1.
1736
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As of the start of 1736, the Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923. January 23 – The Civil Code of 1734 is passed in Sweden, january 26 – Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne. February 12 – Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor marries Maria Theresa of Austria, april – The Genbun era begins in Japan. The era of Kyōhō Reforms ends, march 8 – Nader Shah, founder of the Afsharid dynasty, is crowned Shah of Iran. April 14 – The Porteous Riots erupt in Edinburgh after the execution of smuggler Andrew Wilson, may 8 – Frederick, Prince of Wales, marries Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. May 26 – Battle of Ackia, British and Chickasaw Native Americans defeat French troops, june 8 – Leonhard Euler writes to James Stirling describing the Euler–Maclaurin formula, providing a connection between integrals and calculus. June 19 – French Academy of Sciences expedition led by Pierre Louis Maupertuis, with Anders Celsius, july – Russo-Turkish War, Russian forces under Peter Lacy storm the Ottoman fortress of Azov. September 7 – An Edinburgh crowd drags John Porteous out of his cell in Tolbooth Prison, december 7 – Benjamin Franklin builds the first volunteer fire company in Philadelphia. December 26 - Andrew Michael Ramsay gave an oration in which he related the heritage, neustrelitz becomes the capital of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, becomes the first Field Marshal of Great Britain, a fire in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg burns 2000 houses. Fifty-three houses in the English town of Stony Stratford are consumed by fire, one of the earliest records of use of a bathing machine is made at Scarborough in England. Charles Marie de La Condamine, with François Fresneau Gataudière, makes the first scientific observations of rubber, Leonhard Euler produces the first published proof of Fermats little theorem. Sir Isaac Newtons Method of Fluxions, describing his method of differential calculus, is first published, muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab writes the Kitab at-tawhidt, marking the beginning of Wahhabism. The Haidamakas raid the shtetl of Pavoloch, killing 35
2.
William Abbotts
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William Abbotts was one of the founding fathers of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, UK. Although already an important landowner in the village it was on 14 January 1784 that Abbotts made the discovery that he would be remembered for. That year however Abbotts and his friend Benjamin Satchwell found a spring on Abbotts land. In the manner of the time its supposed medicinal qualities were used to make money from the leisured classes, Abbotts Original Baths, the first commercial baths in the town, were opened in 1786. After Satchwell and Abbotts spring was found several wells were bored, Leamington quickly grew into on the most fashionable spa resorts of the 19th century, a process which turned it from a sleepy village to a thriving town. Abbotts and his wife ran at least two pubs in the town The Black Dog and The New Inn, Abbotts had at least one daughter who was born in 1765 or 1766. After his death in 1805 he buried in the Leamington parish church, All Saints, Abbotts Street in the town is, unsurprisingly, named after him and is located close to the site of the original Leamington spring
3.
Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet
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Sir John Francis Edward Acton, 6th Baronet was commander of the naval forces of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and prime minister of Naples under Ferdinand IV. He was the son of Edward Acton, a physician at Besançon and he served under his uncle in the navy of Tuscany, and commanded the Tuscan frigates in the Spanish led Invasion of Algiers. Had not Mr. Acton, the Tuscan commander, cut his cables, the incessant fire of his great guns, loaded with grape-shot, not only stopt them in their career, but obliged them to retire with great loss. The ability displayed by him in this led to his rapid advancement and he became commander-in-chief of both the army and the navy of the Kingdom of Naples, minister of finance, and finally prime minister. In 1791, Acton succeeded to the title and estates in 1791, on the death of his cousin once removed, Sir Richard Acton of Aldenham Park. His policy was devised in concert with the English ambassador, Sir William Hamilton, such policy consequently involved open opposition to France and the French party in Italy. In no degree, however, were the interests of Naples promoted by the vainglorious policy thus inaugurated, when, five months afterwards, the king was restored with the help of a Calabrian army, called the Sanfedisti, led by Cardinal Ruffo. Shortly afterwards the minister was recalled, but when the French entered Naples in 1806 and he died at Palermo,12 August 1811, and was buried in the church of Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi. He married his niece Mary Ann, the eldest daughter of his brother, Mary Ann was only thirteen, and papal dispensation was required for the marriage, which appears to have been done to keep control of the familys wealth. They had three children, Sir Ferdinand Richard Edward Acton Cardinal Acton Elizabeth Acton married Sir Robert Throckmorton, the elder son, Sir Ferdinand, being the father of the first Baron Acton. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Henderson
4.
