James Sadler (balloonist) facts for kids
James Sadler (born February 1753 – died March 28, 1828) was a very important person in English history. He was the first ever English person to fly in a hot air balloon! Besides being a brave balloonist, he was also a clever chemist and a talented pastry chef.
The Life of James Sadler
James Sadler started his career working in his family's pastry shop in Oxford, called The Lemon Hall Refreshment House.
He became famous for his balloon flights. He was the second person to fly a balloon in England. The first was Vincent Lunardi from Tuscany on September 15, 1784. But James Sadler was the first English person to do it!
His first flight was on October 4, 1784. He took off from Christ Church Meadow in Oxford. His balloon went up about 3,600 feet (1,100 m) (around 1,100 meters) high. He landed near Woodeaton, which was about six miles (10 km) (10 kilometers) away.
Sadler's second flight happened on November 12, 1784. This time, he used a balloon filled with hydrogen gas. He flew for twenty minutes and landed in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
In May 1785, he tried to fly from Moulsey Hurst, Surrey, all the way to France. He was joined by a Member of Parliament named W. Wyndham. Sadly, they landed in the Thames River instead. So, they didn't make it to France like another famous balloonist, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, had done earlier.
James Sadler made two more flights in May 1785. One flight started from a field in Manchester. Today, that area is known as Balloon Street! On this trip, he had a cat with him. They landed in Radcliffe.
On his next flight, he flew alone. He went very high, about 13,000 feet (4,000 m) (nearly 4,000 meters). He traveled about 50 miles (80 km) (80 kilometers) before landing near Pontefract, West Yorkshire. This landing was a bit rough! The balloon dragged him for about two miles (3 km) (3 kilometers). He got hurt before the balloon finally let him go and flew off by itself.
Sadler also worked as a chemist for the Navy from 1796. He invented a special type of steam engine. He also helped improve the design of cannons, making them more accurate. Even Admiral Lord Nelson praised his work on cannons!
He continued his ballooning adventures later in life. Sadly, his younger son, Windham William Sadler, died in a balloon accident in 1824. This was a very difficult time for James Sadler.
James Sadler is buried at the church of St Peter-in-the-East in Oxford. This church is now part of St Edmund Hall college.
James Sadler's Legacy
Even though James Sadler was famous in his own time, many people today don't know about him. This might be because he didn't write many books or articles about his work. Also, some people think it was because he was a pastry chef and didn't go to a fancy university. The university didn't pay much attention to him, even though he was a great scientist living in Oxford. When he died, the university's newspaper only wrote a very short note about him.
However, James Sadler is remembered in other ways. On September 8, 2015, a public square in Manchester was named after him. It's called Sadler's Yard and is close to Balloon Street, where one of his flights began!
Famous Balloon Flights
Here are some of James Sadler's other notable balloon flights:
- July 7, 1810: He flew in Oxford during a special event for Lord Grenville, who was becoming the Chancellor of Oxford University.
- September 1810: He flew from Bristol with a chemist named William Clayfield. They landed safely near Combe Martin in the Bristol Channel.
- August 29, 1811: He flew from Hackney to East Thorpe in Essex. He was with Henry Beaufoy, and they did several science experiments during the flight.
- October 7, 1811: He set a speed record! During a strong wind, he traveled over one hundred miles (160 km) (160 kilometers) in only about 1 hour and 20 minutes. That's super fast!
- October 1, 1812: He tried to fly across the Irish Sea from Belvedere House in Ireland. He almost drowned in the sea but was rescued by a fishing boat near Liverpool.
