Meet the Team

See below for details of all the History’s research, public engagement and administrative staff. For general inquiries, use the ‘contact us’ page.

Director

Jennifer Davey is a historian of modern Britain, specialising in the politics and culture of Victorian Britain.

Research

House of Commons, 1461-1504

Hannes Kleineke is a historian specialising in the political, legal and administrative history of medieval England, particularly in the south-west in the fifteenth century. 

Simon Payling is a medieval historian, specialising in the legal profession, the law governing the descent of real property, marriage contracts and muder.

Jonathan Mackman is a Medieval historian, with interests including political, administrative and legal history, as well as local and regional history.

House of Lords, 1558-1603

Andrew Thrush is a political and naval historian of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. 

Paul Hunneyball is a political and architectural historian specialising in the early modern period. 

Ben Coates is a political historian, who previously worked on the House of Commons 1604-29 and the House of Lords 1604-29.

House of Commons, 1640-1660

David Scott is a political and religious historian of early Stuart Britain. 

Alex Beeton is a political historian, specialising in the political history of the 1640s and parliamentary records. 

House of Lords, 1660-1832

Robin Eagles is a historian specialising in politics and society in the long eighteenth century, and a biographer of Radical MP John Wilkes

Charles Littleton is a historian and writer on eighteenth century political history and the aristocracy. 

House of Commons, 1832-1868

Philip Salmon is a political historian specialising in the long nineteenth century.

Kathryn Rix is a historian of modern Britain, specialising in electoral and parliamentary politics in the long nineteenth century. 

Martin Spychal is a historian of modern Britain, specialising in nineteenth-century politics, society and culture.

Naomi Lloyd-Jones is a political historian specialising in political representation, participation and opinion in Britain in the long 19th century.

Oral History Project (Contemporary History)

Emma Peplow is a historian of contemporary British politics, specialising in oral history and women’s participation in politics.

Alfie Steer is a historian of contemporary British politics, specialising in the history of the Labour left. He is also a Public Engagement Assistant.

Outreach

Connie Jeffery is a public history professional, specialising in Parliamentary history and history podcasting.

Alfie Steer is a historian of contemporary British politics, specialising in the history of the Labour left. He is also the Oral History Project Manager. 

Joe Baker is a Public Engagement Assistant at History of Parliament and a public history professional with experience across the heritage sector.

Emeritus

Paul Seaward is a political historian specialising in the seventeenth century. He was Director of the History of Parliament from 2001-2017 and 2021-2023.

Stephen Roberts is a political historian of England and Wales in the seventeenth century, mainly during the civil wars and interregnum. He was Director of the History of Parliament from 2018 to 2020, and Editor of the House of Commons 1640-1660.

Stuart Handley is a former Senior Research Fellow in the House of Lords 1715-1790 section. He had previously worked on the House of Commons 1690-1715 and House of Lords 1660-1715 sections.


Priscila Pivatto is a historian specialising in oral history as a methodological approach for understanding political narratives and exploring the history of Parliament, she has been a key member of the Oral History Project since its inception.

  • Dr Jennifer Davey

    Dr Jennifer Davey
    Jennifer Davey is a historian of modern Britain, specialising in the politics and culture of Victorian Britain. She is Director of the History of Parliament.
  • Dr Paul Seaward

    Dr Paul Seaward
    Paul Seaward is a political historian specialising in the seventeenth century. He was Director of the History of Parliament from 2001-2017 and 2021-2023.
  • Dr Stuart Handley

    Dr Stuart Handley
    Stuart Handley is a former Senior Research Fellow in the House of Lords 1715-1790 section. He had previously worked on the House of Commons 1690-1715 and House of Lords 1660-1715 sections.
  • Dr Stephen Roberts

    Dr Stephen Roberts
    Stephen Roberts is a political historian of England and Wales in the seventeenth century, mainly during the civil wars and interregnum. He was Director of the History of Parliament from 2018 to 2020, and Editor of the House of Commons 1640-1660 section for 25 years.
  • Dr Simon Payling

    Dr Simon Payling
    Simon Payling is a medieval historian, specialising in the legal profession, the law governing the descent of real property, marriage contracts and muder. He is a Senior Research Fellow in the House of Commons 1461-1504 section, and previously worked on the House of Commons 1422-61 section.
  • Dr Paul Hunneyball

    Dr Paul Hunneyball
    Paul Hunneyball is a political and architectural historian specialising in the early modern period. He is Assistant Editor of the House of Lords, 1558-1603 section.
  • Dr Andrew Thrush

    Dr Andrew Thrush
    Andrew Thrush is a political and naval historian of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. He is editor of the House of Lords 1558-1603 section, and previously worked on the 1604-1629 Commons and Lords sections.
  • Dr Patrick Little

    Dr Patrick Little
    Patrick Little is a political historian specialising in mid-seventeenth century Britain and Ireland. He is a Research Fellow and Assistant Editor in the House of Lords 1640-1660 section.
  • Dr Ben Coates

    Dr Ben Coates
    Ben Coates is a Senior Research Fellow in the House of Lords 1558-1603 section, who previously worked on the House of Commons 1604-29 and the House of Lords 1602-29.
  • Dr Jonathan Mackman

    Dr Jonathan Mackman
    Jonathan Mackman is a Medieval historian, with interests including political, administrative and legal history, as well as local and regional history. He is a Research Fellow in the House of Commons 1461-1504 section.
  • Dr David Scott

    Dr David Scott
    David Scott is a political and religious historian of early Stuart Britain. He is the Editor of the House of Lords 1640-1660 section, and previously worked as a Research Fellow for the House of Commons 1640-1660 section.