Akali Naina Singh
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Akali Naina Singh was a Nihang warrior and fifth Jathedar of Budha Dal. He was born around 1736, into a Sidhu family, in Khudi Kurd and he learned Gurbani and martial skills from Baba Deep Singh. He joined Budha Dal at the age of 20, along with his nephew Nihang Kharag Singh and he was guardian of Akali Phula Singh and trained him with scriptures, warfare and martial arts. He is credited for introducing tall pyramidal turban, which is common among the Nihangs and he was against treaty of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and British and dislike living style of Ranjit Singh which appears to him anti-Sikh
5.
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger
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Johann Georg Albrechtsberger was an Austrian musician and composer. Albrechtsberger was born at Klosterneuburg, near Vienna and he originally studied music at Melk Abbey and philosophy at a Benedictine seminary in Vienna and became one of the most learned and skillful contrapuntists of his age. Albrechtsbergers earliest classmates included Michael Haydn and Franz Joseph Aumann, after being employed as organist at Raab in 1755 and Maria Taferl in 1757, he was appointed Thurnermeister back at Melk Abbey. In 1772 he was appointed organist to the court of Vienna and his fame as a theorist attracted to him in the Austrian capital a large number of pupils, some of whom afterwards became eminent musicians. See, List of music students by teacher, A to B#Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Beethoven had arrived in Vienna in 1792 to study with Joseph Haydn but quickly became infuriated when his work was not being given attention or corrected. Haydn recommended his friend Albrechtsberger, with whom Beethoven then studied harmony, on completion of his studies, the young student noted, Patience, diligence, persistence, and sincerity will lead to success, which reflects upon Albrechtsbergers own compositional philosophy. When Beethoven was finished studying with Albrechtsberger he decided to get a few more tips and pointers, so to speak, from there Beethoven possibly studied with Antonio Salieri, but this is unknown as a fact. It is also possible that Beethoven went off on his own to make a living. Albrechtsberger died in Vienna, his grave is in St. Marx cemetery and they are in the library of the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. Around 1765, he wrote at least seven concerti for jaw harp and they are pleasant, well written works in the galant style. One of his most notable works is his Concerto for Alto Trombone, as the trombone has few works dating back to the classical period, his concerto is often highlighted by the trombone community. He also wrote a Concerto for the Mandola, Op.27, written positively about in the 1914 book The Guitar, probably the most valuable service he rendered to music was in his theoretical works. In 1790 he published at Leipzig a treatise on composition, of which an edition appeared in 1821. A collection of his writings on harmony, in three volumes, was published under the care of his pupil Ignaz von Seyfried in 1826, an English version of this was published by Novello in 1855. His compositional style derives from Johann Joseph Fuxs counterpoint, who was Kapellmeister at St Stephens Cathedral 1713-1741 and this article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg
6.
George Allan (antiquary)
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George Allan was an English antiquary and attorney at Darlington. Allan spent much of his youth in Wakefield, West Yorkshire and he became an assiduous collector of manuscripts. He was the author of works relating to the history and antiquities of County Durham, he greatly aided William Hutchinson in his History. He presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London 26 quarto volumes of a manuscript relating principally to the University of Oxford and he possessed a printing press, with which he produced several works, among them was a reprint of Robert Heggs 1626 work, Legend of St Cuthbert. Allan married Anne Nicholson, and they had six children, the eldest son George Allan served as Member of Parliament for Durham. A New General Biographical Dictionary, London, B, attribution This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Stephen, Leslie, ed. Allan, George
7.
