Category Archives: Queer Parliamentary Life

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

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

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Martin Spychal

Dr Martin Spychal introduces his new series of blogs for the Victorian Commons on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), who was elected as MP for Sutherland in 1867. Born into ‘the inner circle of English aristocratic life’, Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916) … Continue reading →

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