Dr Robin Eagles reports back on the latest ‘parliaments, politics and people’ seminar Following on from Caroline Shenton’s presentation a fortnight ago, the Parliaments seminar returned to the early seventeenth century this week with a paper by Keith Stapylton examining the problem of privilege in early Stuart parliaments. Some will be familiar with the concept of parliamentary privilege; many more may have come across examples … Continue reading Parliaments Politics and People seminar, 20 November 2012 Keith Stapylton (UCL): ‘The problem of privilege in early Stuart parliaments’

Today’s ‘on this day’ article for Parliament Week focuses on the publication of Milton’s famous tract, Areopagitica, in which he calls on parliament not to restrict the freedom of the press during the English Civil War. As Dr Vivienne Larminie explains, press censorship had been a controversial issue in the seventeenth century and was also difficult for the Long Parliament. Having presided over the abolition … Continue reading On this day in 1644: John Milton’s intervention in debates over freedom of the press

Today’s Parliament Week ‘on this day’ article, written by the Victorian Commons’ Dr Philip Salmon, focuses on reform in the early 19th Century. It’s very fitting that the formation of Earl Grey’s reforming government in 1830 should fit neatly into our series of Parliament Week articles. Aside from the blend of tea, Earl Grey is best known as the Prime Minister whose government passed the … Continue reading On this Day in 1830 – the formation of Earl Grey’s government

Our Parliament Week ‘on this day’ article for today features a debate that is still relevant today… On this day in 1606 James VI & I’s attempt to formally unite the two kingdoms of England and Scotland reached a key stage when the ‘Instrument of Union’ was read in the House of Commons. James wanted a formal union since succeeding Elizabeth I and uniting the … Continue reading On this day in 1606: Proposed union between England and Scotland

Many interesting events are happening, or happened, on this day: 19 November. In 2012, Parliament Week is underway (see their website for events happening near you); our first specially commissioned article for Parliament Week is ready for you to read here and from today onwards the House of Commons in 1604-29 volumes are available on our website. These volumes are the most comprehensive study of … Continue reading On this day…

A conference report for us from two of  the Victorian Commons: Alongside their research for the History of Parliament’s 1832-1868 Commons project, Dr. James Owen and Dr. Kathryn Rix share an interest in late nineteenth century political culture. They were invited to speak at a conference on ‘The Liberal Party, Unionism and political culture in late 19th and early 20th century Britain’ held at Newman … Continue reading Conference report: ‘The Liberal Party, Unionism and Political Culture’

Next week is an exciting one for us at HOP, and especially for http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Not only will we be publishing a series of specially commissioned articles for Parliament Week, we’re also releasing all the material from the volumes on the House of Commons in 1604-29 online for the first time. We’re delighted to be one of many organisations around the country to be taking part … Continue reading New material for www.historyofparliamentonline.org released for Parliament Week