Battle of Chillianwalla
A British force is defeated by the Sikhs
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1849 in Great Britain
Explore 43 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1849.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1849
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 43 unique records.
43Unique records
1 of 2Page
35Named events on this page
21Named people on this page
18Places on this page
January
Siege of Multan
Present at the successful storming of Multan
February
Battle of Gujrat
Napier takes part in the Battle of Gujrat
March
Result of Surrender of Sikh Forces
Sikh organised resistance collapses as the remaining forces lay down their arms.
Result of Surrender of Sikh Forces
The Sikh military position collapses, enabling British authority to be imposed more fully in the Punjab.
Surrender of Sikh Forces
The Sikhs lay down their arms
Surrender of Sikh Forces
The Sikhs lay down their arms
Capture of Punjab
The British capture the Punjab
Capture of Punjab
The British capture the Punjab
June
Navigation Acts Repeal
Parliament repeals the Navigation Acts and expands competition in maritime trade.
October
Death of Frederic Chopin
Death of Frederic Chopin, consumption at the age of 38
December
Death of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Death of Adelaide, pre-deceased by her only child Elizabeth
Death of Marc Brunel
Brunel's father and engineering mentor Marc Isambard Brunel dies.
Death of Marc Isambard Brunel
Sir Marc Isambard Brunel dies in Westminster after a career in civil and mechanical engineering.
Other events (month unknown)
Battle of Gujrat
The British defeat the Sikhs
Battle of Ramnugger
The British defeat the Sikhs
Birth of Randolph Churchill
Birth of Randolph Churchill, son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough
Bristol Swing Bridge Construction
Designs a wrought-iron swing bridge for Bristol Harbour.
Chepstow Rail Bridge Construction
Begins work on the railway bridge across the River Wye at Chepstow.
Chepstow Tubular Pier System Developed
Brunel develops tubular iron supports for the railway crossing of the River Wye at Chepstow.
Consul
Appointed Consul for Bight of Benin
David Copperfield
Publication of "David Copperfield"
Death of Anne Bronte
Death of Anne Bronte
Dock Swing Bridge Design Finalised
Brunel substituted a wrought iron swing bridge for the rolling bridge originally considered for the improved entrance lock.
Engineer
Appointed civil engineer to the Board of Administration of the annexed province of Punjab, and carries out many significant public works during his time in that position
Factory Reformers Demand Effective Enforcement
Campaigners warned that differing interpretations of the factory laws weakened practical protections despite the ten hour principle.
House of Mercy
Begins the "rescue work" with "fallen women" and meets prostitutes late at night on the street, in his house or in their houses, writing their names in a private notebook and heps the House of Mercy at Clewer near Windsor
Joule Presents Precision Thermal Measurements
Improved experiments gave more reliable values for the mechanical equivalent of heat. The achievement expanded the capabilities of a major research centre.
Navigation Acts Liberalisation
Wilson supported the wider programme of commercial liberalisation in the period when Parliament repealed the principal Navigation Acts.
Navigation Acts Repeal Proceedings
Parliament addressed repeal of key Navigation Acts, expanding the reach of free trade in British shipping and commerce.
North Entrance Lock Bridge
The bridge forms part of Brunel's improvements to the entrance locks.
Pirrie Family Moves to Ireland
William James Pirrie moved from Canada to Ireland as a young child and grew up in County Down.
Protective Wheat Duties Finally Expire
The final phase of the repeal scheme removed protective wheat duties in 1849 leaving only a nominal registration duty.
Rule of Punjab
Appointed civil engineer to the Board of Administration of the annexed province of Punjab, and carries out many significant public works during his time in that position
Scandal
John Delane of The Times reveals arms have been sent to Sicily
Scandal
John Delane of The Times reveals arms have been sent to Sicily
Shirley
Publication of "Shirley"
Siege of Chiniot
Present at the surrender of the fortress of Chiniot
Trafalgar Relief
Creates a bronze relief for Nelson's Column.
Windsor Railway Bridge
Designs the wrought-iron railway bridge carrying the Windsor branch over the Thames.
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.