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