Juan Bautista de Anza
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Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a New-Spanish explorer of Basque descent, and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire. Juan Bautista de Anza was born in Fronteras, Sonora, New Spain in 1736 and he was the son of Juan Bautista de Anza I. In 1752 he enlisted in the army at the Presidio of Fronteras and he advanced rapidly and was a captain by 1760. His wife was the daughter of Spanish mine owner Francisco Pérez Serrano and his military duties mainly consisted of forays against hostile Native Americans, such as the Apache, during the course of which he explored much of what is now Arizona. The Spanish began colonizing Alta California with the Portolá expedition of 1769-1770, the two-pronged Portolá effort involved both a long sea voyage against prevailing winds and the California Current, and a difficult land route from Baja California. Colonies were established at San Diego and Monterey, with a presidio, a more direct land route and further colonization were desired, especially at present-day San Francisco, which Portolá saw but was not able to colonize. By the time of Juan Bautista de Anzas expedition, three missions had been established, including Mission San Antonio de Padua in the Salinas Valley. In 1772, Anza proposed an expedition to Alta California to the Viceroy of New Spain, Anza heard of a California Native American called Sebastian Tarabal who had fled from Mission San Gabriel to Sonora, and took him as guide. The expedition took a route along the Rio Altar, then paralleled the modern Mexico/California border. This was in the domain of the Yuma tribe, with which he established good relations, Anza reached Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, near the California coast, on March 22,1774, and Monterey, California, Alta Californias capital, on April 19. He returned to Tubac by late May,1774 and this expedition was closely watched by Viceroy and King, and on October 2,1774, Anza was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and ordered to lead a group of colonists to Alta California. The expedition got under way on October 23,1775, and arrived at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in January,1776, today this route is marked as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. The expedition continued on to Monterey with the colonists, in Anzas diary on March 25,1776, he states that he arrived at the arroyo of San Joseph Cupertino, which is useful only for travelers. Here we halted for the night, having come eight leagues in seven, from this place we have seen at our right the estuary which runs from the port of San Francisco. Pressing on, Anza located the sites for the Presidio of San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Asis in present-day San Francisco and he did not establish the settlement, it was established later by José Joaquín Moraga. While returning to Monterey, he located the sites for Mission Santa Clara de Asis and the town of San José de Guadalupe. On August 24,1777, the Viceroy of New Spain appointed Anza as the Governor of the Province of Nuevo México, Governor Anza led a punitive expedition against the Comanche group of Native Americans, who had been repeatedly raiding Taos during 1779. With his Ute and Apache Native American allies, and around 800 Spanish soldiers, Anza went north through the San Luis Valley, entering the Great Plains at what is now Manitou Springs, circling El Capitan, he surprised a small force of the Comanche near present-day Colorado Springs
8.
John Arnold (watchmaker)
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John Arnold was an English watchmaker and inventor. John Arnold was the first to design a watch that was practical and accurate, and also brought the term Chronometer into use in its modern sense. His technical advances enabled the quantity production of Marine Chronometers for use on ships from around 1782. The basic design of these has remained, with a few modifications unchanged until the twentieth century. With regard to his legacy, one can say that both he and Abraham-Louis Breguet largely invented the mechanical watch. Certainly one of his most important inventions, the Overcoil balance spring is still to be found in most mechanical wristwatches to this day and it was from around 1770 that Arnold developed the portable precision timekeeper, almost from the point where John Harrison ended his work in this field. But, compared to Harrisons complicated and expensive watch, Arnolds basic design was simple whilst consistently accurate, importantly, the relatively simple and conventional design of his movement facilitated its production in quantity at a reasonable price whilst also enabling easier maintenance and adjustment. He probably also worked with his uncle, a gunsmith, around 1755, when he was 19, he left England and worked as a watchmaker in the Hague, Holland, returning to England around 1757. In 1762, whilst at St Albans, Hertfordshire, he encountered William McGuire for whom he repaired a repeating watch. Arnold made a sufficient impression so that McGuire gave him a loan, enabling him to set up in business as a watchmaker at Devereux Court, Strand, London. In 1764, Arnold obtained permission to present to King George III an exceptionally small half quarter repeating watch cylinder escapement watch mounted in a ring. A similar repeating watch by Arnold has survived, it is of interest that the movement is Swiss in origin. The escapement of watch was later fitted with one of the first jewelled cylinders made of ruby. Arnold made another watch for the King around 1768, which was a gold and enamel pair cased watch with a movement that had every refinement, including minute repetition and centre seconds motion. In addition, Arnold fitted bi-metallic temperature compensation, and not only was every pivot hole jewelled, Arnold designated this watch Number 1, as he did with all watches he made that he regarded as significant, these numbering twenty in all. Other early productions by Arnold from 1768 to 1770 display both originality and ingenuity, this includes a centre seconds watch wound up by depressing the pendant once a day, the movement of this watch was also fully jewelled with a temperature compensation device and a ruby stone cylinder escapement. In fact, it was a complex and technically very advanced piece of micro engineering. However, the challenge was taken up by Larcum Kendall, who spent two years making an identical copy that cost £450, a huge sum at the time
9.
