Chippenham Railway Viaduct
Completes the principal railway viaduct at Chippenham.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1841 in Great Britain — Page 2
Explore 81 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1841.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1841
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 81 unique records.
81Unique records
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40Named events on this page
21Named people on this page
21Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Chippenham Viaduct Opens
Brunel's railway viaduct at Chippenham opens with the completed Great Western route.
Clifton Suspension Tower Building Continues
Stone towers rose above the gorge while work on abutments and chain anchorage structures proceeded.
Cobden Elected To Parliament
Cobden entered the House of Commons as member for Stockport and carried the repeal movement into parliamentary debate.
Cunard Advances Westbound Crossing Standard
Great Western faced faster rival services as Cunard's Columbia displaced her earlier westbound crossing benchmark.
Discovery of Africa
Sent by the London Missionary Society to South Africa
Discovery of Antarctica
Discovers the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, naming the volcanoes after the expedition's vessels
Discovery of Mount Erebus
James Ross discovers the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, and the volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, which were named for the expeditions vessels
Discovery of Mount Terror
James Ross discovers the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, and the volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, which were named for the expeditions vessels
Discovery of Ross Ice Shelf
Sails for 250 nautical miles (460 km) along the edge of the low, flat-topped ice shelf they called the Victoria Barrier, later named "Ross Ice Shelf" in his honour
Discovery of Ross Sea
James Ross discovers the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, and the volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, which were named for the expeditions vessels
Discovery of Victoria Land
James Ross discovers the Ross Sea, Victoria Land, and the volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, which were named for the expeditions vessels
Election
Loses the General Election
Election Election Outcome
General election outcome recorded for William Lamb: Loses the General Election
Election Government
Government context for this general election: Loses the General Election
Fielden Challenges Lengthy Textile Shifts
Fielden drew on his experience as a mill owner to argue that shorter working hours were practical.
Foreign Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Foreign Minister, 2nd term
General Election - Election
Loses the General Election
Government
Appoints Peel to form a Government & will replace some Whig appointments at court
Governor
Appointed Governor of Brunei
Great Western Atlantic Schedule Maintained
The vessel continued its transatlantic service despite growing commercial competition among ocean steamships.
Great Western Main Line Reaches 116 Miles
The completed London-to-Bristol main line extends roughly 116 miles and embodies Brunel's integrated railway design.
Hungerford Bridge Foundations Constructed
Work progressed on the foundations and river supports needed for the Thames pedestrian suspension bridge.
Kabul Garrison Faces Uprising
William Elphinstone commands British forces in Kabul as a major Afghan uprising threatens the occupation.
League Builds Constituency Registration Campaign
The League encouraged supporters to register as voters and mobilize political pressure for free trade candidates.
Member of Parliament
Elected Member of Parliament for Dorchester
October Bristol Sailing Advertised
A surviving sailing notice advertised a Great Western departure from Bristol in October 1841 under Captain Hosken.
Paddington Bath Through Trains Commence
Great Western passengers could travel directly from Paddington to Bath after the remaining main line opened.
Paddington Bristol Continuous Service Begins
Completion of the main line made uninterrupted journeys possible between London Paddington and Bristol.
Passenger Notices Specify Cabin Charges
The company's 1841 advertising offered specified cabin fares and separate charges for some passengers and animals.
Pippa Passes
Publication of "Pippa Passes"
Quaker's Yard Viaduct
Completes the Quaker's Yard viaduct for the Taff Vale Railway.
Reform of Government
Controls the circulation of paper money
Resignation of William Lamb
Resigns as Prime Minister of Great Britain
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Appointed Secretary for War & the Colonies by Sir Robert Peel
Sydney Gardens Footbridge
Completes a railway footbridge through Sydney Gardens in Bath.
Taff Vale Viaduct Completed
The crossing supports rail access for the South Wales iron industry.
Trial
Prosecuted for a duel with one of his own officers, but is acquitted
Vice President
Appointed Vice President of the Board of Trade
Whig Influence Faces Electoral Reversal
The Conservative election victory changed Britain's political landscape while Napier maintained the Review's established liberal identity.
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.