Articles by Martin Spychal
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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…
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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
In the fifth of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal explores Harriet’s relationship with the veteran radical…
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Peter McLagan (1823-1900): Scotland’s first Black MP
This is the first article in a new series for the Victorian Commons on Peter McLagan (1823-1900), by Dr Martin…
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Mapping the State: English Boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act
In this week’s blog, Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on the Commons 1832-1868 project, discusses his new book Mapping…
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Identifying the Attlee Family Cars: Prime Ministers’ Props
To coincide with the third BBC Radio 4 series of Prime Ministers’ Props, our senior research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal,…