William Baillie, Lord Polkemmet
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William Baillie, Lord Polkemmet was a Scottish law lord. Baillie was the eldest son of Thomas Baillie of Polkemmet WS and he was admitted advocate 1758, judge 1793, resigned 1811. His Edinburgh address was 62 George Street and he married Margaret Culquhoun, daughter of Sir James Culquhoun of Luss in 1768. In 1803 he married again, to Janet Sinclair, sister of Sir John Sinclair, the Baillie baronets were descended from Lord Polkemmet
10.
Jean Sylvain Bailly
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Jean Sylvain Bailly was a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the French Revolution. He presided over the Tennis Court Oath, served as the mayor of Paris from 1789 to 1791, and was ultimately guillotined during the Reign of Terror. Born in Paris, Bailly was the son of Jacques Bailly, an artist and supervisor of the Louvre, as a child he originally intended to follow in his familys footsteps and pursue a career in the arts. He became deeply attracted to science, however, particularly astronomy and he participated in the construction of an observatory at the Louvre. These achievements along with others got him elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1763, in the years prior to the French Revolution, Baillys distinctive reputation as a French astronomer led to his recognition and admiration by the European scientific community. Due to his popularity amongst the groups, in 1777. Bailly published his Essay on The Theory of the Satellites of Jupiter in 1766. a The essay was an expansion of a presentation he had made to the Academy in 1763 and he later released the noteworthy dissertation On the Inequalities of Light of the Satellites of Jupiterb in 1771. In 1778, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He was admitted to the Académie française on 26 February 1784, from then on, Bailly devoted himself to the history of science. In a short period of time, Bailly made his way up the judicial ranks, from being the deputy of Paris, he was elected Estates-General on 20 May 1789. Soon after he was elected president of the National Assembly and led the famous proceedings in the Tennis Court on 20 June. Shortly after the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, on 15 July 1789, Bailly took office as the mayor of Paris. Two days later he was met by Louis XVI at the Hôtel de Ville who was there to endorse the Revolution, Bailly presented him with the new symbol of the revolution, the tricolour cockade. In his function as mayor, he was attacked by Camille Desmoulins, Bailly continuously sought to promote the authority of the mayor while limiting the power of the General Assembly of the Commune. During his reign as mayor, Bailly secured the passage of a decree that declared Jews to be French citizens on 17 September 1791 and he was met with threats and ridicule for this action. This decree repealed the taxes that had been imposed on the Jews. After a failed attempt by the family to flee the country. On 17 July 1791, he imposed martial law and ordered the National Guard to disperse a large riotous assembly calling for the deposition of the King and he was thus, with Lafayette, held responsible for the Champ de Mars Massacre
11.
