Author Archives: salmonphilip

‘Damn the secret ballot’: the UK’s public voting system before 1872

Posted on July 14, 2022 by salmonphilip

This online event was recorded and can be viewed here. As we approach next week’s online event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the act which introduced the secret ballot for municipal and parliamentary elections, it’s perhaps worth looking again at … Continue reading →

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190th Anniversary of the 1832 Reform Act

Posted on June 7, 2022 by salmonphilip

This month marks the 190th anniversary of the passing of the 1832 Reform Act, one of the iconic milestones in modern British political history. ‘Was the 1832 Reform Act “Great”?’ may not be the standard exam question it once was, … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Elections | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Standing between two extremes’: James Wentworth Buller MP and the politics of moderation

Posted on March 3, 2022 by salmonphilip

The development of a more rigid party system has been a recurrent theme in many of our blogs about Victorian politics, including this one about ‘Defying the Whip‘. Few MPs, however, had their political careers destroyed and then resurrected quite … Continue reading →

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Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons!

Posted on January 1, 2022 by salmonphilip

This new year (2022) marks our tenth anniversary of blogging about Victorian politics and society. Almost 300 blogs have now appeared on these pages, mainly written by researchers (past and present) working on the 1832-68 House of Commons project at … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Harriet Grote, Ireland, Monarchs, Parliamentary buildings, Parliamentary life, religion, Resources, Uncategorized, women | 1 Comment

From colonial council to Parliament: the career of John Dunn MP

Posted on November 19, 2021 by salmonphilip

How Victorian Britain exported a Westminster system of politics to its colonies, both in terms of parliamentary structures and personnel, has been a recurrent theme of much recent historical work. Our own project has also helped shed new light on … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Colloquium on ‘The British Aristocracy and the Modern World’

Posted on November 8, 2021 by salmonphilip

Readers of the Victorian Commons may be interested in an online colloquium on 19 November entitled ‘The British Aristocracy and the Modern World’, marking the 30th anniversary of David Cannadine’s The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy. Organised by … Continue reading →

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The politics of a coronation: reaction and reform in 1821

Posted on July 5, 2021 by salmonphilip

This month the UK Parliament will be hosting an online presentation marking the coronation of George IV 200 years ago. To sign up for this free event please click here. In this blog Dr Philip Salmon explores some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences and seminars, Forthcoming events, Monarchs | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pubs and drink in Victorian elections

Posted on April 23, 2021 by salmonphilip

Most of us probably think of pubs as informal spaces for leisure and socialising. In the period we research for the House of Commons 1832-1868 project, however, things were rather different. Public houses played a central role in many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Vaccination and the Vote: a Victorian dilemma

Posted on March 22, 2021 by salmonphilip

With mass vaccinations underway across the nation, spare a thought for the Victorian pioneers of the UK’s first major vaccination programme, against smallpox. As well as battling against all sorts of safety fears and logistical problems, they unwittingly found themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Local government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Professor Angus Hawkins (1953-2020)

Posted on January 6, 2021 by salmonphilip

We were deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Professor Angus Hawkins shortly before Christmas. His publications will be familiar to anyone working on 19th century politics, an area of study that he helped to refine and reshape … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Elected without his consent: William Wilshere (1804-67) and the venal electors of Great Yarmouth

Posted on December 16, 2020 by salmonphilip

The huge financial cost of Victorian elections, especially in venal constituencies, has been a recurrent theme in some of our more recent blogs. It’s tempting to think of the MPs associated with bribery, treating and other forms of electoral corruption … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, Images of MPs, MP of the Month | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

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

MP of the Month: Thomas Barrett Lennard (1788-1856)

Posted on August 25, 2020 by salmonphilip

Thomas Barrett Lennard‘s career neatly captures some of the oddities and contradictions of early Victorian politics, especially the survival of older attitudes and beliefs alongside the emergence of more ‘modern’ progressive ideas. Lennard’s campaign to abolish the death penalty for … Continue reading →

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Floods, Plagues and the Second Coming: Charles Augustus Tulk MP

