The Natural History of Selborne

Blanchard’s balloon, T. Bewick

• 1793: January 7, 1793 – Nephew Holt White came.
• 1790: January 7, 1790 – Mr Churton left us, & went to Waverly.  Sweet weather: gnats play in the air.  Paths dry.
• 1789: January 7, 1789 – Salted-up a small hog in the pickling tub– weight 8 scores, & eight pounds: the meat was young, & delicate.  The people at Froxfield fetch their water from Petersfield up Stoner hill.
• 1788: January 7, 1788 – The woodmen begin to fell beeches in the hanger for the second time: they now enter where they left off last year on the S.E. side of Shop-slidder.
• 1785: January 7, 1785 – Shook the snow from the ever-greens, & shovelled the walks.  Snow-scenes very beautiful!  On this day Mr Blanchard, & Dr Jeffries rose in a balloon from Dover-cliff, & passing over the channel towards France, landed in the forest De Felmores, just 12 miles up into the country.  These are the first aeronauts that have dared to take a flight over the sea!!!
• 1784: January 7, 1784 – Hoar frost lies all day.  Frost comes in a door.
• 1783: January 7, 1783 – Much rain in the night.  Flood at Gracious street.
• 1775: January 7, 1775 – Some ivy berries half-grown.
• 1769: January 7, 1769 – The ground is much dryed: people plow comfortably.  Wheat comes up well.
• 1768: January 7, 1768 – Laurels begin to suffer.  Laurustines suffer.

Notes:
Read much more on Blanchard and Jeffries’ historic balloon flight, which featured bickering, skullduggery, and trousers desperately thrown overboard. The site includes a downloadable paper model.. I certainly intend to make one as soon as possible! Also of interest is a scan of a 1910 Flight magazine account of the event (links to PDF), with plenty of detail, including the curious detail of cork life-vests.