretary for Ireland because of his liking for London society
Cumberland Entrance Locks Commissioned
The new entrance locks allowed vessels to move between tidal water and the sheltered dock basin.
Death of Thomas Paine
Death of Thomas Paine
Discovery of Flight
Makes designs for a helicopter & engine powered flight
English Persian Copies Exchanged
The negotiators exchanged authenticated copies of the treaty in English and Persian at its conclusion.
Exhibition Descriptive Catalogue Published
Blake published a Descriptive Catalogue explaining works displayed at his independent exhibition.
Floating Harbour Is Commissioned
Bristol's impounded harbour opened and significantly reduced reliance on tidal windows for loading ships. This changed how vessels navigated or goods reached Bristol quays.
Floating Harbour Navigation Established
The completed Floating Harbour enabled vessels to stay afloat in Bristol without settling on the riverbed at low tide.
Foreign Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Foreign Minister
Foreign Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Foreign Minister
Franchise
Proposes a wider franchise to include all householders & taxpayers
Frome Enters Impounded Port System
The city's historic Frome harbour became incorporated into the stable water levels of the new floating harbour. Its legacy can be traced in the layout of the city waterfront.
Governor General Ratifies Amritsar Treaty
Lord Minto's government ratified the Treaty of Amritsar on 30 May 1809.
Jubilee
A Jubilee is held to celebrate 50 years rule
Judge-Advocate General
Apppointed Judge-Advocate General in successive Tory ministries 1809-17
Member of Parliament
Elected Member of Parliament
Metcalfe Concludes Treaty Negotiations
Charles Metcalfe negotiated and signed the 26 April agreement on behalf of the British government in India.
Ochterlony Delivers Ratified Document
David Ochterlony sent the ratified treaty to Ranjit Singh in June and communicated British protection to Cis Sutlej chiefs.
Quarterly Review Challenges Edinburgh
The founding of the rival Quarterly Review challenged the Edinburgh Review's prominence and sharpened the political divide between major reviews.
Reform of Parliament
Proposes a wider franchise to include all householders & taxpayers. Proposes annual Parliaments & constituencies of equal size. Cartwights radical proposals for electoral reform are rejected by Parliament
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.