Posted on March 23, 2020 by salmonphilip

Apocalyptic end days, doomsday scenarios and final judgements were prominent features of many people’s religious beliefs in the 19th century, but a few went further, maintaining that the Second Coming had already taken place. Among them was our MP of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, MP of the Month, religion | 2 Comments

Sir Robert Peel and the modern Conservative party

Posted on February 5, 2020 by salmonphilip

Today (5 Feb) marks the birthday of Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), the 19th century prime minister traditionally credited with founding the modern Conservative party. Peel is also subject of a new BBC ‘Prime Properties’ episode – click here to view … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Prime Ministers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons!

Posted on January 2, 2020 by salmonphilip

For eight years now we have been marking the new year with some highlights from the previous 12 months. The events of 2019 certainly focused attention on parliamentary history and the UK’s constitutional practices as never before. Taking our cue … Continue reading →

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MP of the Month: Thomas Neville Abdy (1810-1877) and electoral misconduct

Posted on November 25, 2019 by salmonphilip

Thomas Abdy’s political career provides a useful reminder of the chicanery, lies and corruption sometimes associated with 19th century English electioneering – venal traditions that became increasingly unacceptable during the Victorian era. Born into a naval family – his father … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

MP of the Month: Sidney Herbert – still dancing to Nightingale’s tune

Posted on September 16, 2019 by salmonphilip

September’s MP of the Month is Sidney Herbert, who was born on this day (16 September) in 1810 and widely expected to become a Victorian prime minister. Fate, however, cruelly intervened, as Dr Ruscombe Foster, the author of an important … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Guest blog, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Political Prorogations: a view from the Victorian Commons

Posted on September 4, 2019 by salmonphilip

It’s been a long time since the business of suspending Parliament and starting a new session has generated so much political controversy. Throughout most of the 20th century prorogations invariably tallied with the expectations of most parliamentarians, neatly book-ending a … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliamentary life, Prime Ministers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Thomas Jones Phillips (1790-1843): pioneering Tory election agent

Posted on August 6, 2019 by salmonphilip

If you think some of the recent electioneering tactics that have hit the headlines seem extraordinary, spare a thought for the voters of Monmouth in the 1830s. As a new episode of the BBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections, Wales | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Political protest in the age of Peterloo

Posted on July 9, 2019 by salmonphilip

Originally posted on The History of Parliament:
Today’s blog from the editor of our House of Commons 1832-68 section, Dr Philip Salmon, is the first of many pieces in which we will discuss the Peterloo Massacre that took place in…

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Conscience versus constituency: the dilemma facing Henry Sturt MP

Posted on March 29, 2019 by salmonphilip

The Victorian Commons, as some of our recent blogs have shown, was an important testing ground for many of the practices and parliamentary procedures that remain in place today. It also provides early examples of MPs having to grapple with … Continue reading →

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

Electoral malpractice and uncivil political speech: the case of Alfred Seymour MP

Posted on January 28, 2019 by salmonphilip

Our ‘MP of the Month’ blog highlights some themes still fresh in our minds after attending a conference on corruption at Oxford Brookes University. Alfred Seymour (1824-1888) was the younger brother of the better known archaeologist and explorer Henry Danby … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Conferences and seminars, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Lord Derby, ‘centre’ parties and minority government

Posted on December 7, 2018 by salmonphilip

150 years ago the Conservative prime minister Lord Derby retired from office, having managed to pass one of the most significant constitutional reform packages of the 19th century – despite leading a minority government. This post examines the career of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Forthcoming events, Prime Ministers | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The role and power of the House of Lords

Posted on November 13, 2018 by salmonphilip

To mark Parliament Week 2018, our editor Dr Philip Salmon looks at a key element of Parliament which we don’t usually have much opportunity to reflect on in our work on Victorian MPs and constituencies: the House of Lords. Yet, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legislation, Parliamentary life, Prime Ministers | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP of the Month: Henry Fawcett (1833-84)

