Parliamentary Life
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Robert Spankie: From parliamentary reporter to Member of Parliament
Robert Spankie, who was returned for Finsbury in 1832, had an unusual pre-parliamentary career. Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow…
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Westminster Hall in the Middle Ages
Although first constructed in the 11th century, Westminster Hall still stands tall as an important building within the modern-day Houses…
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The politics of electing the Speaker: The case of Shaw Lefevre (1794-1888)
Following on from our post about James Abercromby‘s highly-charged partisan election as Speaker in 1835, Philip Salmon explores the 1839…
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‘Like herrings in a barrel’: the House of Commons chamber prior to 1834
When picturing the 19th-century Houses of Parliament, many people might think of the grand buildings designed by Charles Barry and…
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The poetic memorialization of late-medieval MPs
Producing biographies on late-medieval MPs comes with its unique set of challenges, notably the lack surviving records indicative of their…
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Politics, popular celebration and the Trojan War
The recent release of Christopher Nolan’s latest epic, The Odyssey, has sparked debate in many quarters for its depiction of…
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The Speakership election of 1835
In this article Dr Kathryn Rix and Dr Martin Spychal of our House of Commons, 1832-1868 project discuss a pivotal…
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How does an MP resign? The Chiltern Hundreds & the Manor of Northstead
Have you just heard that an MP has resigned by ‘taking the Chiltern Hundreds’? Our Senior Research Fellow, Dr Martin…
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Accessing Hansard online: a research guide
Hansard – the official record of what is said in Parliament – originated in the early 19th century. Our Commons…
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Correcting the record: conciliation and reconciliation over America in 1776
Just a few months before the Declaration of Independence, last minute efforts were made to reconcile Britain and the American…
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Lineage and Architectural Display: the ‘Golden Chapel’ at Tong (Shropshire) and the Commemoration of Sir Henry Vernon, governor of the household of Prince Arthur
Dr Simon Payling of our 1461-1504 section explores the life and remembrance of MP for Derbyshire Sir Henry Vernon, and his family’s enduring…
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‘The strangest bill that ever I heard…’: Bishop Joseph Hall, the Church of England and the Long Parliament, 1640-1642
Dr Vivienne Larminie explores the political career of one of the most influential mid-seventeenth century bishops As the House of…