Isaac Ingal

A Historical Chronicle in the life of a 120 year old man  1678 – 1759

In a time of limited communication when no TV coverage, telephones, postal services or widely spread newspapers were available it is interesting to speculate; how much Isaac the Battle Abbey butler for 95 years or more, would have gleaned from snatched conversations he overheard from visiting friends of his masters, Viscount Montague and Sir Thomas Webster.

During his lifetime the monarchy changed hands five times from Charles 11 when he was born in 1678:-

1685 – 1688   King James 11 of Scotland and James 1 of England.

1689 –1702    Wm. & Mary Crowned King and Queen of England.

1702 – 1714   Queen Anne  proclaimed Queen.

1714 - 1727    George 1  Crowned King.

1927 - 1760   George 11  Crowned King.

Other great events included: -

1682 Wm. Penn founded Pennsylvania presaging the United States of America.

1683 Britain’s first museum is opened – The Ashmolean in Oxford.

1684 Isaac Newton established the Laws of Gravity.

1688 Edward Lloyd in a London coffee house established Lloyds of London.

1694 The Bank of England was established.

1697 St Pauls Cathedral London opened.

1703 The Duke of Buckingham built a London house – now Buckingham Palace.

1704 Battle of Blenheim.

1707 England and Scotland united ( Acts of Union)

1720 South Sea Bubble.

1721 Robert Walpole was made First Prime Minister of England.

1732 No. 10 Downing Street became official home of Prime Minister.

1739 Dick Turpin the notorious Highwayman is hanged.

1749 First police force founded as the Bow Street Runners.

1755 Dr. Johnson published first English Dictionary (birth of the English language?).

1758 Lord Nelson is born.

During his lifetime great forerunner inventions set to have a huge impact on the world were invented such as the Flying Shuttle for weaving and the first inoculations against smallpox.

Great writers and poets like Pope, Voltaire, Fielding, Goethe, Burns, Wordsworth not to mention great painters of the time including Canaletto, Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Goya, all of whom were alive during his lifetime existence. 

It would be fascinating to know how much of the news filtered down to Sussex in the 17 & 18th centuries.

The grave at St. Mary the Virgin at Battle