Posted on July 19, 2018 by salmonphilip

Continuing our recent focus on the personalities and campaigns associated with ‘votes for women’, our MP of the Month highlights the remarkable career of Henry Fawcett, husband of the leading suffragist Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929), whose statue was unveiled in Parliament … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, MP of the Month, women | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Upcoming event: Victorian Elections & Political Culture Workshop

Posted on April 17, 2018 by salmonphilip

On Friday 20 April 2018 the Research Centre in Victorian Political Culture, led by Professor Angus Hawkins, will be hosting a workshop on Victorian politics aimed at graduate students in the Jean Robinson Room, Keble College, Oxford OX1 3PG. The seminars … Continue reading →

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MP of the Month: John Barton Willis Fleming (1781-1844)

Posted on March 28, 2018 by salmonphilip

With modern electioneering tactics currently attracting so much scrutiny at home and abroad, our Victorian MP of the Month focuses on a notorious election fixer or ‘boroughmonger’, whose activities increasingly pushed the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. His refusal to answer … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Parliaments and Popular Sovereignty Conference

Posted on February 20, 2018 by salmonphilip

On 22 March 2018 the History of Parliament will be hosting an event at Westminster featuring 19th century highlights from the recent conference: ‘Parliaments and Popular Sovereignty: Political Representation in the British world, 1640-1886’. This conference was held at the … Continue reading →

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MP of the Month: Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (1825-1899)

Posted on November 30, 2017 by salmonphilip

Continuing our celebration of the 150th anniversary of the 1867 Reform Act, November’s MP of the Month focuses on one of the most enigmatic figures in the reform crisis of 1866-67, the property-owning magnate and multi-millionaire Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, later … Continue reading →

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Reporting Parliament: a view from the Victorian Commons

Posted on November 17, 2017 by salmonphilip

Today we take it for granted that parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. In the Victorian era, however, there was no ‘official’ record. In this blog to end Parliament Week, Dr Philip Salmon shows how, before the advent of modern … Continue reading →

Posted in Parliamentary life, Publications | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Parliaments and Popular Sovereignty Conference: Manchester

Posted on November 10, 2017 by salmonphilip

Last week two members of the Victorian Commons project gave papers in Manchester, at a conference held at the People’s History Museum, home to what must surely be one of the UK’s finest collections of political memorabilia associated with mass … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences and seminars, Corruption, Elections | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP of the Month: Sir Philip de Malpas Grey-Egerton (1806-81)

Posted on July 31, 2017 by salmonphilip

Many of our recent ‘MP of the Month’ posts have focused on self-made men from non-élite backgrounds. Their numbers on the back benches and contribution to the practical business of Parliament (especially in committee) grew dramatically during the Victorian era. … Continue reading →

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Minority governments and major change: a Victorian view

Posted on June 12, 2017 by salmonphilip

For most modern commentators the prospects for minority governments, based on the experience of the last half century or so, don’t look particularly good. Nearly all the recent examples currently being revisited by analysts, such as those of the 1970s, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Parliamentary life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Local polls and general elections: a Victorian perspective

Posted on May 4, 2017 by salmonphilip

As barometers of political opinion, local elections have long had a special place in British politics, offering useful (though not necessarily accurate) guides to national trends. The link between local and national polls, however, has always been complicated. As the … Continue reading →

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

Call for Papers: conference on ‘Parliaments and Popular Sovereignty’, 3-4 Nov. 2017

Posted on April 6, 2017 by salmonphilip

Durham University and the History of Parliament are hosting a conference with the People’s History Museum in Manchester, 3-4 Nov. 2017, with support from the Royal Historical Society and Durham University’s Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies. For further details see below … Continue reading →

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Defying the Whip: ‘rebel’ MP of the month, Swynfen Jervis (1797-1867)

Posted on March 13, 2017 by salmonphilip

One of the themes being explored by the Victorian Commons project is the decline of ‘independence’ in the 19th-century Commons and the rise of party-based voting by MPs – a development neatly captured in Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous lampoon of … Continue reading →

Posted in MP of the Month | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

MP of the month: James Barlow Hoy (1794-1843)

