A balloon piloted by Charles Green crash-lands on Pirbright Common, Surrey, in 1852. Coloured wood engraving.

"Green's 'final' ascent-which it was announced would complete his '500th aerial voyage'-was fixed for September 8th [1852], but was postponed to the 13th. Doubtless the auspicious event accounted for the large number of passengers, eight of whom, including Henry Mayhew (1812-87), the well-known author of many humorous stories and plays, availed themselves of a last journey with the 'old ethereal pilot'. As a matter of fact the landing, made after dusk on Pirbright Common, near Guildford, was fraught with some danger, though-as may be fittingly recorded of one of the last flights in Green's notable career-what might have been a serious accident was avoided by the exercise of his commanding personality not less than his skill as a pilot, and nothing worse happened than a severe shaking for his alarmed passengers."--Hodgson, loc. cit.

Hodgson, loc. cit., seems to have confused Henry Mayhew (1812-1887) the socal critic with his brother Horace Mayahew( 1816-1872), a humorous writer. Which was on the balloon?

1 print : wood engraving, with watercolour ; sheet 15.9 x 23.5 cm

Descent of Mr Green's balloon, on Pirbright Common, near Guildford.

J.E. Hodgson, The history of aeronautics In Great Britain, London: Oxford University Press, 1924, p. 260

Wellcome Collection 36315i