Timothy Bloodworth
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Timothy Bloodworth was an American teacher and statesman from North Carolina. He was born in North Carolina in 1736 and spent most of his life before the American Revolutionary War as a teacher, in 1776, he began making arms including muskets and bayonets for the Continental Army. In 1778 and 1779, he served as a member of the North Carolina state legislature, following this, he held a number of political posts sequentially until serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786. He was elected to the First United States Congress as a member of the House of Representatives, in 1794 Bloodworth was elected to the United States Senate, where he served from 1795 to 1801. From then until 1807, Bloodworth served as collector of customs in Wilmington, during the Second World War, liberty ship SS Timothy Bloodworth was named in his honor. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
12.
Jean-Jacques de Boissieu
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Jean-Jacques de Boissieu was a French draughtsman, etcher and engraver Boissieu was born at Lyon, and studied at the École Gratuite de Dessin in his home town, but was mostly self-taught. Jean-Jacques de Boissieu realised some plates for the Diderot-dAlembert Encyclopédie and he continued to produce prints in Lyon, which earned him a reputation as the last representative of the older etching tradition. Boissieu made many etchings of the Roman and Dutch countryside, as well as the countryside around Lyon and he was also sought after as a reproductive engraver. His pupils included Louis Nicolas Philippe Auguste de Forbin and his nephew Claude Victor de Boissieu, French painting 1774-1830, the Age of Revolution. New York, Detroit, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Detroit Institute of Arts, works by Jean-Jacques de Boissieu at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Getty Museum, Jean-Jacques de Boissieu
13.
Francisco Bouligny
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He founded the city of New Iberia in 1779. Bouligny, called Frasquito by his family, was born in 1736 in Alicante, Spain, to Jean Bouligny, a successful French merchant, and Marie Paret, who was from Alicante. At the age of 10, he was sent to a school founded by the bishop of Orihuela, from which he graduated in 1750. In 1758, Bouligny enlisted in the Spanish army, joining the Regiment of Zamora, a year later, he transferred to the Royal Regiment of Spanish Guards and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the infantry and sent to Havana, Cuba, in 1762. He was stationed there until 1769 when he joined Alejandro OReillys expedition to put down the Louisiana Rebellion, Bouligny was promoted to the rank of brevet captain in the new Louisiana Battalion. In 1772 he was appointed a full captain, in 1775, Bouligny was granted leave to return to Europe to settle family affairs. While in Spain, Bouligny wrote a discourse on the population of New Orleans, in 1777, Bouligny returned to Louisiana, where he was named lieutenant governor by Gov. Bernardo de Gálvez. Among his responsibilities was managing trade and relations with Native American tribes, in April 1779, he brought a group of 500 Malagueño colonists up Bayou Teche to establish the city of New Iberia. During the American Revolutionary War, Spain attacked British holdings in West Florida, in 1780, Bouligny led an expedition against the British at Mobile and he later participated in the Siege of Pensacola. In 1783, Bouligny was ordered to eliminate a colony of fugitive slaves south of New Orleans, the expedition captured 60 people, in the following investigation, officials identified a dozen slaves as helping to plan escapes from plantations. In 1785, Gov. Esteban Rodríguez Miró sent Bouligny to Natchez to enforce Spanish rule in the area, in 1791, Bouligny was appointed colonel and placed in command of the Louisiana Regiment, also called the Spanish Regiment. Following the death of Gov. Bouligny died in New Orleans on 25 November 1800 following a long illness and he was honored by being buried in St. Louis Cathedral. He had been appointed in September 1800 by the Spanish Crown as brigadier general, on 29 December 1770, Bouligny married Marie-Louise Le Sénéchal dAuberville. They had four children, including Charles Dominique Joseph Bouligny who was elected by the legislature to the U. S. Senate in the 1820s. At the time of his death, Bouligny left behind what was considered a library of 148 books. Francisco Bouligny, A Bourbon Soldier in Spanish Louisiana, baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press. A History of the Bouligny Family and Allied Families, lafayette, Louisiana, The Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana. Luisiana, Bouligny, la de la razón
14.
