To celebrate St David’s Day tomorrow, Dr Stephen Roberts, the editor of our Commons 1640-1660 section, discusses a text used in the Civil War to try and win over the primarily royalist-supporting Wales to the Presbyterian cause in Parliament… Unique among Cardiganshire people in exploiting the printing press to promote Parliament after the civil war was John Lewis of Glasgrug, Llanbardarn Fawr. His book, Contemplations upon … Continue reading An Early Welsh Manifesto
Dr Paul Hunneyball reports back from our last ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ seminar… On 11 February the Parliaments, Politics and People seminar welcomed Dr. Hannes Kleineke of the History of Parliament Trust, a Senior Research Fellow in the House of Commons 1422-1504 section. As that project’s coverage of the Lancastrian parliaments nears completion, Hannes has turned his thoughts to the subsequent assemblies of Edward IV, … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: Dr Hannes Kleineke and the Yorkist Parliaments
Today we have a guest blog to introduce a fantastic new resource for those of you interested in politics and elections in London. Penelope Corfield, Emeritus Professor at Royal Holloway tells us all about ‘London Electoral History, 1700-1850’…’ There’s nothing like getting fabulous research data and argumentative interpretation into the public arena, after over twenty years of preparation. So the launch party on 3 February … Continue reading Launching the new website London Electoral History, 1700-1850
325 years ago today Parliament offered the crown to William and Mary, along with the Declaration of Rights (later to become the Bill of Rights). Our Director, Dr Paul Seaward, looks back at the two weeks of momentous debates in the Lords and Commons leading up to this moment… The ‘Glorious Revolution’ is the name given to the invasion of England by a Dutch force … Continue reading Who should sit on the throne?: the Commons, Lords and William & Mary, 1689
The History of Parliament has been running schools competitions for several years, and 2013 was an excellent year for both our 11-14 year olds’ and A level competitions. A great big thank you to everyone who entered this year. The judges – who included ourselves, our trustees, and members of Parliament’s Education Service – had a very enjoyable time reading your entries, if a rather … Continue reading History of Parliament’s Schools competition winners, 2013
Dr Kathryn Rix of the Victorian Commons reports back from our first ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ seminar of 2014… This term’s programme for the ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ seminar opened with a paper from Catherine Chou, of Stanford University, on ‘The Parliamentary Mind and the Mutable Constitution’. The starting point for Catherine’s paper was the problem posed in 1558 by the accession to the throne … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: The 16th Century ‘Parliamentary Mind’
Today in 1693, Charles, 4th Lord Mohun, was acquitted of murder by his fellow peers. Dr Robin Eagles, Senior Research Fellow in our Lords 1660-1832 section, shares this story of celebrity, political expediency, and the dangers of being an actress in the late 17th Century… In December 1692 the young, but already dissolute Cornish peer, Charles, 4th Lord Mohun, was involved in a fracas arising … Continue reading It helps to have friends in high places: the acquittal of Lord Mohun
The History of Parliament 