Tag: House of Commons

Conferences/seminars, Events, History of Parliament Trust

History of Parliament Trust’s Annual Lecture: A Brief History of Parliamentary Time

Earlier this summer the History of Parliament Trust enjoyed their public annual lecture in Portcullis House, Westminster. This year’s speaker was Paul Seaward, British Academy and Wolfson Foundation Research Professor at the History of Parliament Trust. Below he offers a taste of his lecture about the power of time in the Parliament… Time is inescapable anywhere, but a sense of time passing is oppressively insistent … Continue reading History of Parliament Trust’s Annual Lecture: A Brief History of Parliamentary Time

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19th Century history, Mothers & Fathers of the House

A Victorian record-breaker: Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Father of the House

Today we hear from Dr Kathryn Rix, Assistant Editor of our Commons 1832-68 project about the lengthy parliamentary career of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot as part of our Mothers and Fathers of the House series. In January 1890 Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803-90), the Father of the House, died after almost 60 years of unbroken service representing his native Glamorgan in the Commons. The only … Continue reading A Victorian record-breaker: Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Father of the House

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17th Century history, Early modern history, Prorogation

Averting the prorogation of Parliament, May 1641

In light of the attempt of the current government to prorogue Parliament, we thought it would be appropriate to offer examples of prorogation or the aversion thereof in Parliament’s past. Today, Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of our House of Commons 1640-1660 project explains how prorogation was narrowly avoided in 1641 during a crisis in the early months of the Long Parliament. In an earlier … Continue reading Averting the prorogation of Parliament, May 1641

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19th Century history, Electoral Reform, Peterloo

Political protest in the age of Peterloo

Today’s blog from the editor of our House of Commons 1832-68 section, Dr Philip Salmon, is the first of many pieces in which we will discuss the Peterloo Massacre that took place in St Peter’s Field, Manchester on 16th August 1819. He outlines the political climate within which this infamous episode occurred and provides context for the blogs that are to follow in the series. … Continue reading Political protest in the age of Peterloo

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medieval history, Named Parliaments

The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful: The dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century (Part Two)

Welcome back to our Named Parliaments series for June’s second installment from Senior Research Fellow, Dr Hannes Kleineke of our House of Commons 1422-1504 Section. Today Hannes continues with part two of ‘The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful’ focusing on the Wonderful and the Merciless Parliaments of 1386 and 1388… Perhaps richer in colourfully named parliaments than any other period in English history is … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful: The dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century (Part Two)

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medieval history, Named Parliaments

The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful: The dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century (Part One)

This month in our Named Parliaments series we hear from Dr Hannes Kleineke, Senior Research Fellow for our House of Commons 1422-1504 Section, about the dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century, in two parts. In the first, today, we learn about the Good and the Bad Parliaments, 1376-1377, and in part two, on 27 June, he will elaborate on the Wonderful and the Merciless … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful: The dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century (Part One)

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17th Century history, Early modern history, Named Parliaments

‘A name of an ill sound’: The Officers’ Parliament of 1690-95

Today we continue with our ‘Named Parliament’ series. Charles Littleton of the Lords 1660-1832 project discusses the Officers’ Parliament of 1690-95 and the enactment of legislation to regulate parliamentary sessions thereafter… To many contemporaries the Parliament which first met in March 1690 later became vilified as ‘The Officers’ Parliament’. Bishop Gilbert Burnet, watching events from the House of Lords, described the origin of the term … Continue reading ‘A name of an ill sound’: The Officers’ Parliament of 1690-95

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