Molly Brant
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Molly Brant, also known as Mary Brant, Konwatsitsiaienni, and Degonwadonti, was a Mohawk woman who was influential in the era of the American Revolution. Living in the Province of New York, she was the consort of Sir William Johnson, Joseph Brant, who became a Mohawk leader, was her younger brother. After Johnsons death in 1774, Brant and her returned to her native village of Canajoharie on the Mohawk River. A Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War, she fled to British Canada, after the war, she settled in what is now Kingston, Ontario. In recognition of her service to the Crown, the British government gave Brant a pension, since 1994, Brant has been honored as a Person of National Historic Significance in Canada. She was long ignored or disparaged by historians of the United States and she has sometimes been controversial, criticized for being pro-British at the expense of the Iroquois. A devout Anglican, she is commemorated on April 16 in the calendar of the Anglican Church of Canada, no portraits of her are known to exist, an idealized likeness is featured on a statue in Kingston and on a Canadian stamp issued in 1986. Little is known for certain about Molly Brants early life, named Mary, but commonly known as Molly, she was born around 1736, possibly in the Mohawk village of Canajoharie, or perhaps further west in the Ohio Country. She may have been the child named Mary who was christened at the chapel at Fort Hunter, near the Lower Castle, another Mohawk village, if so, her parents were named Margaret and Cannassware. Most historians believe that her father was named Peter, Joseph Brant, born in 1743, was Mollys brother or half-brother. One of Mollys Mohawk names, perhaps her birth name, was Konwatsitsiaienni and her other Mohawk name, given to her at adulthood, was Degonwadonti, meaning Two Against One. Her Mohawk names have been spelled in a variety of ways in historical records, the Mohawk are one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, they lived primarily in the Mohawk River valley in what is now upstate New York. At some point, either before or after her birth, Mollys family moved west to the Ohio Country, after Mollys father died, her family moved back to Canajoharie. On September 9,1753, Mollys mother married Brant Kanagaradunkwa, possibly to reinforce their connection to Brant Kanagaradunkwa, who was a prominent leader, Molly and Joseph took their stepfathers name as a surname, which was unusual for that time. Molly Brant was raised in a Mohawk culture that was highly anglicized, in Canajoharie, the Brants lived in a substantial colonial-style frame house and used many European household goods. The family attended the Church of England, Molly was fluent in Mohawk and English. It is not clear whether she was educated or whether she could read
15.
Carter Braxton
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Carter Braxton was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as a merchant, planter, and Virginia politician. Five months after her fathers death and his paternal grandfather, George Braxton, Sr. by 1704 had also become one of the 100 largest landowners in Virginias Northern Neck. The elder Braxton owned at least one ship, the Braxton that traded with the West Indies and elsewhere, and was commission agent for cargoes of enslaved blacks sold to Virginia planters. He died, aged 71, when Carter was twelve, his eldest son George Jr. had succeeded him as delegate for King and Queen County in 1742, speaker Robinson and neighbor Humphrey Hill served as guardians for Carter and his slightly elder brother George. Educated at the College of William and Mary like his father and brother, Braxton followed family tradition at age 19 by marrying Judith Robinson, a wealthy heiress, however, she died two years later, leaving Braxton two daughters, Mary and Judith. The young widower soon journeyed to England for two years, Carter Braxton purchased a small schooner shortly after his second marriage, and turned his energies to trade. Braxton traded between the West Indies and American colonies, establishing relationships with Bayard & Son of New York, whether or not Braxtons mercantile enterprises included slave trading, he and his brother were accompanied by a black slave at the College of William and Mary. Braxton later owned many slaves on his various plantations. Six years later, despite the problems discussed below, Braxton still owned 8,500 acres. Most persons with the name Carter Braxton since the end of the Civil War have been, Braxton began his long career representing King William County in the Virginia House of Burgesses, taking his seat in 1761. However, his brother George died on October 3 of that year, leaving an insolvent estate, factional disputes within the parish grew so severe that the House of Burgesses held hearings and ultimately passed a special bill dissolving the vestry, as Braxton had wished. Braxton was a politician during