26 February – start of "restriction period" during which, by Government order, Bank of England notes are inconvertible to gold. The Bank issues the first one-pound and two-pound notes (the former denomination remains in issue until 11 March 1988).[5]
17 April – Sir Ralph Abercromby unsuccessfully invades San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what would be one of the largest British attacks on Spanish territories in the western hemisphere and one of the worst defeats of the navy for years to come.
November – 1797 Rugby School rebellion: The pupils at Rugby School rebel against the headmaster, Henry Ingles, after he decrees that the damage to a tradesman's windows should be paid for by the students.[12]
^Williams, Hywel (2005). Cassell's Chronology of World History. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 346–347. ISBN 0-304-35730-8.
^"BBC History British History Timeline". Archived from the original on 9 September 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
^"Site of the Norman Cross Depot for Prisoners of War, Non Civil Parish - 1006782 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
^Dowell, Stephen (1888). A History of Taxation and Taxes in England. Vol. III. London: Longmans, Green. pp. 272–275.
^Kellett, Keith. "Wordsworth's Lakes". Retrieved 25 February 2008.
^Naval reckoning; began on morning of 12 October by shore reckoning. Lloyd, Christopher (1963). St. Vincent & Camperdown. British battles. London: Batsford. p. 139.
^Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 236–237. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.