Month: June 2020

17th Century history, History of Parliament Trust, James I to Restoration, Military history

The Horticultural Heroism of Sir Walter Erle

As Britain continues to take advantage of the great outdoors during Covid-19 lockdown, this week Dr Patrick Little, senior research fellow for our Commons 1640-1660 project, explores the unusual garden of Sir Walter Erle, who used horticulture to mimic his military experiences. Of the seventeenth century MPs and peers who created gardens to adorn their country estates, perhaps the most unlikely was Sir Walter Erle. … Continue reading The Horticultural Heroism of Sir Walter Erle

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17th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Early modern history, Georgian Lords, History of Parliament Trust, House of Lords 1660-1715, James I to Restoration, LGBTQ+ History, Oral history, Post-1945 history, Women and Parliament

Exploring parliamentary history through art

Today’s blog contains details of the Art UK online exhibitions that our researchers have curated during lockdown… The History of Parliament’s researchers have been trying out the Curations tool recently launched by Art UK, which enables anyone to create a digital exhibition from the artworks on its site. With art galleries and museums currently closed, it is an excellent way to visit their collections online. … Continue reading Exploring parliamentary history through art

Kathryn RixLeave a comment
20th century history, Oral history, Post-1945 history

A tribute to Joe Ashton, MP for Bassetlaw 1968-2001

This is our third blogpost paying tribute to former MPs and interviewees of our Oral History Project who have sadly passed away during the current crisis. Here project lead Dr Emma Peplow remembers Joe Ashton, MP for Bassetlaw October 1968-2001. Born in Attercliffe, Sheffield in 1933, Joe Ashton told us during his 2012 interview for our oral history project that he came second in a … Continue reading A tribute to Joe Ashton, MP for Bassetlaw 1968-2001

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History of Parliament Trust, Medieval history, Military history, The Commons in the Wars of the Roses

Anti-Welsh legislation of the Parliament of 1401 and the battle of Pilleth on 22 June 1402

In June 1402 English forces once again faced an uprising in Wales and on 22 June the two sides met at the battle of Pilleth. The result would have significant impact on the reign of Henry IV. Dr Simon Payling, senior research fellow in our Commons 1461-1504 project, recounts the battle in our latest blog… Parliament met on 20 January 1401 in a distinctly uncharitable … Continue reading Anti-Welsh legislation of the Parliament of 1401 and the battle of Pilleth on 22 June 1402

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17th Century history, Early modern history, Health and Medicine, James I to Restoration

The ‘troubled nature’ of Francis Norris, earl of Berkshire: a Jacobean peer’s battle with depression

As public debate intensifies about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health, Dr Paul Hunneyball, assistant editor of the Lords 1558-1603 section, considers a poorly documented aspect of early modern medicine… If ever there was an era when despondency was in vogue, it was surely the early seventeenth century. Shakespeare’s plays exploited mental anguish to great dramatic effect, from the love-sick Romeo to … Continue reading The ‘troubled nature’ of Francis Norris, earl of Berkshire: a Jacobean peer’s battle with depression

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19th Century history, History of Parliament Trust, Legal history, Peterloo, Queen Caroline, Royal family, Social history, Women and Parliament

The royal scandal that helped change British politics: the 1820 Queen Caroline affair

On 5 June 1820 Caroline of Brunswick returned to England to take her place as Queen Consort to George IV. But the breakdown in the couple’s relationship would become a matter of parliamentary and national importance. This blog from Dr Philip Salmon, editor of our Commons 1832-68 project, explores the impact of the Queen Caroline Affair on British politics. Two hundred years ago the Prince … Continue reading The royal scandal that helped change British politics: the 1820 Queen Caroline affair

conniejeffery2 Comments
20th century history, Conferences/seminars, Military history, Women and Parliament, World War I MPs

A politician of conscience: Thomas Edmund Harvey (1875-1955) and conscientious objection

Ahead of Tuesday’s Virtual IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Mark Frankel, a PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham. He will be responding to your questions about his research on Thomas Edmund Harvey on Zoom between 5:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on 23 June 2020. Details on how to join the discussion are available here or by contacting mspychal@histparl.ac.uk This blog is based … Continue reading A politician of conscience: Thomas Edmund Harvey (1875-1955) and conscientious objection

Martin SpychalLeave a comment
17th Century history, James I to Restoration, Local History

‘Southwark men, who are but traitors’: merchants, rioters, radicals and the ‘good old cause’ in the mid-seventeenth century

In the latest History of Parliament blog we return to our local history study of Southwark. Following our medieval look at the constituency, today Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of the Commons 1640-1660 project, explores the borough in the mid-seventeenth century. By 1640 there had been no decrease in the independent spirit and propensity to disorder which had made the borough of Southwark so troublesome … Continue reading ‘Southwark men, who are but traitors’: merchants, rioters, radicals and the ‘good old cause’ in the mid-seventeenth century

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Local History, Medieval history, The Commons in the Wars of the Roses

Sex, (almost) in the city: Southwark – a constituency of contrasts

Continuing our collaborative local history blog series, this month we are exploring the constituency of Southwark. In the first of two blogs, today Dr Hannes Kleineke, editor of our Commons 1461-1504 project, discusses the diverse nature of the constituency’s medieval residents. In the present day, Borough Market, served by Borough Station on the London Underground’s Northern Line, is a much loved destination for the food … Continue reading Sex, (almost) in the city: Southwark – a constituency of contrasts

conniejeffery2 Comments
18th Century history, Georgian Lords, House of Lords 1660-1715, Party splits

Friends reunited? The end of the Whig Schism

In the summer of 1720 a schism that had divided the Whig Party into competing factions was finally healed. Dr Charles Littleton, senior research fellow in the House of Lords 1715-90 section, considers how this came about and how those involved were compensated or rewarded to help reunite them. A previous blog has described the origins of the Whig Schism of 1717, as an example … Continue reading Friends reunited? The end of the Whig Schism

reagles2 Comments