Lincolnshire's First Balloon Flight?

Charles Green By Hilaire Ledru (1769-1840)
© National Portrait Gallery NPG 2557 

Charles Green, born 31 January 1785, was the United Kingdom's most famous balloonist of the 19th century.  His first ascent was in a coal gas balloon on 19 July 1821. He became a professional balloonist and by the time he retired in 1852, he had flown in a balloon 527 times.

This is an account of a flight from Boston to Grantham:

Mr Green's ascent from the gasworks at Boston on Thursday afternoon, the eighth inst was a very fine one and afforded the greatest gratification to between 20,000 and 30,000 persons who were assembled in the town to witness it.

About 600 persons purchased admission to the gas yard, Mr. Green was not accompanied by any person in the car of the balloon. The descent took place at Allington near Grantham as appears by the following statement supplied by the aeronaut himself. 

“On first leaving the earth the car of the balloon was west by south, But in about five minutes it changed to nearly due west passing between Swineshead and Heckington, and proceeding in a direct line for Grantham until nearly over Sir John Thorold’s park.  Boston then resembled a mass of rubbish, covering about an acre of land, and knowing that its inhabitants must have lost sight of the balloon. I commenced descending, which I calculated on effecting a little to the east of Grantham, but when about 4000 feet from the earth, the balloon fell into a current of air from the south east which conveyed it in the direction of Newark. The country still being favourable for the purpose I continued descending and landed at five minutes past five o'clock in the parish of Allington near Bottesford at the seat of T Earle Welby Esq., eight miles from Newark, and six from Grantham, about half an hour after the descent several gentlemen arrived from Grantham, one of whom lent me his horse, and the balloon being packed on another belonging to Mr J B Tunnard of the Blue Lion in Grantham. It was conveyed by that gentleman to the George where I received the congratulations of a large party of gentlemen. Shortly afterwards, T Earle Welby Esq. sent me an invitation which I accepted and partook of a sumptuous dinner. A chaise and four being obtained I set out from Grantham between nine and 10 o'clock and arrived at the Peacock about three in the morning.  My view of the Earth was grand in the extreme having on no former occasion had a more extensive one. My greatest elevation indicated by the barometer was nearly two miles and a quarter. Mercury having fallen 30 to 20.2.” 

Stamford Mercury, 16th of June 1826.

Green is credited with the invention of the trail rope as an aid to steering and landing a balloon.

Charles Green died suddenly at his home on 26 March 1870