Posted on September 28, 2016 by salmonphilip

As biographies of long-forgotten politicians go, this month’s MP ticks all the boxes, offering an extraordinary rags-to-riches tale, the beginnings of a brilliant political career accompanied by fraud and bankruptcy, and even an allegation of murder. Hoy, or Barlow as … Continue reading →

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Petitioning Parliament: two PhD studentships

Posted on August 3, 2016 by salmonphilip

One of our former colleagues, Dr Henry Miller, has recently secured a major grant to further his work on petitioning, as part of an important new project with Dr Richard Huzzey at the University of Durham. Petitioning has long been … Continue reading →

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An ‘upstart from the ranks’: MP of the Month, John Thomas Norris (1808-70)

Posted on May 24, 2016 by salmonphilip

Norris’s political career illustrates a number of the striking developments being explored in our work on the Victorian Commons, including the ever-expanding number of ‘non-elite’ MPs; the role of town council elections as a stepping stone to Parliament; and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Local government, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP of the month: Rowland Alston (1782-1865)

Posted on January 25, 2016 by salmonphilip

Rowland Alston’s career provides a useful illustration of just how diverse (and to a modern eye incongruous) the political outlook of MPs in the same party could be before the development of more formal modern political allegiances. It also serves … Continue reading →

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MP of the month: William Pinney and another kind of ‘slavery election’

Posted on November 29, 2015 by salmonphilip

William Pinney’s career as an MP serves as an important reminder of the legacy of slave ownership in British public life and the very different attitudes to electoral corruption that existed in the nineteenth century, even among radically-inclined Liberals. In Pinney’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

180th Anniversary of Town Council Elections

Posted on October 16, 2015 by salmonphilip

This month marks the anniversary of a completely new system of local elections being implemented throughout England and Wales. One hundred and eighty years ago, almost 180 boroughs in England and Wales began to publish the lists of all those … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Local government | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Goodbye and Good Luck to Dr James Owen!

Posted on June 1, 2015 by salmonphilip

This month we bid farewell to Dr James Owen, who is leaving the 1832-68 project for a teaching post in the USA. Since joining us in 2009 James has completed over 200 MP biographies and almost 30 full-length constituency articles … Continue reading →

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Victorian Political Memorabilia

Posted on January 14, 2015 by salmonphilip

One of the many eye-openers of this project has been the sheer amount of political memorabilia produced by the Victorians. British politics has of course always been associated with satirical prints and various forms of commemorative art. However, the volume … Continue reading →

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MP of the month: Sir Harry Neale and ‘outside interests’

Posted on December 16, 2014 by salmonphilip

The issue of MPs having ‘outside interests’ is not one traditionally associated with the Victorian period, when all MPs were unpaid and had to fund their own election campaigns, often at vast expense. Victorian MPs, almost ipso facto, had to … Continue reading →

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Catholics in the Commons: part 1

Posted on November 5, 2014 by salmonphilip

As we celebrate Bonfire Night, it is worth reflecting on the anti-Catholicism still faced by Catholic MPs in the Victorian Commons, over two centuries years after Guy Fawkes’s failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. It may seem surprising … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

MP of the month: Wyndham Lewis

Posted on July 28, 2014 by salmonphilip

Wyndham Lewis (1780-1838) is probably best remembered today for bankrolling the future prime minister Benjamin Disraeli’s election to Parliament. Lewis’s wife Mary, an aspiring society hostess with an eye for younger men, had taken a shine to Disraeli and adopted … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MP of the month: Lord Elcho

Posted on June 30, 2014 by salmonphilip

In the third of our guest blogs, Stephen Lees, one of our leading external contributors and co-editor of the well-known ‘Who’s Who of British Members of Parliament’ volumes, celebrates the career of Lord Elcho, who died one hundred years ago … Continue reading →

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The mathematics of Victorian representation: part 2

Posted on May 8, 2014 by salmonphilip

In an earlier blog on Victorian double-member elections, we looked at the differences between the total vote received by candidates and the levels of support for each party. Put simply, owing to splitting (cross-party voting) and other ‘non-party’ forms of … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments