On This Day
1441 – The Peace of Cremona ends the war between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan, after the victorious Venetian enterprise of military engineering of the Galeas per montes.
The Peace of Cremona was concluded on 20 November 1441 between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan, ending the long conflict between the two powers over mastery in northern Italy.
Through the mediation of Francesco Sforza, an armistice was concluded on 6 August, and negotiations began in late September at the field of Cavriana near Cremona, chosen as neutral ground. Sforza secured for himself the lordship of Cremona and the hand of Bianca Maria Visconti, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti—and thus, since the Duke had no other heir, his own ultimate succession to the ducal throne.
By the terms of the treaty, Venice was able to keep the Adda River as the boundary between its mainland possessions and the Duchy of Milan. Venice also gained Riva di Lago from Milan, as well as Lonato, Valeggio sul Mincio, Asola, and Peschiera del Garda from the Marquis of Mantua, who also handed over the Venetian cities he had captured during the course of the war. Venetian possession of Ravenna was also recognized. Milan also returned Imola and Bologna to the Papal States, and restored independence to the Republic of Genoa.
Born On This Day
1801 – Mungo Ponton, Scottish inventor (d. 1880)
Mungo Ponton FRS FRSE (20 November 1801 – 3 August 1880) was a Scottish inventor who in 1839 created a method of permanent photography based on potassium dichromate.
Life and family
Ponton was born in the Balgreen district of west Edinburgh, the son of John Ponton, a farmer. He was named after the explorer Mungo Park, then a new Scottish hero.
In 1815 he was apprenticed as a lawyer to James Balfour WS (of Pilrig House), working at chambers at 17 Broughton Street in the eastern New Town of Edinburgh. He finished his apprenticeship at GL Finlay WS at 18 Queen Street. He was created a Writer to the Signet on 8 December 1825. He then went into partnership with AW Goldie to create Goldie & Ponton WS based at 58 India Street in the western New Town.
He married Helen Scott Campbell on 24 June 1830 and together they had seven children. In the 1830s Ponton was listed as living at 30 Melville Street, a large new terraced townhouse in Edinburgh’s west end, presumably the family’s home. From 1838 he became the Resident Law Officer and Secretary to the National Bank of Scotland at 42 St Andrew Square.
His first wife died on 7 August 1842 and on 7 November 1843 he married his second wife, Margaret Ponton (possibly related), with whom he had a son. They continued to live at 30 Melville Street.
Ponton suffered a breakdown around 1845 and moved to Bristol, England for its milder climate. He married his third wife, Jean McLean, on 1 August 1871.
Ponton died at his home in Clifton, Bristol on 3 August 1880.
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