He is thought to have been born May 1794 but also listed being born in 1797.
Actor and aeronaut (balloonist).
Biography from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. © Oxford University Press, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the license agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single article in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy).
Gale, George Burcher (1794–1850), balloonist, is believed to have been born at Fulham in May 1794. Originally an actor in small parts in London minor theatres, he became a great favorite of the theatre proprietor Andrew Ducrow. In 1831 he went to America, where he played Mazeppa for 200 nights at the Bowery Theatre in New York, and also first encountered a balloonist (Arnand Robert). He brought back six Native Americans with their chief, Ma Caust, to London, where they were exhibited at the Victoria Theatre until their popularity declined. Thanks to Sir Augustus Frederick D'Este, who had become interested in them, Gale became coast blockade inspector in the north of Ireland for seven years on the strength of which he assumed the title of lieutenant. When he tired of this, he made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the London stage, and then took to ballooning. Gale had a balloon manufactured at the old Montpelier Gardens in Walworth and made his first ascent with success from the Rosemary Branch tavern at Peckham on 7 April 1847. He advocated the dispatch of balloons to search for Sir John Franklin in 1849, and attempted innovations, such as a balloon with a double car, which after his death was demonstrated to the Prussian army as a bombing machine. On 8 September 1850 he made his 114th ascent, with the Royal Cremorne balloon, seated on the back of a pony suspended from the car. He descended at Auguilles, and the pony was released, but owing either to Gale's 'imperfect knowledge of the French language' (Gentleman's Magazine) or (the less charitable have suggested) to his intoxication, his rope holders mistakenly let go, and he was carried out of sight. His body was found several miles away on the morning of the 9 September, with 'limbs all broken'. He was buried on 11 September at the protestant cemetery at Bordeaux. He left seven children and a widow, who was also an active balloonist.
Actor and aeronaut (balloonist).
Biography from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. © Oxford University Press, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the license agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single article in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy).
Gale, George Burcher (1794–1850), balloonist, is believed to have been born at Fulham in May 1794. Originally an actor in small parts in London minor theatres, he became a great favorite of the theatre proprietor Andrew Ducrow. In 1831 he went to America, where he played Mazeppa for 200 nights at the Bowery Theatre in New York, and also first encountered a balloonist (Arnand Robert). He brought back six Native Americans with their chief, Ma Caust, to London, where they were exhibited at the Victoria Theatre until their popularity declined. Thanks to Sir Augustus Frederick D'Este, who had become interested in them, Gale became coast blockade inspector in the north of Ireland for seven years on the strength of which he assumed the title of lieutenant. When he tired of this, he made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the London stage, and then took to ballooning. Gale had a balloon manufactured at the old Montpelier Gardens in Walworth and made his first ascent with success from the Rosemary Branch tavern at Peckham on 7 April 1847. He advocated the dispatch of balloons to search for Sir John Franklin in 1849, and attempted innovations, such as a balloon with a double car, which after his death was demonstrated to the Prussian army as a bombing machine. On 8 September 1850 he made his 114th ascent, with the Royal Cremorne balloon, seated on the back of a pony suspended from the car. He descended at Auguilles, and the pony was released, but owing either to Gale's 'imperfect knowledge of the French language' (Gentleman's Magazine) or (the less charitable have suggested) to his intoxication, his rope holders mistakenly let go, and he was carried out of sight. His body was found several miles away on the morning of the 9 September, with 'limbs all broken'. He was buried on 11 September at the protestant cemetery at Bordeaux. He left seven children and a widow, who was also an active balloonist.
He is thought to have been born May 1794 but also listed being born in 1797.
Actor and aeronaut (balloonist).
Biography from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. © Oxford University Press, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the license agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single article in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy).
Gale, George Burcher (1794–1850), balloonist, is believed to have been born at Fulham in May 1794. Originally an actor in small parts in London minor theatres, he became a great favorite of the theatre proprietor Andrew Ducrow. In 1831 he went to America, where he played Mazeppa for 200 nights at the Bowery Theatre in New York, and also first encountered a balloonist (Arnand Robert). He brought back six Native Americans with their chief, Ma Caust, to London, where they were exhibited at the Victoria Theatre until their popularity declined. Thanks to Sir Augustus Frederick D'Este, who had become interested in them, Gale became coast blockade inspector in the north of Ireland for seven years on the strength of which he assumed the title of lieutenant. When he tired of this, he made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the London stage, and then took to ballooning. Gale had a balloon manufactured at the old Montpelier Gardens in Walworth and made his first ascent with success from the Rosemary Branch tavern at Peckham on 7 April 1847. He advocated the dispatch of balloons to search for Sir John Franklin in 1849, and attempted innovations, such as a balloon with a double car, which after his death was demonstrated to the Prussian army as a bombing machine. On 8 September 1850 he made his 114th ascent, with the Royal Cremorne balloon, seated on the back of a pony suspended from the car. He descended at Auguilles, and the pony was released, but owing either to Gale's 'imperfect knowledge of the French language' (Gentleman's Magazine) or (the less charitable have suggested) to his intoxication, his rope holders mistakenly let go, and he was carried out of sight. His body was found several miles away on the morning of the 9 September, with 'limbs all broken'. He was buried on 11 September at the protestant cemetery at Bordeaux. He left seven children and a widow, who was also an active balloonist.
Actor and aeronaut (balloonist).
Biography from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. © Oxford University Press, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the license agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single article in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy).
Gale, George Burcher (1794–1850), balloonist, is believed to have been born at Fulham in May 1794. Originally an actor in small parts in London minor theatres, he became a great favorite of the theatre proprietor Andrew Ducrow. In 1831 he went to America, where he played Mazeppa for 200 nights at the Bowery Theatre in New York, and also first encountered a balloonist (Arnand Robert). He brought back six Native Americans with their chief, Ma Caust, to London, where they were exhibited at the Victoria Theatre until their popularity declined. Thanks to Sir Augustus Frederick D'Este, who had become interested in them, Gale became coast blockade inspector in the north of Ireland for seven years on the strength of which he assumed the title of lieutenant. When he tired of this, he made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the London stage, and then took to ballooning. Gale had a balloon manufactured at the old Montpelier Gardens in Walworth and made his first ascent with success from the Rosemary Branch tavern at Peckham on 7 April 1847. He advocated the dispatch of balloons to search for Sir John Franklin in 1849, and attempted innovations, such as a balloon with a double car, which after his death was demonstrated to the Prussian army as a bombing machine. On 8 September 1850 he made his 114th ascent, with the Royal Cremorne balloon, seated on the back of a pony suspended from the car. He descended at Auguilles, and the pony was released, but owing either to Gale's 'imperfect knowledge of the French language' (Gentleman's Magazine) or (the less charitable have suggested) to his intoxication, his rope holders mistakenly let go, and he was carried out of sight. His body was found several miles away on the morning of the 9 September, with 'limbs all broken'. He was buried on 11 September at the protestant cemetery at Bordeaux. He left seven children and a widow, who was also an active balloonist.
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