History of Parliament Trust

Welcome to the History of Parliament blog!

Here we share posts about our current research projects, wider parliamentary history, highlights from our events, seminars and conferences, and future publications. The History of Parliament’s core work lies in researching and writing series of volumes depicting Parliamentary life and proceedings throughout the past 700 years. These academically rigorous works contain detailed biographies of parliamentarians, studies of constituencies and introductory surveys. The Sections currently underway … Continue reading Welcome to the History of Parliament blog!

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History of Parliament Trust, 15th Century History, Medieval, Parliamentary Life, The Commons in the Wars of the Roses

Paddington in Parliament

Dr Hannes Kleineke of our Commons 1461-1504 Section explores how Paddington Bear’s favourite sweet treat was traded by some members of the late medieval House of Commons… This blog must start with a disclaimer: there is of course no evidence (and no suggestion) that the Peruvian bear ever sat in the British House of Commons. What we do know, however, is that late medieval Members traded, inter alia, … Continue reading Paddington in Parliament

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Medieval, 15th Century History, Henry VI, Local History, Military history, Parliamentary Life, Religious history

The true beginning of troubles? The Parliament of Bats, 1426

Dr Hannes Kleineke explores the acrimonious ‘Parliament of Bats’, which first met in Leicester on this day 600 years ago, amidst tensions between two of Henry VI’s closest political advisors. At the end of 1425, just three years into the reign of the infant Henry VI, the English polity, such as it was, was in turmoil. Although arrangements for the conduct of government during the … Continue reading The true beginning of troubles? The Parliament of Bats, 1426

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A statue of a queen on a throne with two women to either side
19th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Queen Victoria, Victorian, Women and Parliament

‘Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant’: Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 February, Dr Cara Gathern of UK Parliament Heritage Collections, will be discussing representations of women and sovereign power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870. The seminar takes place on 17 February 2026, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online … Continue reading ‘Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant’: Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870

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History of Parliament Trust

‘Matters false and scandalous’: the Scots and the emergence of party in the mid-1640s

In this guest article, Professor Laura Stewart explores how the writing of a Scottish polemicist, David Buchanan, not only inflamed partisan rivalries, but also opened up the workings of the English Parliament to public scrutiny. On 13 April 1646, a committee set up by the House of Commons to investigate an anonymously authored book ‘intituled, “Truth’s Manifest”’, reported on its findings. Passages of the book … Continue reading ‘Matters false and scandalous’: the Scots and the emergence of party in the mid-1640s

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Parliamentary Life, 15th Century History, 16th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Henry VII, The Commons in the Wars of the Roses, Tudor

Bosworth and other battles: the illustrious career of Sir Gilbert Talbot (d.1517) of Grafton, KG

Dr Simon Payling of our Commons 1461-1504 project explores the career of the early Tudor figure Sir Gilbert Talbot, who in service of Henry VII was rewarded with a commissioned painting from Raphael… When the Tudor antiquarian, John Leland, visited the Shropshire church of Whitchurch in the 1530s, he saw the tomb of Sir Gilbert Talbot, a ‘knight of fame’, and noted, with apparent approval, … Continue reading Bosworth and other battles: the illustrious career of Sir Gilbert Talbot (d.1517) of Grafton, KG

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, George II, George III, Georgian, History of Parliament Trust, Legal history, Local History, Social history

“Wilful murder by persons unknown”: death in an Oxford college (1747)

In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles examines an unpleasant incident that took place in Oxford in the 1740s, which left a college servant dead and several high profile students under suspicion of his murder… In April 1784, George Nevill, 17th Baron Abergavenny, was approached to ask whether he would accept promotion to an earldom. In the wake of Pitt the … Continue reading “Wilful murder by persons unknown”: death in an Oxford college (1747)

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A page from the Lords' Journals in 1585 with three columns of text
Tudor, 16th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Elizabeth I, History of Parliament Trust, Legislative History, Parliamentary Life

Power struggles and group dynamics in the House of Lords, 1584-5

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 3 February, Dr Paul Hunneyball of the History of Parliament, will be discussing Power Struggles and Group Dynamics in the House of Lords, 1584-5. The seminar takes place on 3 February 2026, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online … Continue reading Power struggles and group dynamics in the House of Lords, 1584-5

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19th Century history, Constituencies, Elections, Electoral Reform, Legislative History, Victorian, Victorian Commons

How many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act?

As part of our series of ‘explainer’ articles, aimed at clarifying the workings of the United Kingdom’s historic political system, Dr Martin Spychal examines how many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act. This article draws from a new dataset of voting information for each constituency between 1832 and 1867, which Martin has been developing for the History of Parliament’s Commons … Continue reading How many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act?

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20th century history, Constituencies, Contemporary History, Elections, Factions, John Major, Margaret Thatcher, Modern, Oral history, Parliamentary Life, Parties, Scottish History

Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

Following some recent, high-profile, political defections, Alfie Steer and Dr Emma Peplow have delved into the History of Parliament’s Oral History archive to explore historical cases of MPs changing their party affiliations: their causes, motivations and wider significance. Political defections, commonly known in Westminster parlance as ‘Crossing the Floor’, have been a phenomenon in Parliament since at least the 17th century. This has either happened … Continue reading Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

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Stuart, 18th Century history, Legislative History, Queen Anne, Scottish History

England, Scotland and the Treaty of Union, 1706-08

In 1707, under the terms of the Treaty of Union, England and Scotland became a single state – the United Kingdom of Great Britain – and the parliaments at Westminster and Edinburgh were replaced by a single ‘Parliament of Great Britain’. The arrangements for establishing the new parliament were set out in Article 22 of the Treaty. The wording of the Treaty made no mention … Continue reading England, Scotland and the Treaty of Union, 1706-08

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