Category: Patron Saints

16th Century history, 17th Century history, 19th Century history, Medieval history, Patron Saints

ANCIENT BRITAIN, THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS?

St George’s Day seems an appropriate moment to invoke John Bright’s famous, and much misunderstood, statement of 1865 that ‘England is the Country of Parliament… England is the Mother of Parliaments’. But to some in the seventeenth century and before, as British Academy and Wolfson Research Professor at the History of Parliament, Paul Seaward, explores, it was the ancient Britons who had invented parliaments, in … Continue reading ANCIENT BRITAIN, THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS?

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17th Century history, Early modern history, James I to Restoration, Patron Saints

Ourselves alone? The General Convention of Ireland of 1660

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today’s Irish themed blog from Dr Patrick Little of our House of Commons 1640-60 project considers the difficulties of governing Ireland during the restoration of the Monarchy and the General Convention of Ireland … The restoration of the Rump Parliament in May 1659 had thrown Ireland into disarray. The long-established settlers, known as the ‘Old Protestants’, had generally been supporters of … Continue reading Ourselves alone? The General Convention of Ireland of 1660

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17th Century history, Early modern history, James I to Restoration, Patron Saints

St George’s day in York: an invitation from Charles I, 1642

Continuing with our patron saints blog series, Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of our House of Commons 1640-1660 project, explores the loyalty of peers to Charles I during St George’s Day celebrations at York in April 1642… A spring break in the north.  Easter solemnities and rejoicing in York Minster.  Celebrating the feast day of the nation’s patron saint with the king’s court.  Under other … Continue reading St George’s day in York: an invitation from Charles I, 1642

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17th Century history, Patron Saints

St David’s Day: The First Welsh Republican

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath for another blog from our resident Welshman and History of Parliament Trust Director, Dr Stephen Roberts, the wait is over. Last March for St David’s Day, Stephen explored the development of the relationship between Parliament and the Welsh language (Part One and Part Two). Today he explains the journey of the first Welsh republican, from his humble beginnings in the countryside … Continue reading St David’s Day: The First Welsh Republican

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17th Century history, Elections, Patron Saints

Voting and not voting in Cromwellian Scotland

Today, on St Andrew’s Day we have a Scotland themed blog from Dr Patrick Little of the House of Commons 1640-1660 Section as part of our Patron Saints series. He discusses voting in Cromwellian Scotland… Nowadays the Scots have the reputation for being enthusiastic voters. Recent General Elections have seen more than two-thirds of the electorate casting their ballots (71% in 2015, 67% in 2017) … Continue reading Voting and not voting in Cromwellian Scotland

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16th Century history, 17th Century history, Early modern history, James I to Restoration, Patron Saints

Parliament and St George’s Day in the early seventeenth century

Following previous blogs to mark St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, Dr Paul Hunneyball of the Lords 1604-1629 Section discusses the near-disappearance of the celebration of St George’s Day in the aftermath of Reformation legislation.  For peers who belonged to the Order of the Garter, however, it was still the occasion for feasting, and as such it impacted on the timetable of parliamentary business… … Continue reading Parliament and St George’s Day in the early seventeenth century

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17th Century history, Early modern history, James I to Restoration, Patron Saints

Irish Disputes at Westminster

To launch our new James I to Restoration blog, and also mark St Patrick’s Day, Dr Patrick Little of the Commons 1640-1660 Section discusses the controversial presence of Irish MPs at Westminster in the 1650s… With Irish political and constitutional issues routinely hitting the headlines – not least because of implications of Brexit for the border and the fact that the Democratic Unionists hold the … Continue reading Irish Disputes at Westminster

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Medieval history, Patron Saints

St Piran’s Day: Tin, Tricks and Terror in 15th-century Cornwall

Continuing with our patron saint series, today we hear from Dr Hannes Kleineke  of the Commons 1422-1504 Section about the patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran. Also see Part One and Two of  Dr Stephen Roberts’ blogs on Parliament and the Welsh language in honour of St David’s Day… With recent news of the possible reopening of the South Crofty tin mine in Camborne, on the feast day … Continue reading St Piran’s Day: Tin, Tricks and Terror in 15th-century Cornwall

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19th Century history, 20th century history, Patron Saints

St. David’s Day: Parliament and the Welsh Language (Part Two)

Continuing from yesterday’s blog ‘St. David’s Day: Parliament and the Welsh Language (Part One)’, today Dr Stephen Roberts, the History of Parliament’s Director and editor of the Commons 1640-1660 Section, explains the educational reforms that affected the use of Welsh language in educational and legal structures in Wales in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the relationship between Parliament and the Welsh language in the … Continue reading St. David’s Day: Parliament and the Welsh Language (Part Two)

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Early modern history, Patron Saints

St. David’s Day: Parliament and the Welsh Language (Part One)

In honour of St. David, the patron saint of Wales and St. David’s Day today, Dr Stephen Roberts, our Director, editor of the Commons 1640-1660 Section and proud Welshman, offers this first of two blogs outlining a brief history of the relationship between Parliament and the Welsh language. Today he explains the Tudor statute that banned Welsh language from law courts and public office and … Continue reading St. David’s Day: Parliament and the Welsh Language (Part One)

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