What Happened in November …
1658 Merchants of the East India Company petition the Admiralty to send a man of war to St Helena to protect the next convoy of East Indiamen expected from India the following summer. The Admiralty agrees to despatch the Marmaduke with 150 men and 36 guns.
1684 Resulting from a soldiers rebellion and sailors mutiny the month before and because planters are inclinable to be mutinous, the East India Company orders commanders of its ships to stay up to one month anchored in James Bay and to help keep order if required.
1687 Sentance passed on man found guilty of poisoning his employer is to be burnt alive.
1695 Sandy Bay fortified with two guns to repel any possible enemy landing.
1699 Governor Kelinge dies. His widow leaves the Governors residence and takes with her most of the plate and pewter. Within a month or two she remarried – to a Mr Carne
1707 The same Mr Carne is in dispute with a Daniel Griffiths. Griffiths feels Carne is favoured because he is a Roman Catholic and Griffiths himself is out of favour because he was a close friend of the late Governor Kelinge. This looks like a feud which lasted at least eight years.
1711 Three men escape from St Helena in a Long Boat with one months provisions. It was confirmed later they reached the West Indies.
1719 Parson Jones is reprimanded for insolent behaviour and has his gratuity stopped.
1723 Parson Giles guilty of many instances drunken and disorderly conduct. Accused of drinking 4 to 6 pints of arrack a day. Leniency shown to him because of the cloth he wears.
1727 Several fine trees cut down at Flagstaff and Deadwood by trespassers.
1781 Two French ships captured off the Cape of Good Hope brought to St Helena by HMS Hannibal.
1799 Lord Mornington, the Governor-General of India and future Duke of Wellington sends a ceremonial sword to be presented to St Helenas Governor Brooke in recognition of his speedy and effective assistance against Dutch men of war and for quickly sending soldiers and ordnance from St Helena to reinforce depleted English Forces fighting the Dutch in Cape Colony.
1832 The Inclined Plane [Jacobs Ladder] bought from the St Helena Railway Co. by the East India Co. for £882.50.
1834 A new road is cut above Two Gun Saddle.
1838 Mechanics and Friendly Society established.
1849 The Barnes Road from Jamestown to Francis Plan is completed. Named after Major Barnes who organised the construction work.
1851 Noted in a report that New Zealand flax was growing wild and thriving on every part of the island.
1858 The East India Company is finally abolished by Act of Parliament.
1869 The Suez Canal is opened. A Naval Squadron is withdrawn from St Helena.
1873 442 people leave St Helena for South Africa – Natal.
1887 Childrens Benefit Society formed. Rock fall damages properties near Roman Catholic Church.
1895 Boys Brigade formed [Church Lads Brigade]
1900 Boer prisoners hold craft exhibition at the Deadwood POW Camp.
1904 Robert Gunnel murdered at Prosperous Bay Signal Station.
1910 A pig was born at West Lodge with three eyes, two tongues and two snouts.
1915 18 of the crew of Indian Monarch reach St Helena in rowing boat. The ship went down 420 miles SSE of the island.
1929 Mr Withecombe drives first car [Austen Seven] on island.
1941 No rice stocks on the island, sugar and flour are rationed .
1945 Polio epidemic on the island.
1948 New school opened at Sandy Bay
1951 Police Sergeant John Dillon awarded the British Empire Medal for attempting to save William Hurn who had fallen into the sea while leaving a ship.
Acknowledgments to St Helena Heritage Societys St Helena 500 compiled by Robin Gill & Percy Teale