Articles by Martin Spychal
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Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act
Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of Commons 1832-1868 Commons project, discuses the impact of the 1832…
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The Speakership election of 1835
In this article Dr Kathryn Rix and Dr Martin Spychal of our House of Commons, 1832-1868 project discuss a pivotal…
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How does an MP resign? The Chiltern Hundreds & the Manor of Northstead
Have you just heard that an MP has resigned by ‘taking the Chiltern Hundreds’? Our Senior Research Fellow, Dr Martin…
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How many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act?
As part of our series of ‘explainer’ articles, aimed at clarifying the workings of the United Kingdom’s historic political system,…
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Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor
Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860). A farmer’s son from Perthshire, McLagan senior acquired considerable…
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The ‘beautiful boy’ of the Commons: Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916) and sexual identity in Parliament at the time of the Second Reform Act
In the third of his article series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal explores Gower’s parliamentary reputation as…
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Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the social life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act
In the second article in his series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal explores Gower’s London social life…
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Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act
Dr Martin Spychal introduces his series of articles on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), who was elected as MP for Sutherland…
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‘Had she been a man, she would have been the leader of a party’: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), radicalism and Parliament, 1820-41
In the first of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s early life,…
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The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster
In the second of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s introduction to…
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Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the first reformed Parliament, 1833-34: a woman at Westminster
In the third of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal looks at Harriet’s introduction…

