Category: Elections

19th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Constituencies, Elections, Victorian

Parliamentary politics in the London boroughs, 1832-68

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 19 May, Dr Jeremy Crump of the Institute of Historical Research, will be discussing parliamentary politics in the London boroughs between 1832 and 1868. The seminar takes place on 19 May 2026, 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 Parliamentary politics in the London boroughs, 1832-68

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Constituencies, Elections, Factions, George I, George II, Georgian, Local History, Parties, Robert Walpole

One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

The elections of May 2026 in England, Scotland and Wales provide another opportunity to consider some of the features of parliamentary elections in the unreformed 18th century. Here Dr Charles Littleton looks at one of the period’s more notable constituencies and one particularly turbulent contest there. Between 1715 and 1832 there were 22 general elections. Attention to these is usually most focussed on some of … Continue reading One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

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Conferences, Seminars and Events, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Elections, Georgian, History of Parliament Trust, Medieval, Modern, Victorian

Re-membering the medieval parliament, 1769-1886

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 March, Dr Sarah Wride of the University of York and the Institute of Historical Research, will be discussing the political memory of medieval parliaments in debates about parliamentary reform between 1769 and 1886. The seminar takes place on 17 March 2026, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can … Continue reading Re-membering the medieval parliament, 1769-1886

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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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Contemporary History, 20th century history, Constituencies, Elections, John Major, Local History, Modern, Oral history, Parties

Christchurch 1993: By-election Campaigning in the Glare of the Media

On Thursday the voters of Gorton and Denton will elect their new MP after weeks of media speculation. This by-election had huge attention before it was even called, and in Westminster eyes are fixed on Manchester. In this article, Dr Emma Peplow uses our oral history archive interviews to look back at a very different by-election, but one that also took place under full media spotlight: … Continue reading Christchurch 1993: By-election Campaigning in the Glare of the Media

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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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20th century history, Constituencies, Contemporary History, Elections, Factions, John Major, Margaret Thatcher, Modern, Oral history, Parliamentary Life, Parties, Scottish History

Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

Following some recent, high-profile, political defections, Alfie Steer and Dr Emma Peplow have delved into the History of Parliament’s Oral History archive to explore historical cases of MPs changing their party affiliations: their causes, motivations and wider significance. Political defections, commonly known in Westminster parlance as ‘Crossing the Floor’, have been a phenomenon in Parliament since at least the 17th century. This has either happened … Continue reading Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project

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History of Parliament Trust, 18th Century history, Constituencies, Elections, George II, George III, Georgian, Georgian Elections Project, Georgian Lords, Local History, Queen Anne

Steps towards identifying new Black voters in 18th-century Westminster and Hertfordshire

A few months ago, the History welcomed a guest post by Dr Gillian Williamson with her groundbreaking research into John London, to date the earliest known Black voter in Britain, who lodged his vote in the 1749 by-election for Westminster. In this latest post, Dr Robin Eagles explains the potential discovery of further Black voters taking part in the same contest and subsequent polls in … Continue reading Steps towards identifying new Black voters in 18th-century Westminster and Hertfordshire

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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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Georgian Lords, 14th Century history, 15th Century History, 16th Century history, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Constituencies, Edward VI, Elections, Elizabeth I, George I, George III, Georgian, Henry VII, History of Parliament Trust, James II, John Stuart, 3rd earl of Bute, Local History, Medieval, Oliver Cromwell, Religious history, Stuart, Tudor

Descended from a giant: the Worsleys of Hovingham

The recent death of HRH the Duchess of Kent, who was married to the late queen’s cousin at York Minister in 1961, reminds us of her family’s long association with Yorkshire. This has included two brothers who served as archbishop of York and several members of her family who were elected to Parliament. Dr Robin Eagles considers the Worsley family’s connection with the north of … Continue reading Descended from a giant: the Worsleys of Hovingham

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