Great Western Sea Trial Completed
SS Great Western completes an early sea trial before beginning her first Atlantic service.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1838 in Great Britain
Explore 84 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1838.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1838
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 84 unique records.
84Unique records
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39Named events on this page
15Named people on this page
20Places on this page
March
Brunel Injured during Great Western Fire
Brunel is injured after falling about twenty feet during the confusion surrounding the Great Western engine-room fire.
Great Western Engine-Room Fire Contained
An engine-room fire breaks out as Great Western prepares for her maiden Atlantic voyage but is extinguished with limited ship damage.
April
SS Great Western
SS Great Western departs Bristol on her first Atlantic voyage to New York.
SS Great Western
SS Great Western reaches New York and demonstrates the commercial practicality of regular steamship crossings.
May
Demands payment to bondholders, suggests revenue from the Spanish colony of Cuba
Demands payment to bondholders, suggests revenue from the Spanish colony of Cuba
June
Great Western Railway
The first public section of the Great Western Railway opens between Paddington and Maidenhead.
Paddington Station
The first temporary Great Western Railway terminus at Paddington opens for services between London and Maidenhead.
July
Military Aid Agreement at London
Suspends military aid to Spain until its Government pays for arms already supplied
August
Birth of James Hamilton
Birth of James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn
September
Curzon Street Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway opens its Curzon Street terminus.
October
Manifesto
The manifesto states that in order to ensure the welfare of India, the British must have a trustworthy ally on Indias western frontier. The Governor of General of India Lord Auckland issues the Simla Manifesto in October 1838, setting forth the necessary reasons for British intervention in Afghanistan. Lord Auckland decided on war, and on 1 October 1838 in Simla published a manifesto dethroning Dost Mahommed Khan
Simla Manifesto
The manifesto states that in order to ensure the welfare of India, the British must have a trustworthy ally on Indias western frontier. The Governor of General of India Lord Auckland issues the Simla Manifesto in October 1838, setting forth the necessary reasons for British intervention in Afghanistan. Lord Auckland decided on war, and on 1 October 1838 in Simla published a manifesto dethroning Dost Mahommed Khan
Birmingham Borough
Birmingham receives a charter of incorporation, creating its municipal borough.
December
Box Tunnel
Work begins on Box Tunnel through Box Hill for the Great Western Railway.
Invasion of Afghanistan
An army of 21,000 British and Indian troops under the command of Sir John Keane (subsequently replaced by Sir Willoughby Cotton and then by William Elphinstone) set out from Punjab in December 1838
Other events (month unknown)
Abolitionists Celebrate Apprenticeship End
Thomas Fowell Buxton and the wider antislavery movement welcomed the end of the apprenticeship regime that had followed the 1833 Act.
Apprenticeship Ends Across British Caribbean
Following abolitionist campaigning, the colonial apprenticeship system ended on 1 August 1838, bringing fuller freedom to former apprentices.
Atlantic Mail Conveyance Gains New Route
Great Western carried letters as well as passengers and freight, contributing to faster communications across the ocean.
Bath Valley Railway Construction Advances
Contractors worked on embankments bridges and cuttings needed to carry broad gauge trains through the Avon valley.
Brunel GWR Overbridge
The structure reflects Brunel's broad-gauge railway design.
Brunel Injured During Ship Fire
Brunel was injured during the response to a fire involving Great Western before the first Atlantic voyage.
Captain Reports Early Steamship Performance
Experience gathered under Captain Hosken provided practical evidence about fuel consumption and handling on lengthy steam powered voyages.
Chartist Petition and Representation
Political petitions and calls for franchise reform emerged in parliamentary discussion as the Chartist movement gathered momentum.
Chartist Politics Begin to Emerge
The Chartist movement added new urgency to questions of political representation that animated Britain's reform minded periodicals.
Chippenham Station Site Selected
The Great Western route incorporated a station site to serve Chippenham and surrounding communities.
Clifton Eastern Tower Masonry Advances
Contractors continued the Clifton side tower and its supporting masonry above the Avon Gorge.
Corn Law Opposition Gains Manchester Platform
Cobden joined the growing movement for repeal of grain duties in the industrial districts of Lancashire.
Cumberland Lock Enlargement Considered
Brunel developed proposals to improve harbour entrances as increasing steamship dimensions challenged the original locks.
Discovery of Electrons
Between 1838 and 1851, British natural philosopher Richard Laming developed the idea that an atom is composed of a core of matter surrounded by subatomic particles that had unit electric charge
Dumb Bell Bridge
Designs the sharply skewed Dumb Bell Bridge beneath the Great Western Railway.
Early Broad-Gauge Bridge
The bridge preserves Brunel's early broad-gauge engineering approach.
Early Brunel Iron Bridge
The work is among Brunel's earliest iron bridge designs.
Early GWR Broad-Gauge Operations Begin
The first working section of the Great Western Railway demonstrates Brunel's broad-gauge track and early bridge designs.
Early GWR Overbridge
The bridge forms part of Brunel's first London-to-Maidenhead contracts.
first book, "The State
Gladstone publishes his first book, "The State in its Relations with the Church", in which he argued that the goal of the state should be to promote and defend the interests of the Church of England
First Homeward Crossing Reaches Bristol
The ship returned to Bristol on 22 May after a successful inaugural round trip between Britain and America.
First Ocean Crossing Uses Steam Power
Captain Hosken demonstrated that a large paddle steamer could cross the North Atlantic while relying predominantly on steam propulsion.
First Return Voyage Leaves New York
Great Western departed New York on 7 May for the first homeward voyage of her scheduled steamship service.
First Sailing Carries Few Passengers
The ship began her inaugural Atlantic voyage with few passengers after the earlier fire discouraged some prospective travellers.
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.