Month: September 2015

20th century history, Military history, Social history, World War I MPs

‘In a dirty ditch somewhere in France’: the Hon. Thomas Charles Reginald Agar-Robartes (1880-1915)

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the fifth MP who died fighting in the First World War, and the second this month. Continuing our series of short biographies of these men, Dr Kathryn Rix, of the Victorian Commons, discusses the life of Thomas Agar-Robartes MP… Writing in May 1915 to apologise for his absence from a Liberal meeting in his Cornish constituency, Thomas Agar-Robartes MP headed … Continue reading ‘In a dirty ditch somewhere in France’: the Hon. Thomas Charles Reginald Agar-Robartes (1880-1915)

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20th century history, Military history, Social history, World War I MPs

MPs in World War I: Harold Thomas Cawley (1878-1915)

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the fourth MP who died fighting in the First World War. Continuing our series of short biographies of these men, Dr Kathryn Rix, of the Victorian Commons, discusses the life of Harold Thomas Cawley… In a sad, but not uncommon, example of the toll which the First World War took on many British families, the long-serving Liberal MP for Prestwich, … Continue reading MPs in World War I: Harold Thomas Cawley (1878-1915)

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Medieval history, Military history, Social history

Medieval migration

As Europe’s migration crisis continues, Dr Hannes Kleineke, Senior Research Fellow on the Commons 1422-1504 section, explores the medieval House of Commons’ approach to immigration… If the 18th century was concerned with the question of ‘mass migration’ from the Palatinate, the House of Commons had a longer tradition of considering questions of immigration. In the later middle ages, petitions for royal letters of denization came … Continue reading Medieval migration

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20th century history, Oral history, Post-1945 history

Labour leadership elections through the years

The Labour party’s leadership contest comes to a close this week, with the winner announced at a special conference on Saturday. Our oral history project features many former Labour MPs’ recollections of leadership contests, and the consequences of them, particularly in the 1980s as the party grappled with life in opposition and internal divisions between left and right. Former MP for Ipswich, Ken Weetch, described … Continue reading Labour leadership elections through the years

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18th Century history, Religious history, Social history

The ‘Poor Palatines’ – political ramifications of eighteenth century migration

Migration has rarely been politically uncontroversial, as Dr Robin Eagles, Senior Research Fellow in the House of Lords 1660-1832 section, discusses… The current migrant crisis may be on a wider scale than has been seen for a number of years, but as a phenomenon it is far from unique. In the first decade of the 18th century England became the focus of a mass migration … Continue reading The ‘Poor Palatines’ – political ramifications of eighteenth century migration

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