‘Buff and Blue’: dance and factional politics in London’s West End, 1780-89

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Hillary Burlock of Newcastle University. On 29 November, between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., Hillary will discuss the connections between dance and factional politics in London’s West End, 1780-89. The seminar takes place on 29 November 2022, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. You can attend online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are … Continue reading ‘Buff and Blue’: dance and factional politics in London’s West End, 1780-89

The Madness of the Mohuns

Violence was not uncommon among the early modern aristocracy, but the behaviour of the Mohun (pronounced ‘Moon’) family – Barons Mohun of Okehampton – was shocking even to contemporaries. In the next blog for our Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments series, Dr Patrick Little from our Lords 1640-1660 project explores the family weakness for mindless violence… John Mohun, 1st Baron Mohun, was proud of his ancestry, boasting … Continue reading The Madness of the Mohuns

Claiming the parliamentary tradition? The legacy of the Irish home rule party and Anglo-Irish relations in the 1930s

Our Parliaments, Politics and People seminar is back for the autumn term! At next week’s seminar Dr Martin O’Donoghue of the University of Sheffield, will discuss the legacy of the Irish home rule party and Anglo-Irish relations in the 1930s. The seminar takes place on 1 November 2022, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. You can attend online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available … Continue reading Claiming the parliamentary tradition? The legacy of the Irish home rule party and Anglo-Irish relations in the 1930s

The Presence of Black Voters in the 18th and 19th Centuries

October is Black History Month in the UK, as institutions like the History of Parliament attempt to re-insert and highlight the Black experience into fields of history previously overlooking this. Here, we hear from 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. As Helen explains, despite significant barriers … Continue reading The Presence of Black Voters in the 18th and 19th Centuries

‘All men of Englond ar bounde for hym to pray’: The Funeral of King Edward IV, April 1483

Reports have suggested that as many as 35 million viewers in the UK tuned in to watch the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As much of the nation, and the world, continues to reflect on her passing, here Dr Hannes Kleineke editor of our Commons 1461-1504 project explores the similarities between this funeral in September 2022 and the funeral of King Edward IV … Continue reading ‘All men of Englond ar bounde for hym to pray’: The Funeral of King Edward IV, April 1483

Publication Announcement: ‘Big Ben: An Icon of Democracy and Leadership’

The History of Parliament are excited to announce the upcoming release of our newest publication in collaboration with St James’s House publishing. ‘Big Ben: An Icon of Democracy and Leadership‘ will be published in December. St James’s House has shared the following information about the publication… The History of Parliament Trust and publisher St James’s House are celebrating the long-awaited reopening of Big Ben and … Continue reading Publication Announcement: ‘Big Ben: An Icon of Democracy and Leadership’

Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: ‘That was how politics started for me’: memories on motivations from the History of Parliament Trust’s Sound Archive

Our Parliaments, Politics and People seminar is back for the autumn term! At next week’s seminar our head of Oral History, Dr Emma Peplow, will discuss what drove MPs into politics using materials gathered from our Oral History Project. The seminar takes place on 18 October 2022, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: ‘That was how politics started for me’: memories on motivations from the History of Parliament Trust’s Sound Archive

History of Parliament Annual Reports

The History of Parliament Trust’s Review of the Year 2021-22 is now available here. The review summarises the activities of the Trust over the year from April 2021 to March 2022, including brief sketches of some of the biographies and constituency articles completed during that time and a description of our engagement activities. It also includes for the first time a summary of the academic … Continue reading History of Parliament Annual Reports

“From wickedness or from weakness”: the beginning of the end for Sir Robert Walpole

During July we welcomed year 12 student Thomas O’Donoghue to the History of Parliament office, to carry out a work experience placement with our research and outreach teams. During his time, Thomas worked with Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our Lords 1715-1790 project, to explore an attempt in 1741 to topple Sir Robert Walpole from power. Here Thomas writes about the impact of two key … Continue reading “From wickedness or from weakness”: the beginning of the end for Sir Robert Walpole

Thomas Burdet of Arrow, MP for Warwickshire in 1455, and the execution of George, duke of Clarence        

The execution of Thomas Burdet has long been linked to that of George, duke of Clarence a few months later. But is it possible that their downfalls were not connected at all? Dr Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project evaluates the evidence… The execution for treason of Thomas Burdet, head of one of the principal gentry families of Warwickshire, on 19 May 1477 has … Continue reading Thomas Burdet of Arrow, MP for Warwickshire in 1455, and the execution of George, duke of Clarence