Author: Martin Spychal

19th Century history, Elections, Parliamentary Life, Scottish History, Victorian, Victorian Commons

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 on our House of Commons 1832-1868 project, explores his route from ground-breaking parliamentary reporter to serving as a controversial advocate-general of Bengal. The son of a Church of Scotland minister, Robert Spankie was born in Falkland in 1774 and at 14 was sent to the … Continue reading Robert Spankie: From parliamentary reporter to Member of Parliament

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19th Century history, Constituencies, Electoral Reform, Local History, Victorian, Victorian Commons

The representation of Devon and Cornwall after reform, 1832-68

Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of Commons 1832-1868 project, provides an overview of the electoral system and political affiliation in Devon and Cornwall between 1832 and 1868. This is a revised version of an article posted on the Victorian Commons following the 2019 ‘The South West and Parliament’ conference, which was co-hosted by the History of Parliament and Devon and Cornwall Record Society … Continue reading The representation of Devon and Cornwall after reform, 1832-68

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Constituencies, Elections, Electoral Reform, Parties, Victorian

Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act

Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of Commons 1832-1868 Commons project, discuses the impact of the 1832 reform legislation on English electoral politics. This article draws from Martin’s book, Mapping the State: English boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act (2024) which is available to download free in open access. The 1832 Reform Act (and its associated legislation, the 1832 Boundary Act) reshaped … Continue reading Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Elections, Parliamentary Life, Parties, Robert Peel, Speakers of the House, Victorian, William IV, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

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 vote in the early nineteenth-century Commons – the selection of the Speaker in February 1835. They explore popular reaction to the vote, its short and long-term significance and the difficulties of compiling an accurate division list before the publication of an official record of parliamentary … Continue reading The Speakership election of 1835

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A map of Buckinghamshire, that includes the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham in the south of the county
17th Century history, 14th Century history, 15th Century History, 16th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Constituencies, Elections, Georgian, Interregnum, Legislative History, Medieval, Modern, Parliamentary Life, Stuart, Tudor, Victorian

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 Spychal, explains the practice and explores its historical context… MPs are not allowed to resign from Parliament. However, a parliamentary loophole exists that allows an MP to vacate their seat by asking the chancellor of the exchequer to disqualify them from sitting in the Commons. … Continue reading How does an MP resign? The Chiltern Hundreds & the Manor of Northstead

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Georgian, History of Parliament Trust, Minority Ethnic History, Scottish History, Slavery, Victorian

‘Philly’ or ‘Filly’ (c.1790-unknown): mother and enslaved domestic worker of Barbados and Guyana

In this extended third article in his series on Peter McLagan, MP for Linlithgowshire 1865-1893, Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of ‘Philly’ or ‘Filly’. Philly was enslaved at the domestic residence of McLagan’s father in Demerara (modern-day Guyana) at the time of McLagan’s birth. This article draws on research in the ‘Slave registers and records of the Slave Compensation Commission, 1812-1851’, held by the … Continue reading ‘Philly’ or ‘Filly’ (c.1790-unknown): mother and enslaved domestic worker of Barbados and Guyana

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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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Victorian Commons, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Georgian, History of Parliament Trust, Scottish History, Slavery, Victorian

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

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19th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, LGBTQ+ History, Victorian, Victorian Commons

Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

Dr Martin Spychal introduces his series of articles on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), who was elected as MP for Sutherland in 1867. This is the first of five articles originally published on the Victorian Commons website between February 2020 and May 2021. Born into ‘the inner circle of English aristocratic life’, Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916) is best known as the likely inspiration for the hedonistic … Continue reading Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, LGBTQ+ History, Victorian

Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the social life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

In the second article in his series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal explores Gower’s London social life during his first year in Parliament, including a brief summer romance with the son of the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. One of the most privileged men in nineteenth-century Britain, Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), was returned to Parliament in May 1867, aged 21, for his … Continue reading Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the social life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

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