- Jan 1 Martin W. Bates, American politician, dies at 82
- Jan 17 Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky, Russian composer, dies at 55
- Jan 26 Duncan Gordon Boyes, English recipient of the Victoria Cross, committed suicide at 22
- Jan 28 Prudent-Louis Aubery du Boulley, French composer, dies at 72
- Jan 30 William Carleton, Irish novelist (b. 1794)