Eagle Tavern
EAGLE TAVERN: Balloon ascent venue
Operated by: Thomas Harris in 1824 and later, Charles Green in 1828
Location: City Road
Period of operation: 24th May 1824 (Harris) August 1828 (Green)
NOTES: It is well worth reading Richard Holmes book Falling Upwards for a history of ballooning, and not least for an account of this ascent which ended in the tragic death of Thomas Harris on the decent in south London. His passenger, a Miss Stocks survived, but Harris entered the 'Hall of Fame' in British aviation history as being the first British aeronaut to be killed whilst conducting a balloon flight on home ground.
Harris had commissioned this brand new balloon, the Royal George, at a cost of one thousand guineas, (about £120,000 in 2016), and he had generated a lot of publicity regarding this ascent, which was it appears to have initially been undertaken from the Royal Tennis Court in Great Windmill Street where it was exhibited.
The change of venue was it seems, dictated by a northerly wind blowing on the day.
ANOTHER REASON
Another reason for reading this excellent book is because Richard Holmes gives us a lot of information about Charles Green, arguably the most proficient and prolific aeronaut of that early Victorian era, making some 526 ascents.
In this case it appears, in order to gain more publicity for his career as an aeronaut, in August 1828 he made an ascent on horseback (!) from the EAGLE TAVERN. Needless to say, it is not recorded what the horse thought of this.
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