Over the past few weeks the eyes of the world have been on Washington. As the United States prepares to swear in its 46th President, Joe Biden, after what has been a tumultuous transition of power, Dr Stephen Roberts examines the threat of violence against the seat of power in 17th century Britain in our latest blog… The great achievement of the English Parliament between … Continue reading Violence at the Door of Parliament, 1640-48
Continuing with our patron saints blog series, Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of our House of Commons 1640-1660 project, explores the loyalty of peers to Charles I during St George’s Day celebrations at York in April 1642… A spring break in the north. Easter solemnities and rejoicing in York Minster. Celebrating the feast day of the nation’s patron saint with the king’s court. Under other … Continue reading St George’s day in York: an invitation from Charles I, 1642
In the fourth in our series on the tumultuous events of the winter of 1648-9, and following on from the trial of Charles I, we turn now to the consequence of a guilty verdict. Dr Patrick Little of the House of Commons 1640-1660 considers the process whereby one MP became a signatory to the death warrant for Charles I, executed at Whitehall on this day … Continue reading Execution of Charles I – ‘King-killer’: the Making of a Regicide
In the midst of extraordinary times at Westminster, Dr Vivienne Larminie of the House of Commons 1640-1660 section looks at the response of a pioneering Speaker to the unprecedented challenges of the mid-seventeenth century… On 4 January 1642, in one of the most dramatic and iconic moments in the history of Parliament, Charles I arrived at Westminster with an armed guard. Having entered the Commons … Continue reading Taking control: Speaker William Lenthall, precedent and the Long Parliament
As twists and turns in the Brexit debates at Westminster continue, in the third in our series on the momentous events of the winter of 1648-1649 Dr Vivienne Larminie of the House of Commons 1640-1660 section looks at the contentious background to the setting up of judicial proceedings against Charles I, including a unilateral assertion of sovereignty by the Commons On 8 January 1649, in … Continue reading Delivering justice: the sovereignty of the people, God’s judgement and the trial of Charles I
As the Royal Academy’s Charles I: King and Collector exhibition comes to a close, Andrew Barclay, Senior Research Fellow with the Commons 1640-1660 Section, considers how a number of the king’s paintings passed into the collections formed by MPs of the period… The Royal Academy’s Charles I exhibition deliberately ignores the fate of the king’s art collection after his execution in 1649. Yet the story … Continue reading MPs as art collectors in the 1650s
The UK is celebrating the centenary of the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which allowed some women to vote for the first time. This has enlivened a debate relating to the posthumous pardon of Suffragettes convicted of offences during the campaign for ‘Votes for Women’. The History of Parliament’s Director and editor of the Commons 1640-1660 section, Dr Stephen Roberts explains … Continue reading The importance of royal pardons in Restoration England.
On Tuesday of this week – 30th January – we observed the anniversary of the regicide, the execution of Charles I. This is not the only reason Charles I has been in the spotlight recently, Dr Vivienne Larminie, Assistant Editor of the Commons 1640-60 Section, discusses the sale of Charles I’s art collection in light of the current exhibition Charles I: King and Collector… To … Continue reading Art, power and money: the sale of Charles I’s art collection
In today’s blogpost, Dr Paul Hunneyball, Senior Research Fellow on the Lords 1603-1660 section, reports back on his recent ‘Parliaments, Politics & People‘ seminar paper, Privilege versus prerogative: tensions between the House of Lords and the Crown, c.1603-30… In the early-seventeenth century, the royal prerogative became an increasingly contested issue. As relations between the first Stuart monarchs and their parliaments deteriorated, both James I and Charles … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics & People Seminar: Paul Hunneyball, ‘Privilege versus prerogative: tensions between the House of Lords and the Crown, c.1603-30’
In the latest in our ongoing series celebrating the anniversaries of Magna Carta and Simon de Montfort’s Parliament, Professor George Garnett discusses the importance of Sir Edward Coke’s 17th century commentary on Magna Carta… Sir Edward Coke’s role in English common law is widely acknowledged to be commensurate with that of his near contemporary William Shakespeare in English literature. But in an important sense his … Continue reading Sir Edward Coke, Magna Carta, and 17th century rebellion