the Revolution—often viewed as sympathetic to the British. In 1774, Braxton joined the patriots Committee of Safety in Virginia, when Peyton Randolph died unexpectedly in Philadelphia in October,1775, fellow Virginia legislators elected Braxton to take his place in the Continental Congress. He served in the Congress from February 1776 until August, when Virginia reduced its delegation to five members, Braxton also drew revolutionaries criticism for his pamphlet, Address to the Convention, which he had printed in reply to the proposals of John Adamss Thoughts on Government. Moreover, his house at Chericoke burned down shortly before Christmas,1776, so Braxton moved his family to Grove House near West Point, Virginia. Between 1776 and 1785, Braxton served in 8 of the 11 legislative assemblies, Braxton invested a great deal of his wealth in the American Revolution. Like Robert Morris, Braxton loaned money to the cause, as well as funded shipping and privateering, Braxton sold Virginia and Carolina tobacco and corned meat abroad, and secured arms and ammunition, as well as wheat and salt, and cloth and other trade goods. In 1780 the Continental Congress censured Braxton for his role in the Phoenix affair of 1777, in which his privateer seized a neutral Portuguese vessel from Brazil, the British also destroyed some of Braxtons plantations during the war
16.
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
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Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman from the Egerton family. He was the youngest son of the 1st Duke and he did not marry, and the dukedom expired with him, although the earldom was inherited by a cousin, Lieutenant-General John Egerton. A pioneer of naval construction, he is famed as the father of British inland navigation, who commissioned the Bridgewater Canal—often said to be the first true canal in Britain, and the modern world. The canal was built for him by James Brindley to service his coal mines at Worsley, scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, the son of the 2nd Earl of Bridgewater was created a duke in 1720. Lord Francis Egerton succeeded to the dukedom at the age of twelve on the death of his brother, as a child he was sickly and of such unpromising intellectual capacity that at one time the idea of cutting the entail was seriously entertained. Thereupon the Duke broke up his London establishment, and retired to his estate at Worsley where he devoted himself to the making of canals, the construction of Bridgewaters canal, with its aqueduct across the River Irwell, was carried out by James Brindley, the celebrated engineer. The completion of his first canal led the duke to undertake an ambitious work. In 1762 he obtained parliamentary powers to provide a waterway between Liverpool and Manchester by means of a canal. The difficulties encountered in its execution were still more formidable than those of the Worsley canal, but the genius of Brindley, his engineer, proved superior to all obstacles although at one period the dukes financial resources were almost exhausted, the work was carried to a triumphant conclusion. Both canals were completed by the time Bridgewater was thirty-six years of age, during the latter years of his life he derived a princely income from the success of his enterprise. Although a supporter of Pitts administration, he took no prominent part in politics, the duke accumulated great wealth through his canal and coal interests. His annual income was said to have exceeded £80,000, the family owned other estates, Belton House, a small Sussex estate and the Old House and,6,000 acres at Ashridge. On leaving his Brackley and Worsley estates, the duke had an income in taxes and duties of £75,000. With his fortune he built a magnificent Georgian mansion, Bridgwater House and it was later renamed Stafford House, and later still Lancaster House. With the Bridgewater fortune exceeding £2,000,000, the duke and he began to pull the old buildings down, but he died before his plans could be completed, leaving his heir with nothing but rubble. He was the member of the syndicate which purchased and partly resold the famous Orleans Collection. He acquired an art collection valued at £150,000 and it was composed of several old master paintings including Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto. It was inherited by his heir, 1st Duke of Sutherland, most of his purchases are still held by the Egerton family
17.
Erland Samuel Bring
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Erland Samuel Bring was a Swedish mathematician. Bring studied at Lund University between 1750 and 1757, in 1762 he obtained a position of a reader in history and was promoted to professor in 1779. This work describes Brings contribution to the solution of equations. Bring had developed an important transformation to simplify an equation to the form x 5 + p x + q =0. In 1832–35 the same transformation was derived by George Jerrard. Brings curve is named after him
