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Oxford Inscriptions: James Sadler’s balloon flight

This plaque is on the wall of Merton College in Deadman’s Walk (on the north side of Christ Church Meadow). It was put up in October 1984 to mark the 200th anniversary of the first balloon ascent.

James Sadler was the son of James Sadler senior, an Oxford pastry cook, and his wife Elizabeth. He was baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 27 February 1753, as was his younger brother Thomas in July 1756.

James Sadler began experimenting with small gas-filled balloons while still pursuing his father's trade as a cook. On 4 October 1784 he “ascended into the atmosphere”, apparently from the Botanic Garden near Christ Church Meadow, in a balloon powered only by the hot air generated from a stove.

There are three other plaques to Sadler in the UK (in Manchester, London, and Nottingham).

For more information about Sadler, see Mark Davies, King of all Balloons: The Adventurous Life of James Sadler, the First English Aeronaut (Amberley, 2015)

 

Sadler launched his first balloon (unmanned) on 9 February 1784 from Cowley House (now part of St Hilda's College) next to the Botanic Garden, Jackson's Oxford Journal reported two days earlier:

We hear that Mr. Sadler, of this City, has now compleated his Air-Balloon, and will exhibit the Machine on Monday next; which will be suspended on a different Principle from any ever yet attempted in this Kingdom: The Curious, and those who would wish to see the grand Experiment, may now have the Opportunity of inspecting the Process made Use of in filling the Machine. It is of very considerable Magnitude, and contains upwards of 4000 Gallons, which Mr. Sadler will engage to set afloat in half an Hour; and he intends to launch it from Dr. Sibthorpe's in St. Clements, precisely at half past One o'Clock, if the Weather permits.

This balloon travelled 79 miles and fell in Stanstead, Kent, at about 4pm the same day.

The first manned launch, commemorated by the above plaque, took place on 4 October 1784 and the following report appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal five days later.

Early on Monday Morning the 4th Instant, Mr. Sadler of this City, tried the Experiment of his Fire Balloon, raised by means of rarefied Air: Underneath was fixed a Kind of Gallery, provided with a Stove suspended over it for containing the Fire, so contrived, by a Movement, as to let in any Degree of Heat for the Expansion of the Machine. The Process of filling the Globe began at Three o’Clock, and about Half past Five all was compleat, and every part of the Apparatus adjusted. The inclosed Air having undergone a sufficient Degree of Rarefaction, Mr. Sadler, with Firmness and Intrepidity, ascended into the Atmosphere; and, the Weather being calm and serene, he rose from the Earth in a vertical Direction to about the Height of 3600 Feet. The Barometer, which at the Beginning of the Experiment marked 29 inches ½, now stood at 25 Inches and five Lines, the Mercury having gradually fallen during his Ascension. In this elevated Situation he perceived no Inconvenience; and, being disengaged from all terrestrial Things, contemplated a most charming distant View; With Pleasure and Admiration he beheld the Surface of the Earth like a large and extensive Plain, and felt himself perfectly agreeable, having experienced no remarkable Change in the Air, except a slight Degree of Cold which was easily supportable. At this immense Distance it was impossible with Certainty to judge of the true State of the Air, the Thermometer having so close a Connection with the Fire in the Grate as to be of no Service for the Purpose of Observation. Upon shutting the Stove, the Balloon descended, with a slow Motion, the Space of a few Minutes, but suffered no other Alteration than the successive Modifications of Extension and Compression. At this Instant a light Breeze suddenly arose, which drove the Machine with great Rapidity in an oblique Direction. Examining the Barometer at this Time, he observed the Mercury had risen to 27 Inches, and from this Circumstance concluded the Machine had descended 1350 Feet from its highest Elevation. The Power of Ascension was now considerably diminished, and therefore to raise the Machine to the same Height as before, it was proper to increase the Expansion by enlarging the Fire, that the Heat might be more equally communicated: In attempting to effect this Purpose, he had the Misfortune to drop the Fork; its Loss was irreparable, and obliged him to quit the Design, otherwise his Intentions were to direct his Course for Woodstock. In these Circumstances, advancing with an accelerated Motion, and perceiving that he approached a Wood, it was absolutely necessary to have Recourse to the Oars, which he exercised with great Success; and the Force of Ascension being again considerably increased, he had a perfect Command of the whole Machinery, and found it extremely easy to regulate, and to alter his Position while the Air continued calm. After floating for near Half an Hour, the Machine descended, and at length came down upon a small Eminence betwixt Islip and Wood Eaton, about six Miles from this City.

The next month, on 12 November 1784, Sadler undertook his second flight, this time in a hydrogen balloon, from the Botanic Garden, and it reached Aylesbury after about twenty minutes. The report on the ascent in Jackson’s Oxford Journal of 13 November 1784 reads:

Yesterday Mr. Sadler, of this City, very amply fulfilled his Engagements with the Publick, by ascending in his Air Balloon from the Physick Garden, in the Presence of a surprising Concourse of People of all Ranks; the Roads, Streets, Fields, Trees, Buildings, and Towers of the Parts adjacent being crowded beyond Description.—The Apparatus occupied the Centre of the Garden, which, besides the Balloon, consisted of a large Vessel constructed for the Purpose, with a Number of lesser ones properly fixed, filled with Materials for exciting the inflammable Gas, which was conducted to the Machine by several large Tin Tubes.—A few Minutes before One o’clock (the Balloon having been completely filled within the Compass of two Hours) Mr. Sadler stepped into the Car, suspended from the Machine by a Net Work, and constructed in the Form of a Boat, when the Fastenings being immediately loosed, a most beautiful Balloon ascended with such wonderful Velocity, that in three Minutes Mr. Sadler was enveloped in the Clouds, and for a few Moments totally disappeared; yet became visible at three or four several Times, the Machine still pressing upwards into the Atmosphere; but at the same Time moving with great Rapidity before the Wind, which blew pretty fresh from the South West.—And on this Side Aylesbury, an Aperture made in the Balloon almost as soon as it was launched, had unfortunately exhausted so much of the inflammable Air as to prevent our Traveller from pursuing his aerial Journey to the Distance intended.—Nevertheless it may be proper to observe, that our English Adventurer is the first Person who has been his own Architect, Engineer, Chemist, and Projector;—that he exhibited a wonderful Share of Genius, Intrepedity, and cool Resolution; and that he justly merits the Patronage and Liberality of a generous Publick.
    In his Passage Mr. Sadler crossed Otmoor, Thame, and divers other Places, the different Currents frequently changing the Direction of the Machine, notwithstanding which he was not more than seventeen Minutes in the Passage; but found it necessary to divest himself of his whole Apparatus, and therefore had thrown out all his Ballast, Provisions, and Instruments of every kind;—and, upon descending near Sir William Lee’s, had the Misfortune to be intangled in a Tree, afterwards swept the Ground, and again rebounded to a considerable Distance, till at length he cast Anchor upon a Hedge, and landed safe upon Terra Firma, tho’ the Balloon was totally demolished.
   Mr. Sadler got back to Thame about Four o’Clock, where, having taken a little Refreshment, and received the Congratulations of the Inhabitants, he set out from thence, and arrived at Oxford last Night at Seven; when the Populace seized the Chaise at the Entrance of the Town, took off the Horses, dragged the Carriage through several of the principal Streets of this City, and were not content till they had compelled the Inhabitants to illuminate their Houses.
   We learn that Mr. Sadler found himself exceedingly wet in passing though the heavy Cloud he met with in his Ascent, which also floated the Bottom of his Car.

By 1789, Sadler was giving scientific lectures in Oxford. G. V. Cox in Recollections of Oxford wrote:

“In this year [1789] and in several following years, an ingenious native of Oxford, Mr. Sadler (afterwards known as “the Aëronaut”), gave lectures on what he called “philosophic fire-works”…. Mr. Sadler was a clever, practical, and experimental manipulator in chemistry, and as such was patronised by the University, or rather by the few scientific men then in the University; what the University, as such, did or even professed to do in scientific matters at that period it were hard to say.”