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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!
Job Vacancy: Research Fellow, 1660-1832 House of Lords
The History of Parliament are excited to advertise for a research fellow to join our House of Lords 1660-1832 project. The History of Parliament has a vacancy for a research fellow on its 1660-1832 House of Lords project. The successful candidate will have a PhD in British political or cultural history in the eighteenth century. They will join a small team of professional historians researching … Continue reading Job Vacancy: Research Fellow, 1660-1832 House of Lords
Steps towards identifying new Black voters in 18th-century Westminster and Hertfordshire
A few months ago, the History welcomed a guest post by Dr Gillian Williamson with her groundbreaking research into John London, to date the earliest known Black voter in Britain, who lodged his vote in the 1749 by-election for Westminster. In this latest post, Dr Robin Eagles explains the potential discovery of further Black voters taking part in the same contest and subsequent polls in … Continue reading Steps towards identifying new Black voters in 18th-century Westminster and Hertfordshire
Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons for 2026!
Here’s wishing all our readers a very enjoyable New Year! 2025 was a particularly memorable year for our 1832-68 House of Commons project and the History of Parliament. After 20 years based at Bloomsbury Square in the so-called ‘knowledge quarter’ around the British Museum, we sorted and packed decades of research materials and relocated to a new open-plan office at 14-18 Old Street in Islington. The volume … Continue reading Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons for 2026!
Review of the Year 2025
2025 has been a year of many changes for the History of Parliament, with new projects, a new office, and a new look! But despite this, our brilliant team have continued to produce hundreds of articles, lead groundbreaking research and champion political history across the country. Here’s Connie Jeffery, our Public Engagement Manager, with a recap of 2025 at the HPT… 2025 has been another … Continue reading Review of the Year 2025
The origin of the Wars of the Roses? The marriage of Richard of Conisbrough and Anne Mortimer and the union of the houses of York and Mortimer
Whilst many see the ignition of the Wars of the Roses as taking place later in the 15th century, Dr Simon Payling, of our 1461-1504 section, explores the impact of the marriage of Richard of Conisbrough and Anne Mortimer in 1408 and the consequences of their union… In the study of medieval landholding, it is a common theme that an aristocratic marriage might have the … Continue reading The origin of the Wars of the Roses? The marriage of Richard of Conisbrough and Anne Mortimer and the union of the houses of York and Mortimer
Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor
Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860). A farmer’s son from Perthshire, McLagan senior acquired considerable wealth as an enslaver and plantation owner in Demerara (modern-day Guyana) during the early nineteenth century. He received extensive ‘compensation’ under the terms of the 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act. Continue reading Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor
The Baronial Context of the 1641 Triennial Act
Dr David Scott, Editor of the 1640-60 House of Lords section, explores the role of the peers in securing the right of Parliament to meet regularly. The Triennial Act of February 1641 was the first piece of legislation passed by the ‘Long Parliament’ in its momentous thirteen-year history of reform, rule and, in 1649, regicide. Of course, none of the peers and MPs who had … Continue reading The Baronial Context of the 1641 Triennial Act
Putting ‘spirit in the conduct of the war’: the November 1775 government reshuffle
In his last post for the Georgian Lords, From bills to bullets: Spring 1775 and the approach to war in America, on the advent of the American War of Independence, Dr Charles Littleton left things hanging with the prorogation on 26 May 1775. Now, he continues the story into the autumn with the declaration of war and a key government reshuffle. Following the prorogation of … Continue reading Putting ‘spirit in the conduct of the war’: the November 1775 government reshuffle
Black and Political: Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850
At a special joint session of the IHR’s Parliaments, Politics and People and British History in the Long 18th Century seminars on Wednesday 3 December, Dr Helen Wilson will be discussing Black participation in British Politics between 1750 and 1850. The free seminar takes place on 3 December 2025, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person … Continue reading Black and Political: Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850
The passing of the bill of attainder against the Jacobite Sir John Fenwick
On 25 November 1696 the House of Commons, after a bitter series of debates, finally passed a bill that would result in the execution of the Northumbrian baronet Sir John Fenwick, for treason in January 1697. As Dr Paul Seaward explores, this was a death that was seen by many as politically-driven murder. Fenwick’s case was one of the consequences of the deposition of the … Continue reading The passing of the bill of attainder against the Jacobite Sir John Fenwick
