Category Archives: Parliamentary life

Irish Abstention from the House of Commons, 1844-6

Posted on April 27, 2023 by sball1832

Continuing his theme of blogs which examine levels of attendance and absenteeism among MPs at Westminster, our research fellow Dr Stephen Ball considers the Irish Repeal party’s policy of abstaining from attendance at Westminster in the mid-1840s. Following the 1918 … Continue reading →

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The horse and Victorian politics

Posted on February 10, 2023 by salmonphilip

Victorian politics was frequently conceived and constructed around horse and racecourse related allusions and analogies. Given the ubiquity of the horse to 19th century life this is hardly surprising. A tantalising insight into this genre appeared 30 years ago in … Continue reading →

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The Absentee MP

Posted on December 19, 2022 by sball1832

In April 2013, the chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee reflected that owing to the ‘shrinking working year at Westminster’, it felt as though MPs were ‘hardly working’, leading one correspondent to a London newspaper to suggest providing them … Continue reading →

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Queen Victoria and parliamentary ceremony

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Kathryn Rix

As Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee is celebrated this weekend, we look at the relationship which another long-serving queen, Victoria, had with Parliament, sharing a post which first appeared on the History of Parliament’s blog. On 17 July 1837, less … Continue reading →

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

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Martin Spychal

In the fifth of his blogs 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 … Continue reading →

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‘So much dignity and efficiency’: John Evelyn Denison, Speaker of the House of Commons, 1857-72

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Kathryn Rix

On 8 April 1857 John Evelyn Denison was in the library at his Nottinghamshire residence, Ossington Hall, when he received a letter from the prime minister. My dear Denison, We wish to be allowed to propose you for the Speakership … 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

A Call of the House

Posted on December 17, 2021 by sball1832

When party management at Westminster was still being developed the only means of ensuring good attendance at parliamentary debates was to ‘call the House’, an event described in 1855 as ‘one of the most interesting and exciting scenes’ the Commons … Continue reading →

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‘I shall persist’: Joseph Brotherton (1783-1857) and late hours in the Commons

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Kathryn Rix

In 1832 the borough of Salford elected its first MP, who would represent the constituency for the next quarter-century. Described in 1838 as an ‘ultra Liberal’, Joseph Brotherton was in many ways typical of the industrialists who made up a … Continue reading →

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‘Restless, turbulent, and bold’: Radical MPs and the opening of the reformed Parliament in 1833

Posted on October 13, 2021 by sball1832

In this post which first appeared on the main History of Parliament blog, our research fellow Dr. Stephen Ball looks at the inaugural session of the reformed Parliament, a theme also explored in our previous blog on Harriet Grote. When … Continue reading →

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Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the first reformed Parliament, 1833-34: a woman at Westminster

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Martin Spychal

Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal, looks at Harriet’s introduction to politics at Westminster during the first ‘reformed’ Parliament of 1833-34. Continue reading →

Posted in Harriet Grote, Harriet Grote, Legislation, Parliamentary life, party labels, Uncategorized, women | 5 Comments

‘Counted Out’. Parliamentary tactics in the reformed Commons

Posted on August 24, 2021 by sball1832

Counting the House, that is, establishing that a quorum existed for the conduct of Commons’ business, was described by Henry Lucy in 1886 as ‘perhaps one of the most useful agencies in Parliamentary procedure’. From 1640 a quorum of the … Continue reading →

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Four prorogations and a conflagration: Parliament and its buildings in 1834

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Kathryn Rix

Continuing our series on the different buildings occupied by the House of Commons between 1832 and 1868, this blog looks at the makeshift arrangements made for the prorogation in the aftermath of the devastating Westminster fire of October 1834. The … Continue reading →

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‘Like partridges in February’: parliamentary pairing in the reformed Commons

Posted on April 30, 2021 by sball1832

In 1832 parliamentary reformers fondly hoped that the need to satisfy the demands of a larger electorate might spur MPs to attend more closely to their parliamentary duties. However, one way of avoiding long hours in the Commons was for … Continue reading →

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A Highland canvass in a ‘pocket county’: Ronald Gower (1845-1916) and the 1867 Sutherland by-election

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Martin Spychal

In the fourth blog of his series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal, uses Gower’s diaries to provide some rare insights into mid-Victorian electioneering in the ‘pocket county’ of Sutherland. This blog was also posted as part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections, Parliamentary life, Queer Parliamentary Life, Ronald Gower Series, Scotland, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the social life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Martin Spychal

In the second of his blog series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal explores Gower’s London social life during his first year in Parliament, including a brief summer romance with the son of the commissioner of the Metropolitan … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, LGBT+ History Month, Parliamentary life, Queer Parliamentary Life, Ronald Gower Series | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

From parliamentary reporter to Member of Parliament: Robert Spankie (1774-1842)

