Category Archives: Guest blog

“An upholder of the old liberal opinions”: the political career of Charles Owen O’Conor, the O’Conor Don (1838-1906)

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Kathryn Rix

This guest blog comes from Dr. Aidan Enright, of Leeds Beckett University, who has recently published a book on the O’Conor Don’s political career, and who has also written the biographical article on the O’Conor Don for our 1832-68 House … Continue reading →

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‘Unpopular only with people who made no allowance for eccentricity’: Henry Bulwer (1801-72), the diplomat MP

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Kathryn Rix

Our MP of the Month is Sir Henry Bulwer, best known as a controversial and colourful career diplomat. In this guest post, Dr Laurence Guymer, who has published extensively on Bulwer’s diplomatic career, explores how this intersected with his time … Continue reading →

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A female politician? Lady Derby and mid-Victorian political life

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Kathryn Rix

Originally posted on The History of Parliament:
Continuing our series on Women and Parliament, Dr. Jennifer Davey of the University of East Anglia looks at the influence of Mary, Countess of Derby (1824-1900) within the worlds of high politics and…

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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 →

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Ethnic minorities in Parliament: a new addition to the Victorian Commons

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Kathryn Rix

In our research on the membership of the House of Commons between 1832 and 1868, we previously identified two non-white MPs: John Stewart, MP for Lymington, 1832-47, the illegitimate son of a West Indian plantation owner, who was probably of … Continue reading →

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The Anglican clergy and English elections, 1832-37

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Martin Spychal

This week we hear from Nicholas Dixon, of Pembroke College, Cambridge, on clerical influence in the reformed electoral system. It is one of the themes addressed in his PhD, which examines the Church of England’s influence on English politics and society … Continue reading →

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Victorian Election Violence Project

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Kathryn Rix

We’re delighted to host a guest blog from Dr. Gary Hutchison, Research Associate on the Victorian Election Violence Project at Durham University. Here he outlines the project’s methods and shares some of its preliminary findings. Electoral violence plagues many current … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Guest blog | Tagged , | 4 Comments

An Artist in the Attic: Women and the House of Commons in the Early-Nineteenth Century

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Kathryn Rix

In this guest post, Amy Galvin-Elliott from the University of Warwick looks at how women were able to witness debates in the House of Commons from the ‘ventilator’, a space used until the fire of October 1834 destroyed the old … Continue reading →

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MP of the Month: James Lamont (1828-1913), Arctic explorer and scientist

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Kathryn Rix

Our MP of the Month blog for October comes from Dr Matthew McDowell, of the University of Edinburgh, who has contributed to our 1832-68 project with articles on Buteshire and its MPs. In this guest blog, he explores the career … Continue reading →

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A Westminster Boy Made Good: Charles Barry (1795-1860)

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Kathryn Rix

Caroline Shenton won the Political Book of the Year Award in 2013 with The Day Parliament Burned Down and its sequel Mr Barry’s War is published this month.  In this guest post she reflects on an often-forgotten aspect of the … Continue reading →

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Scotland and the Conservative Party, 1832–1868

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Kathryn Rix

Gary Hutchison is a past winner of the History of Parliament’s undergraduate dissertation prize and is currently a PhD student and Wolfson Scholar at the University of Edinburgh. As he begins the second year of his doctoral research, he outlines his … Continue reading →

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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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Democracy in Devon: exhibition at the Devon Heritage Centre

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kathryn Rix

Welcome to the second of our guest blogs, which coincides with an exhibition running at the Devon Heritage Centre. Organised by Dr. David Thackeray, of the University of Exeter, the exhibition demonstrates the vitality of popular participation in nineteenth century … Continue reading →

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The Victorian female franchise

Posted on March 18, 2013 by salmonphilip

Welcome to the first of our guest blogs. On BBC Radio 4 tonight Dr Sarah Richardson presents a programme about the discovery of an early Victorian poll book listing women voters (click here to listen). Female participation in non-parliamentary elections … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Guest blog, Local government, women | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments