Category: Victorian Commons

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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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Parliamentary Life, Religious history

Quakers in the Commons: Joseph Pease and the right to affirm

Taking their seat in the Commons can be a nervous moment for new MPs, but for the Quaker Joseph Pease in 1833, tensions were heightened because he feared that his refusal to take oaths would prevent him from sitting at Westminster. This article from Dr Kathryn Rix, assistant editor of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project, explains how this difficulty was overcome, enabling Pease to … Continue reading Quakers in the Commons: Joseph Pease and the right to affirm

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Alec Douglas-Home, Andrew Bonar Law, Archibald Primrose, 5th earl of Rosebery, Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, Benjamin Disraeli, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, George Canning, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th earl of Aberdeen, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, Modern, Parliamentary Life, Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd earl of Liverpool, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd marquess of Salisbury, Robert Walpole, Victorian, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd duke of Portland, William Ewart Gladstone, Winston Churchill

Prime Ministers in the House of Lords

The retirement of Lord Salisbury in 1902 marked the end of the last premiership undertaken from the House of Lords, but in the nineteenth century, more prime ministers led governments from the Lords than the Commons. In this article, Dr Kathryn Rix, of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project, explores the history and significance of prime ministers in the Lords. When Anthony Trollope wrote his … Continue reading Prime Ministers in the House of Lords

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, George IV, History of Parliament Trust, Local History, Victorian, Women and Parliament

The ‘Bifrons Purse’: Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham and aristocratic women’s participation in nineteenth-century elections

Drawing on her research into Canterbury for the House of Commons, 1832-1868 project, our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones explores the political life of Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham (1769-1861). Best known as George IV’s final mistress, Conyngham‘s electioneering activity in Canterbury offers an important example of the behind-the-scenes roles wealthy women could play in politics during the nineteenth century. Famous as ‘the regnante’ and ‘vice queen’, … Continue reading The ‘Bifrons Purse’: Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham and aristocratic women’s participation in nineteenth-century elections

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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, 19th Century history, Parliamentary Life, Victorian

Reporting debates in the Victorian Commons

Today we take it for granted that parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. During the Victorian era, however, there was no ‘official’ record. Dr Philip Salmon shows how, before the advent of modern democracy, public interest in Parliament was sufficient for reports of debates to be produced and sold commercially. As democracy advanced, however, the public’s appetite began to change … During the early 19th … Continue reading Reporting debates in the Victorian Commons

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19th Century history, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, Speakers of the House, Victorian, Victorian Commons

Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons for 2026!

Here’s wishing all our readers a very enjoyable New Year! 2025 was a particularly memorable year for our 1832-68 House of Commons project and the History of Parliament. After 20 years based at Bloomsbury Square in the so-called ‘knowledge quarter’ around the British Museum, we sorted and packed decades of research materials and relocated to a new open-plan office at 14-18 Old Street in Islington. The volume … Continue reading Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons for 2026!

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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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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Parliamentary Life, Victorian

Cricket in the Commons: a Victorian First Eleven

With the 2025 Ashes between England and Australia getting underway this week, we have a cricketing themed post from our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project. Historically, cricketing terminology, with its allusions to ‘fair play’ and playing with a ‘straight bat’, has been a mainstay of British political discourse. This was certainly the case in the Victorian era. For example, in 1864, when the Conservative opposition … Continue reading Cricket in the Commons: a Victorian First Eleven

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Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Victorian, Women and Parliament

The ladies’ gallery in the temporary House of Commons

This article from Dr Kathryn Rix, Assistant Editor of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 section, looks at the provision made for women to witness debates in the temporary chamber used by the Commons between 1835 and 1852. In the chamber used by the House of Commons before the catastrophic fire of October 1834, women – officially barred from the chamber itself since February 1778 – had … Continue reading The ladies’ gallery in the temporary House of Commons

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