Tag: House of Lords reform

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!

Philip SalmonLeave a comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Electoral Reform, Legislative History, Queen Victoria, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd marquess of Salisbury, Victorian

House of Lords reform: a Victorian perspective

Unlike the House of Commons, which underwent major ‘democratic’ reform in the 19th century, the Lords remained virtually unchanged during the entire Victorian period. With a new hereditary peers bill now entering its final stages, Dr Philip Salmon explores how and why the House of Lords was able to survive the ‘age of reform’, highlighting constitutional difficulties that still have relevance today. The 19th century … Continue reading House of Lords reform: a Victorian perspective

Philip SalmonLeave a comment
Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Victorian, Women and Parliament

‘She, yes, she was the only member of parliament’: Harriet Grote, radical parliamentary tactics and House of Lords reform, 1835-6

In the fifth of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal explores Harriet’s relationship with the veteran radical Francis Place (1771-1854), her views on radical tactics and her increasingly resourceful strategies for influencing Parliament during the 1835 and 1836 parliamentary sessions. In September 1836 the veteran radical, Francis Place (1771-1854), shared his thoughts on one of his closest Westminster allies, Harriet Grote (1792-1878). … Continue reading ‘She, yes, she was the only member of parliament’: Harriet Grote, radical parliamentary tactics and House of Lords reform, 1835-6

Martin SpychalLeave a comment
Revolutionary Stuart Parliaments, 17th Century history, Electoral Reform, Interregnum, Oliver Cromwell, Parliamentary Life, Religious history, Social history

Oliver Cromwell’s ‘Other House’ and the perils of Lords ‘reform’

In this guest post, Dr Jonathan Fitzgibbons of Lincoln University, looks at a constitutional issue from the 1650s with obvious contemporary relevance: the place of the House of Lords. As politicians continue to debate the House of Lords’ future, including legislation to eliminate its remaining hereditary peers, they might draw lessons from its past. Particularly instructive are the events of the English Revolution, which saw … Continue reading Oliver Cromwell’s ‘Other House’ and the perils of Lords ‘reform’

History of ParliamentLeave a comment