Category: Uncategorized

18th Century history, Electoral Reform, Georgian Lords, House of Lords 1660-1715, Politics, Uncategorized

“Windy music & heat in the House” The failure to reform the House of Lords in 1719

In the spring of 1719 the government introduced a measure for reforming the House of Lords. By its provisions the size of the peerage of Great Britain was to be frozen, while the Scots were to be allotted 25 hereditary peerages in place of the 16 elected ones they currently held. It failed but in the following session the same measure was brought back again. … Continue reading “Windy music & heat in the House” The failure to reform the House of Lords in 1719

reaglesLeave a comment
19th Century history, 20th century history, Conferences/seminars, Uncategorized

Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: On Writing the History of Parliament

This evening Dr Henry Miller of Durham University will give this term’s final paper to the IHR seminar Parliaments, Politics and People. Ahead of the session Paul Seaward, British Academy/Wolfson Foundation Research Professor at the History of Parliament Trust, revisits his paper on writing the history of parliament… Parliament has been in the middle of narratives of the institutional development of the British state since … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: On Writing the History of Parliament

sammysturgessLeave a comment
18th Century history, England and Scotland, Georgian Lords, House of Lords 1660-1715, legal history, Politics, Prorogation, Uncategorized, Women and Parliament

Tobacco Fraud and the Prorogation of April 1707

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley, senior research fellow in the Lords 1715-90 section, considers how an unexpected prorogation around the time of the Union was employed to attempt to secure the passage of much-needed legislation Prorogations have been much in the news of late, but they are a common occurrence in parliamentary history. Parliament is prorogued at the end … Continue reading Tobacco Fraud and the Prorogation of April 1707

reaglesLeave a comment
Prorogation, Uncategorized

Political Prorogations: a view from the Victorian Commons

Originally posted on The Victorian Commons:
It’s been a long time since the business of suspending Parliament and starting a new session has generated so much political controversy. Throughout most of the 20th century prorogations invariably tallied with the expectations of most parliamentarians, neatly book-ending a government’s legislative programme. Scroll back a little further into the 19th century, however, and a rather different picture emerges… Continue reading Political Prorogations: a view from the Victorian Commons

sammysturgessLeave a comment
18th Century history, 19th Century history, Elections, Electoral Reform, Georgian Lords, Peterloo, Politics, Uncategorized

Manchester and the Lancashire peerage: the background to Peterloo

In the latest blog from the Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton considers the influence of some of the local grandees in parts of Lancashire, their potential impact on the drive for reform in the early 19th century and how they may have helped contribute to Peterloo This month the country will be marking the bicentenary of the ‘Peterloo Massacre’. On 16 August 1819 a crowd … Continue reading Manchester and the Lancashire peerage: the background to Peterloo

reaglesLeave a comment
17th Century history, 18th Century history, Georgian Lords, Party splits, Royal family, Uncategorized, Women and Parliament

The Missing Duchess

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley, senior research fellow on the Lords 1715-90 section, considers the significance of one of the central characters of the court of Queen Anne who failed to make it into the film, The Favourite The Oscar and BAFTA winning film, The Favourite, brought Queen Anne’s reign to the attention of the nation. The more observant … Continue reading The Missing Duchess

reaglesLeave a comment
18th Century history, Georgian Lords, House of Lords 1660-1715, Migration, Royal family, Uncategorized

Ich bin in meinem Herzen Englisch: Could George I speak English?

George I’s linguistic weakness was supposedly the reason for the preference shown to his German advisors over most English politicians, who were for the most part similarly limited in their knowledge of foreign languages. Continue reading Ich bin in meinem Herzen Englisch: Could George I speak English?

reaglesLeave a comment