Category: 18th Century history

Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Factions, Georgian, Legal history, Military history, Parties, Slavery, Social history

The earl of Abingdon and the treatment of American prisoners of war

In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles highlights the career of one of the House’s more eccentric orators: Willoughby Bertie, 4th earl of Abingdon: musician, breeder of champion race-horses and radical politician concerned about corruption at the top and the treatment of prisoners. The 4th earl of Abingdon, is probably best known as one of the 18th century’s more talented amateur … Continue reading The earl of Abingdon and the treatment of American prisoners of war

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Elections, Factions, Georgian

‘True Blue’: the choice of political colours in the 18th century

In British politics, we are now used to the idea of certain parties (or causes) being associated with particular colours. The Conservative party is blue; Labour red; the Greens are green. In the 18th century such notions were by no means fixed and on occasion groups made a point of appropriating their opponents’ colours as Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our Lords 1715-1790 project, explains. There are … Continue reading ‘True Blue’: the choice of political colours in the 18th century

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Women and Parliament, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Georgian, Social history, Victorian

Women in charge? Parliament’s female Housekeepers and Necessary Women, c. 1690-1877

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Mari Takayanagi, senior archivist in the UK Parliamentary Archives, and Elizabeth Hallam Smith, historical research consultant at the Houses of Parliament. On 28 November they will discuss the women who once operated behind the scenes at the House of Lords… The seminar takes place on 28 November 2023, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. … Continue reading Women in charge? Parliament’s female Housekeepers and Necessary Women, c. 1690-1877

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Victorian Commons, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Victorian

Organise! Organise! Organise! Conference Reflections

Continuing our series reflecting on the Organise! Organise! Organise! conference hosted by Durham University and supported by the History of Parliament, guest blogger, Patrick Duffy, PhD candidate at Trinity College, Dublin, discusses the new interdisciplinary approaches presented at this conference. The Organise! Organise! Organise! Conference in Durham last July was a hugely enjoyable, beneficial and thought-provoking experience. As a historian interested in issues such as identity and … Continue reading Organise! Organise! Organise! Conference Reflections

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Factions, Georgian, Local History, Military history, Social history

Loud enough to wake the dead? Fireworks and celebration in the mid-18th century

With Guy Fawkes night almost upon us, we can expect to see and hear fireworks going off all across the country. A previous blog showed how throughout the late 17th century, fireworks and bonfires were used to mark the momentous events of the Glorious Revolution and William III’s wars with France. [Making ‘night like day’] As Dr Charles Littleton shows, that tradition continued into the … Continue reading Loud enough to wake the dead? Fireworks and celebration in the mid-18th century

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Georgian, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Minority Ethnic History, Slavery, Social history, Victorian, Women and Parliament

Catherine Despard (c.1755-1815): Wife, Mother, Radical advocate 

You may have heard of Catherine Despard from the television series Poldark. In this blog Helen Wilson, PhD candidate with the History of Parliament and Open University, who is researching the Black and Mixed Ethnicity Presence in British Politics, 1750-1850, discusses Catherine’s marriage to Edward Despard and their status as an interracial couple involved in radical campaigns. The Despard conspiracy occurred in early 1802 and … Continue reading Catherine Despard (c.1755-1815): Wife, Mother, Radical advocate 

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Georgian, Irish History, Religious history

The Early Career of Hugh Boulter, Archbishop of Armagh

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley re-examines the early career of Hugh Boulter, briefly bishop of Bristol before being posted to Ireland, offering some corrections to his life story. Thomas Lindsay, archbishop of Armagh, died in the summer of 1724, after a long illness. Although William King, archbishop of Dublin, was widely expected to succeed to the Primacy, he was … Continue reading The Early Career of Hugh Boulter, Archbishop of Armagh

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Victorian Commons, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events

Reflections on the Organise! Organise! Organise! Conference

Continuing our series reflecting on the Organise! Organise! Organise! conference hosted by Durham University and supported by the History of Parliament, guest blogger Erin Geraghty, Teaching Associate at the University of Nottingham, shares her thoughts on the fresh perspectives offered on British and Irish political history. In July, Durham University hosted ‘Organise! Organise! Organise! Collective Action, Associational Culture and the Politics of Organisation in Britain … Continue reading Reflections on the Organise! Organise! Organise! Conference

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Georgian, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Electoral Reform, Social history

Everyday Experiences of Politics: Material Culture in the Age of Reform, 1780-1832

Our Parliaments, Politics and People seminar is back for the autumn term! At next week’s seminar Kerry Love of the University of Northampton will discuss material culture and the everyday experience of politics between 1780 and 1832. The seminar takes place on 3 October 2023, between 17:30 and 19:00. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or … Continue reading Everyday Experiences of Politics: Material Culture in the Age of Reform, 1780-1832

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Georgian, Local History, Social history

Tackling congestion in 18th-century London

In the course of the 18th century, Britain’s towns became increasingly congested with private carriages as well as a variety of carts, drays and hackney coaches going about their business. For pedestrians it could make negotiating the streets a nightmare. For members of Parliament, keeping the ways around Westminster unclogged proved an uphill battle. In this latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles … Continue reading Tackling congestion in 18th-century London

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