Monthly Archives: November 2020

MP of the Month: Alfred Rhodes Bristow (1818-1875)

Posted on November 25, 2020 by sball1832

By the 1850s a seat in Parliament was proving a useful career path for men of relatively humble means to achieve substantial professional advancement. A prime example was our MP of Month, Alfred Rhodes Bristow. The son of a Greenwich … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, MP of the Month | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The ‘beautiful boy’ of the Commons: Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916) and sexual identity in Parliament at the time of the Second Reform Act

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Martin Spychal

In the third of his blog series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal explores Gower’s parliamentary reputation as the ‘beautiful boy’ of the Commons, and his increasing disaffection with conventional aristocratic society during the 1868 parliamentary session. In … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBT+ History Month, Parliamentary life, Queer Parliamentary Life, Ronald Gower Series | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

A ‘pocket’ borough or a borough needing deep pockets? Abingdon’s elections in the nineteenth century

Posted on November 6, 2020 by salmonphilip

In this blog, originally posted on the main History of Parliament site, Dr Philip Salmon examines the parliamentary representation of Abingdon in the 19th century. Abingdon was widely regarded as an easily managed ‘pocket’ or ‘nomination’ borough during the 19th … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , | 2 Comments