Events during 1862

During the latter months of 1861, Charles Sprengel Greaves the author of the Criminal Law Consolidation Acts was granted Royal Assent, and by 1^st November came into effect.  The changes that were made were

The death penalty was limited to murder, embezzlement, piracy, high treason and acts of arson.

The age of consent was codified to 12 year of age.

Sir George Grey
Home Secretary

The Home Secretary, who at the time 1861 was Sir George Grey, had the power to reprieve or commute sentences from the judiciary and Privy Council

There were further changes to

Accessories and Abettors Act, codifying the law on accessories and abettors.

Coinage Offences Act, codifying the law on counterfeiting of coins

Criminal Statues Repeal Act

Forgery Act, codifying the law on forgery

Larceny Act, codifying the law on larceny and related offences

Malicious Damages Acts, codifying the law on criminal damage

Offences against the Person Act, codifying the law on violent offence against the person and abortion and creating the offence of “causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving”

With the outbreak of the American Civil War during 1861, which at the same time brought the Lancashire Cotton Famine. This was the textile industry in the North West England depression.   The depression was brought by about the overproduction of cotton of the contracting world markets.  Also, the depression coincided with interruption of baled cotton imports from America.

What events occurred during 1862, here in the United Kingdom.

William Frederick Windham

The year started with the end of one of the longest and most expensive lunacy cases.  1861, William Frederick Windham, the son of William Howe Windham and heir of Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk which he inherited early August 1861, later on that month, he married Anne Willioughby.

His uncle did not approve the marriage, Windham was the subject of noted “lunacy” case.  The case, heard from 140 witness lasted for 34 days, ending during the January 1862.  The result of the case, was that Windham, was found to be of sound mind.

 

 

Napoleon III

During that January, British and French forces arrived in Mexico, at the beginning of the French intervention of Mexico.  December 1861, London, countries France, United Kingdom and Spain signed in agreement the Convention of London, a joint effort to repay the debt repayments from Mexico.

8^th December, the three navies disembarked their troops at the port city of Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico.  The British and Spanish commanders soon discovered that the French had an ulterior motive and they wanted to unilaterally plan to seize control of Mexico. The French commander, was Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon

Map of the French Intervention of Mexico
1861 - 1867

 

The end result of the campaign, 5 years later, during June 1867, that the Mexicans had claimed victory, where the Second Mexican Empire was established, and the French withdrew from Mexico.

Northumberland January 1862, 204 miners lost their lives during the Hartley Colliery Disaster.  The Disaster was established by the collapse of the machinery within the mine.

Following the outbreak of the Lancashire Cotton Famine, the previous year, riots broke out in Stalybridge during the March.

English Courts, during the May, were able to issue writs of habeas corpus in British colonies and dominions following the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1862.

Old Westminster Bridge
1789

New Westminster Bridge

May saw the opening of the new Westminster Bridge, which was designed by Thomas Page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers working at Elementary Schools in England and Wales, after the introduction in June of the ‘Revised Code, were paid by the Government Aids, which were paid in annual grants, based on upon attendance, proficiency of student, teacher qualifications and the states of the school.

Charles Dodgson
"Lewis Carroll"

The story of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland was told for the first time, July, when Charles Dodgson “Lewis Carroll”, tells the story to his story, Alice Liddell, on a rowing trip from Folly Bridge, Oxford to Godstow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August saw the last mail coach run from Carlisle to Hawick, Scotland.

 

Charles Lennox Richardson, born 1834, London. During 1853, moved to Shanghai to seek his fortune in the China trade.  1862, Charles announced that he would retire from the world of business, and en route back to England, stopped off at the treaty port of Yokohama, September, where he visited a temple.  It was here, that the Namamugi Incident broke out. During this incident that Charles was killed.  He was buried in the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. 

Glasgow, October, Jessie M’Lachlan, was found guilty in the Sandyford murder case, however, sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, rather than the death sentence.

During November, someone could be flogged if found guilty of robbery.

Joseph Bazalgette

In London during November, Joseph Bazalgette begins construction work on the Thames Embarkment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. Bruce Ismay

Notable births during this year including J. Bruce Ismay, December.  Ismay, the chairman and Managing director of the White Star Line and surviving the sinking of the Titanic during 1912.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Knox

Notable deaths during year, is that of Robert Knox, dying during December.  Knox was the surgeon, anatomist and zoologist.  Knox is best remembered with his involvement during the Burke and Hare murders.  Knox is buried at Brookwood Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books published during this year, included George Eliot’s Romola and Anthony Trollope’s Orley Farm

Romola by George Eliot
Frontcover of Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope