Most if not all did, the captain, John Brooke certainly. Three years later he wrecked his latest command off the English coast.   

The discovery and colonization of Australia is a fascinating subject. Apart from the 1622 English shipwreck only the Dutch ever made landfall in Australia. Most of their early visits between 1606 and 1636 were brief having been blown off course while heading for the East Indies. Abel Tasman led the first formal voyage of exploration in the 1640s in which he "discovered" Tasmania and New Zealand but never sighted mainland Australia.

After Tasman almost nothing for 126 years. An English expedition landed in 1688 and a Dutch in 1696/97, but it was not until 1770 that James Cook made detailed maps and studies of the east coast that led to it being chosen as a convict colony in 1788. With the loss of the American colonies GB needed somewhere else to ship out convicts and with the added advantage that it gave us a "home-grown" population to colonize the vast continent. Surprisingly there were no major conflicts between the European powers over Australia, once the Brits were there we were left to colonize it unmolested. 

26 May 1822 - The Grue Church Fire. 200 years ago today.

The deadliest fire in Norwegian history. The Mediaeval church at Grue in central Norway was packed with 500 worshipers for a Pentecost service when fire broke out. It spread rapidly as not only was the building made of wood it was waterproofed with pine resin. 116 died in the blaze, the cause of which was never determined, but it seems likely it was from candles inside the church.

The building had been earmarked for demolition for years as a river flowing alongside was altering course and threatening to flood the site. In fact today the site of the disaster is under water having been inundated by the river's changing course. 

That is interesting information on Australia indeed.  Thank you.

It sure is, and since America took over they now hold the record for the country with the most people incarcerated in the world. Wonder what the trophy looks like.

26 May 1822 - The Grue Church Fire. 200 years ago today.

The deadliest fire in Norwegian history. The Mediaeval church at Grue in central Norway was packed with 500 worshipers for a Pentecost service when fire broke out. It spread rapidly as not only was the building made of wood it was waterproofed with pine resin. 116 died in the blaze, the cause of which was never determined, but it seems likely it was from candles inside the church.

The building had been earmarked for demolition for years as a river flowing alongside was altering course and threatening to flood the site. In fact today the site of the disaster is under water having been inundated by the river's changing course. 

Musta been the will of God, church built in the wrong place, candles mixed with pine resin, & now a river runs thru it. 

The discovery and colonization of Australia is a fascinating subject. Apart from the 1622 English shipwreck only the Dutch ever made landfall in Australia. Most of their early visits between 1606 and 1636 were brief having been blown off course while heading for the East Indies. Abel Tasman led the first formal voyage of exploration in the 1640s in which he "discovered" Tasmania and New Zealand but never sighted mainland Australia.

After Tasman almost nothing for 126 years. An English expedition landed in 1688 and a Dutch in 1696/97, but it was not until 1770 that James Cook made detailed maps and studies of the east coast that led to it being chosen as a convict colony in 1788. With the loss of the American colonies GB needed somewhere else to ship out convicts and with the added advantage that it gave us a "home-grown" population to colonize the vast continent. Surprisingly there were no major conflicts between the European powers over Australia, once the Brits were there we were left to colonize it unmolested. 

The state of Georgia was a penal colony founded by James Oglethorpe. The Brits are the best colonizers ever. They flee their little island because of the weather and horrible food.

That is interesting information on Australia indeed.  Thank you.

Although there were no wars fought over Australia by the European powers, it was a close run thing between the British and the French in 1788. 

In 1785 a French expedition led by the Comte de La Pérouse set sail across the Atlantic with the aim of exploring and mapping the Pacific. Furthermore La Pérouse had instructions to claim the mysterious lands partially mapped by the Englishman James Cook 15 years earlier. 

As it was a scientific expedition the French took their time crossing the Pacific making detours to Chile, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan and Russia before heading south unaware that a British colonization fleet had set sail in 1787 for Australia. 

The two fleets met off the eastern coast of Australia in January 1788, but it was the British who found a safe anchorage first and went ashore. La Pérouse followed just days later. The French remained in the area for over six weeks until March before sailing away realizing that the British had beaten them to it. Had they arrived just days earlier they could have claimed and colonized Australia for France.

The fate of Le Pérouse's expedition is a mystery, after leaving Australia and sailing east his two ships and their entire crew disappeared never to be seen again. In 1825 a British ship made landfall at Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands and heard the tale of two huge vessels that had been wrecked years ago. Subsequent investigations and archaeology reveal that the survivors were either killed by the islanders or died of disease/starvation some surviving for several years.

I had always thought that of the two, the British Royal Navy had it over the French La Royale hands down.  Little do I know apparently.  What I did find with an internet search to quell my curiosity is that the two navies have been engaged in the Great Scallop War, or guerre de la coquille, depending on your locale, since 2012.

No one sends out for Canadian either, Tom.

A low level conflict that won't eclipse events in Ukraine just yet.

My favourite author Arnold Bennett was born this day 1867.

I had always thought that of the two, the British Royal Navy had it over the French La Royale hands down.  Little do I know apparently.  What I did find with an internet search to quell my curiosity is that the two navies have been engaged in the Great Scallop War, or guerre de la coquille, depending on your locale, since 2012.

No one sends out for Canadian either, Tom.

Well they are lousy cooks & you can't trust Canadians. They sell shark meat for scallop to unsuspecting Polish-Americans & over cook it so it is rubbery & tasteless. 

Gretna Green is a popular tourist trap these days, it's the first place you come to in Scotland if you travel up the western route. Even today couples chose to get married there just so they can say they were married in Gretna, it adds to the whole romance of the thing. 

The differences in English and Scottish marriage laws were only reconciled as late as 1940 thus rendering travel to Gretna unnecessary in legal terms. 

Towns on the eastern border were also locations for young marriages, but as they were further to travel than Gretna they were never quite as popular. 

My home town has an interesting link with a Gretna wedding. In 1838 Edward Parker-Jervis, the 23 year old youngest son of the 2nd Viscount St Vincent ran away with his sweetheart Mary Barker a farmer's daughter to Gretna where they were married, his father having refused to give his consent to their union. It was a fruitful marriage producing 13 children.   

Gretna Green is a popular tourist trap these days, it's the first place you come to in Scotland if you travel up the western route. Even today couples chose to get married there just so they can say they were married in Gretna, it adds to the whole romance of the thing. 

The differences in English and Scottish marriage laws were only reconciled as late as 1940 thus rendering travel to Gretna unnecessary in legal terms. 

Towns on the eastern border were also locations for young marriages, but as they were further to travel than Gretna they were never quite as popular. 

My home town has an interesting link with a Gretna wedding. In 1838 Edward Parker-Jervis, the 23 year old youngest son of the 2nd Viscount St Vincent ran away with his sweetheart Mary Barker a farmer's daughter to Gretna where they were married, his father having refused to give his consent to their union. It was a fruitful marriage producing 13 children.   

Mark, you seem to be a much-traveled fellow. Have you ever visited Greta? Wondering if the father, Edward Parker-Jervis ever accepted Mary Barker into the family? Also, isn't Camilla a Parker & is she related?

I had always thought that of the two, the British Royal Navy had it over the French La Royale hands down.  Little do I know apparently.  What I did find with an internet search to quell my curiosity is that the two navies have been engaged in the Great Scallop War, or guerre de la coquille, depending on your locale, since 2012.

No one sends out for Canadian either, Tom.

Well they are lousy cooks & you can't trust Canadians. They sell shark meat for scallop to unsuspecting Polish-Americans & over cook it so it is rubbery & tasteless. 

Surely you can come up with something better than this. Didn't know if you wrote it or Art.

I've been to Gretna Green, it was a change-over point on coach trips to Scotland years ago, you'd board the coach in your home town and change at Gretna onto another and they'd all fan out across Scotland to your final destination. We usually had an hour or two to wait in Gretna. 

Camilla was a Parker-Bowles by marriage, so no connection with the Parker-Jervis' of Staffordshire. 

Edward was reconciled with his father quite quickly, the Viscount helped him purchase Little Aston Hall as the family home. He and Mary are buried in the Parker-Jervis mausoleum at Aston-by-Stone Church along with a number of their children, of whom only one of the 13 failed to live beyond childhood. 

Little Aston Hall in 1857.

I had always thought that of the two, the British Royal Navy had it over the French La Royale hands down.  Little do I know apparently.  What I did find with an internet search to quell my curiosity is that the two navies have been engaged in the Great Scallop War, or guerre de la coquille, depending on your locale, since 2012.

No one sends out for Canadian either, Tom.

Have you never had Maple Syrup or Poutine meine Schatzi. How about fiddle heads and cod tongues.

How about tube steak or a Boloney roast? Have you ever had peanut butter before, it's a Canadian invention.

29 May 1922 - Horatio Bottomley MP imprisoned. 100 years ago today.

Notorious fraudster, swindler, conman and Member of Parliament. 

Initially a successful publisher Bottomley founded or purchased a number of magazines and newspapers in the 1880s. A successful defence in Court against charges of fraud in 1893 only enhanced his reputation as a financial wizard boosted by lucrative investments in Australian gold mines. 

After several failed attempts he was elected Liberal MP for South Hackney in 1906. A few months later he launched a new magazine John Bull which became a best seller due to its unashamedly populist and jingoistic nature. However more shady dealings led to his being sued for thousands and his subsequent bankruptcy forced his resignation as an MP in 1912.

His jingoistic style served him well throughout the war, so much so in fact that he was re-elected as the Member for Hackney South in the post war Election in 1918 as an Independent. In 1919 he announced his Victory Bonds Club which turned out to be a huge swindle. In February 1922 he was sent for trial on charges of fraud and convicted at the Old Bailey in May being sentenced to seven years imprisonment. After the failure of his appeal he was expelled as an MP.

Released after serving five years all attempts to revive his business career failed and he died in poverty in 1933.