Invention of Stamp
Intoduces the Penny Post to Britain
Permanent historical records ยท Updated 2026-11-03
1840 in Great Britain
Explore 82 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1840.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1840
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 82 unique records.
82Unique records
1 of 3Page
38Named events on this page
13Named people on this page
21Places on this page
January
Birth of Sophia Jex-Blake
Birth of Sophia Jex-Blake
February
Birth of John Boyd Dunlop
Birth of John Boyd Dunlop
Marriage
Albert is voted ล30,000 pa, they only have a 2 day honeymoon
Marriage
Marries Victoria, his 1st cousin, at St James Palace
Marriage
Marries Albert of Saxe-Coburg, Albert is voted ล30,000 pa, they have a 2 day honeymoon
May
Gladstone lambasts Palmerston's Opium War and said that he felt in dread
Gladstone lambasts "Palmerston's Opium War" and said that he felt "in dread of the judgments of God upon England for our national iniquity towards China"
June
Acts as host to Emperor Nicholas I
Acts as host to Emperor Nicholas I
August
Bath-Bristol Railway Section Opens
The Great Western section between Bristol and Bath opens, using Brunel's broad gauge and associated masonry structures.
Bristol Temple Meads Opens
Opens his original Bristol Temple Meads terminus.
Original Bristol Terminus
Trains begin running from Brunel's Bristol station toward Bath.
September
Swindon Railway Works
Daniel Gooch proposes locomotive works at Swindon and Brunel supports creation of a major railway centre there.
October
Screw Propulsion Report Submitted
Brunel submits a detailed report recommending screw propulsion instead of paddle wheels for the new Great Britain.
December
Wootton Bassett-Chippenham Section Opens
Another section of Brunel's Great Western main line opens between Wootton Bassett and Chippenham.
SS Great Britain
Brunel orders SS Great Britain to be redesigned for screw propulsion instead of paddle wheels.
Other events (month unknown)
Archimedes Screw Trials Studied
Brunel studies Francis Pettit Smith's screw-propelled Archimedes during trials and demonstrations at Bristol.
Ashley Cooper Strengthens Ten Hour Campaign
Ashley Cooper used parliamentary advocacy to highlight the need for more effective protection of factory employees.
Atlantic Steamer Returns After Refit
Great Western continued her transatlantic career after modifications designed to improve carrying capacity.
Auckland
Gives a commission to William Hobson to sail for the East Indies, which Hobson ultimately rewarded in the naming of his new town Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Avon Valley Rail Gradients Controlled
Brunel's carefully surveyed route minimised steep railway gradients along the valley approaching Bath.
Bath Avon Railway Bridge
The crossing carries the Great Western Railway through the city.
Bath Bristol Railway Services Commence
Railway passengers could travel between Bath and Bristol using the newly opened Great Western section.
Bath Railway Approaches Completed
Brunel's line used masonry bridges and viaducts to carry trains through the city and its narrow approaches.
Bath River Bridges Support Broad Gauge
Brunel's river crossings were designed for the wider track gauge adopted by the Great Western Railway.
Bath Riverside Railway Embankments Established
The broad gauge alignment relied on embankments to maintain manageable gradients beside sections of the Avon.
Bath Spa Skew Bridge
Designs the skew bridge immediately west of Bath Spa station.
Bath Station Opens For Passengers
Bath's Great Western Railway station commenced operations as the new Bristol to Bath section opened.
Battersea Rail Approaches Expand
Railway development around Battersea began transforming the south bank into an important transport and industrial district.
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway opens a route through the Lickey Incline.
Birth of Victoria
Birth of Victoria, 1st child of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert, the Princess Royal
Bourton Church Bridge Completed
A Brunel-designed accommodation bridge is completed on the Challow to Wootton Bassett section of the Great Western Railway.
By Brook Culvert Completed
Brunel's stone culvert over By Brook is completed as part of the Great Western route through the Box area.
Capture of Zhoushan
Following the orders of Lord Palmerston, a British expedition blockades the Mouth of Pearl River and moves north to take Zhoushan. Led by Gordon Bremer in the Wellesley, they captured the empty city after an exchange of gunfire with shore batteries that caused only minor casualties
Cheltenham and Great Western Union Bridge
The limestone bridge uses Brunel's characteristic elliptical arch.
Chippenham Becomes Temporary Western Terminus
The railhead at Chippenham served as an interim endpoint pending the completion of the line through Box Tunnel.
Chippenham Broad Gauge Track Enters Service
The new section used Brunel's broad gauge track system rather than the standard gauge used on many other railways.
Chippenham Railway Goods Access Established
The arrival of the railway provided a new means of moving Wiltshire goods toward the growing Great Western network.
Chippenham Station Opens For Rail Traffic
The initial railway connection made Chippenham an operating terminus while the remaining route west was unfinished.
Clifton Bridge Chain Contract Awarded
The bridge project arranged manufacture of its suspension chains at the Copperhouse Foundry in Cornwall.
Clifton Chain Contract Awarded
The Copperhouse Foundry at Hayle receives the contract to manufacture suspension chains for Brunel's Clifton bridge.
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.