Category: Charles I

Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I, James I, Parliamentary Life, Religious history, Stuart

‘The strangest bill that ever I heard…’: Bishop Joseph Hall, the Church of England and the Long Parliament, 1640-1642

Dr Vivienne Larminie explores the political career of one of the most influential mid-seventeenth century bishops As the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act of April 2026 reminds us, the composition of the Upper House has long been the subject of debate. One element of this has concerned the presence of faith leaders in general and of Church of England bishops in particular. This may … Continue reading ‘The strangest bill that ever I heard…’: Bishop Joseph Hall, the Church of England and the Long Parliament, 1640-1642

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I, Factions, Health and Medicine, Military history, Parliamentary Life, Stuart

The Politics of Illness, Part 1: Francis Russell, 4th earl of Bedford, 1640-1

In the first of a short series, Dr Patrick Little of the 1640-60 Lords section,  discusses how illness undermined a compromise between Charles I and his opponents in Parliament in the early months of the Long Parliament. Francis Russell, 4th earl of Bedford, is well-known as the originator of the so-called ‘bridge appointments’ scheme, a compromise agreement in the winter of 1640-1 which would have seen Charles … Continue reading The Politics of Illness, Part 1: Francis Russell, 4th earl of Bedford, 1640-1

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I, Legislative History, Oliver Cromwell, Stuart

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

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Charles I, History of Parliament Trust, Stuart

John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes of Truro (later earl of Radnor): reading in the revolution

In this guest article, Dr Sophie Aldred, lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Oxford, explores the library of Lord Robartes and what it tells us of his political position during the revolutionary years of the 1640s. Variously described as of an ‘unsociable nature and impetuous disposition’, ‘sour’, ‘surly’, and a ‘destroyer of every body’s business’, John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes of Truro … Continue reading John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes of Truro (later earl of Radnor): reading in the revolution

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History of Parliament Trust, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, Charles I, George I, George II, Georgian, Georgian Lords, Parliamentary Life, Queen Anne, Religious history, Robert Walpole, Stuart

John Potter, an unusual Archbishop of Canterbury

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles examines the career of one of the lesser known Archbishops of Canterbury, who was able to make use of his August 1715 sermon celebrating the accession of George I to press forward his career in the Church. Every 30 January, the rhythm of the parliamentary session in the 17th and 18th centuries was adjusted … Continue reading John Potter, an unusual Archbishop of Canterbury

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I, Corruption, Economic history, James I, Local History, Military history, Stuart

‘Good for nothing and lived like a hog’: the destructive obsession of Francis, Lord Deincourt

Dr Patrick Little of the 1640-60 Lords section, explores the strange life of a peer who valued money above everything. It had started so well. Francis Leak, the son of Sir Francis Leak, a prosperous landowner in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, was the first of his family to try to establish himself on the national stage. He had already taken the important first step of marrying … Continue reading ‘Good for nothing and lived like a hog’: the destructive obsession of Francis, Lord Deincourt

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Conferences, Seminars and Events, 17th Century history, Charles I, Commons in the Civil Wars, Stuart

Approaching the ‘great Court of Justice now sitting’: petitioning and parliamentary memory in the Long Parliament (1640-1642)

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Ellen Paterson, Keble College, University of Oxford. On 11 March Ellen will discuss petitioning and parliamentary memory in the Long Parliament (1640-1642). The seminar takes place on 11 March 2025, 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 Approaching the ‘great Court of Justice now sitting’: petitioning and parliamentary memory in the Long Parliament (1640-1642)

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I

‘History from above’ and ‘history from below’: the example of Philip Herbert, 4th earl of Pembroke, May to July 1641

Guest blogger Dr Fraser Dickinson uses the events surrounding Philip Herbert, 4th earl of Pembroke, between May and July 1641, to illustrate the interaction between the paradigms of ‘history from above’ and ‘history from below.’ The past is often viewed as being either ‘history from above’ (the ‘great man theory’ of history), or ‘history from below’ (the Marxist emphasis on economic and social forces). Of … Continue reading ‘History from above’ and ‘history from below’: the example of Philip Herbert, 4th earl of Pembroke, May to July 1641

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Stuart, 17th Century history, Charles I, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Irish History

‘There is not a Minister on this Side, that knows any Thing I either write or intend, excepting the Master of the Rolls and Sir George Radcliffe’: Sir Thomas Wentworth’s reliance on his cabal in the Irish Parliaments of Charles I’s reign

Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Charlotte Brownhill of the Open University. On 14 November Charlotte will discuss the management of Irish parliaments in the 1630s and 1640s. The seminar takes place between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. You can attend online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here. Sir Thomas Wentworth (later earl … Continue reading ‘There is not a Minister on this Side, that knows any Thing I either write or intend, excepting the Master of the Rolls and Sir George Radcliffe’: Sir Thomas Wentworth’s reliance on his cabal in the Irish Parliaments of Charles I’s reign

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Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Charles I, Stuart, Women and Parliament

The Caroline court and the political breakdown of 1641-42

In the latest Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments blog, guest blogger Dr Fraser Dickinson considers the changes in the fortunes of the circles at the Caroline court as one of the reasons for the problems that Charles I faced during the crisis of 1641 and 1642. In the second half of the 1630s, England presented the appearance of stability. One cause of this state of affairs was that … Continue reading The Caroline court and the political breakdown of 1641-42

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