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Martin Spychal

January’s MP of the Month takes a look at the unusual pre-parliamentary career of Robert Spankie, who was returned for Finsbury in 1832. A ground-breaking parliamentary reporter during the 1790s, Spankie ascended to the editorship of the Morning Chronicle before re-training as a barrister and serving as a controversial advocate-general of Bengal. Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Elections, Empire, Images of MPs, MP of the Month, Parliamentary life, party labels, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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 →

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The representation of Devon and Cornwall after reform, 1832-68

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Martin Spychal

Last week the History of Parliament and the Devon and Cornwall Record Society hosted a conference at Exeter on ‘The South West and Parliament’. Dr Martin Spychal of the Victorian Commons spoke at the event, and today provides an overview of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Conferences and seminars, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, Parliamentary life, party labels, Uncategorized, Voting and Divisions, women, Working-class politics | 5 Comments

The Speaker and the same question: a view from the Victorian Commons

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Kathryn Rix

Originally posted on The History of Parliament:
In today’s blog Dr Philip Salmon, editor of the 1832-1945 House of Commons project, explores some of the historical background behind recent Parliamentary rulings relating to Brexit. The rules governing UK parliamentary procedure,…

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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 →

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‘So much for the behaviour of the first assemblage of gentlemen’: views from parliament by a Devonshire Tory

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Martin Spychal

Our Victorian MP of the Month is the Conservative MP for Devonshire South, Montagu Parker. His correspondence with his mother between 1835 and 1841 provides a fascinating perspective on life at Westminster. Montagu Edmund Newcombe Parker (1807-1858) is best known … Continue reading →

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Voice and Vote: behind the scenes

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Kathryn Rix

Originally posted on The History of Parliament:
This blog looks at how the History of Parliament has been involved behind the scenes with the Voice and Vote exhibition which opened in Westminster Hall last week. Dr. Philip Salmon and Dr.…

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The ‘Parliamentary Speechification Table’: quantifying parliamentary debate in 1833

Posted on December 6, 2017 by sball1832

The influx of new members into the House of Commons following the 1832 Reform Act prompted considerable disquiet within established political circles about the effects which this would have on the day-to-day business of Parliament. The Times reported fears that … 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 →

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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 →

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The Palace of Westminster: the balance between the traditional and the practical

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Kathryn Rix

In this week’s blog Rebekah Moore, one of our AHRC collaborative PhD students, recalls an earlier debate about the cost and location of the UK’s Parliamentary buildings … Last week, a report examining the necessary repairs and alterations to the … Continue reading →

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The parliamentary diary of Henry Broadley

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Kathryn Rix

One of our early modern colleagues at the History of Parliament, Dr. Stephen Roberts, recently gave a fascinating seminar paper on a parliamentary diary recording events from 1640 and 1641. Inspired by this, our MP of the Month is a … Continue reading →

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New book: Politics Personified

Posted on February 9, 2015 by millerhenryj

One of our former Research Fellows on the 1832-68 project, Dr. Henry Miller, has just published his first book, with Manchester University Press, entitled Politics Personified: Portraiture, Caricature and Visual Culture, 1830-1880. He shares some of the key insights from … Continue reading →

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Victorian MPs born at Christmas

Posted on December 22, 2014 by jowen1832

Having drafted more than 1,000 biographies of MPs for the History of Parliament’s 1832-68 volume since our project began, we are now able to begin examining particular groups of parliamentarians in more thematic ways. In recent blogs, for example, we … 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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Victorian MPs on holiday

Posted on July 21, 2014 by jowen1832

With the holiday season well and truly upon us, it seems fitting to consider how the protagonists of the Victorian Commons spent their vacations. The reasons why nineteenth-century MPs holidayed were as diverse as the locations they visited, and often … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, Leisure, Parliamentary life | 1 Comment

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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‘An organized system of rascality and roguery’: The House of Commons and Derby Day

Posted on June 5, 2014 by sball1832

In 1911 Herbert Samuel contended that the contrast between the House of Commons he knew and that of the previous century was like that between ‘an express train’ and ‘the coach of an earlier age’. To emphasise his point he … Continue reading →

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MPs and Queen Victoria’s coronation

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Kathryn Rix

Today (28 June) marks the 175th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. Naturally this major national event was attended by members of both Houses of Parliament. Although it was members of the House of Lords who performed key … Continue reading →

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What Not To Wear: The Mover and Seconder of the Address

Posted on May 6, 2013 by sball1832

With the state opening of Parliament just days away, it is worth recalling a ritual connected with the government’s address in reply to the Queen’s speech which for many years was a regular source of entertainment. The address followed the … Continue reading →

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The novice MP

Posted on November 19, 2012 by sball1832

With the newest members of the House of Commons having just been returned for constituencies in Corby, Cardiff and Manchester, advice given to novice MPs in the mid-nineteenth century suggests that the stresses faced by new members may have changed … Continue reading →

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