Events from the year 1808 in the United Kingdom. Incumbents Monarch – George III Prime Minister – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (Tory) Foreign Secretary – George Canning Parliament – 4th Events 1 January – Sierra Leone becomes a British Crown Colony. 12 January – John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church, Reculver in south east England, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture. February – William Bradbery first cultivates watercress commercially, at Springhead, Kent. 15 February – laying of the foundation stone for Nelson's Pillar in Dublin. 18 February – first recorded rescue using the Manby Mortar when the crew of the Plymouth brig Elizabeth stranded off Great Yarmouth are hauled safely to shore under the direction of Captain Manby. 1 March – slave trade abolished in all of British colonies as the Slave Trade Act 1807 takes effect. This year, the Royal Navy establishes the West Africa Squadron on the coast of West Africa to enforce the abolitionist Blockade of Africa. 2 March – inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a Scottish learned society, held in Edinburgh. 22 March – English Wars: Battle of Zealand Point – British ships defeat those of Denmark and Norway. 6 May – as the kingdom of Spain passes under the control of Napoleon, the Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808) effectively ends as the United Kingdom allies with Spain and Portugal against the French in the Peninsular War. 30 June – chemist Humphry Davy informs the Royal Society of London of his isolation and discovery of two elements by electrolysis. From lime, he has produced calcium and established that lime is calcium oxide; by heating boric acid and potassium in a copper tube, he creates a substance he calls boracium, and which is eventually called boron. This year he also isolates magnesium and strontium. 20 July – Henry Crabb Robinson makes the first despatch from a specialist war reporter, to The Times newspaper. 1 August – Peninsular War: British expeditionary force lands near Porto. 17 August – Peninsular War: Battle of Roliça: A British-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeats an outnumbered French force. 21 August – Peninsular War: Battle of Vimeiro: British-Portuguese troops under Wellesley defeat the French. 20 September – the original Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London is destroyed by fire along