Articles by Paul Hunneyball
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Reframing the political narrative, Tudor-style: the Westminster conference of 1559
The use of social media to influence political opinion has become a contentious issue in the past few years. However, there’s nothing new about the basic concept of politicians trying to shape popular perceptions to their own advantage, as Dr…
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When tinsel was only for the rich: dressing to impress in early modern England
Wondering what to wear to a Christmas or New Year party? Deciding how to look one’s best can be a dilemma – but at least our fashion choices aren’t dictated by Acts of Parliament. In Tudor and Jacobean times it…
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Winchester v. Winchester: rivalries and election-rigging in 1560s Hampshire
Whatever the outcome of a modern election, the process of voting is predictable, reliable, and well-understood. However, in the sixteenth century, the picture was a lot more complicated, and sometimes corrupt, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Elizabethan Lords section…
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‘So far out of order’: the scandalous career of Henry, 2nd Viscount Howard of Bindon
Elizabethan noblemen enjoyed enormous privileges, but generally recognized that there were limits to their freedom of action. However, one particular peer confounded his contemporaries with his convention-busting behaviour, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… ‘Although he…
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Bishop Jewel and the lost archdeaconry
Many Elizabethan bills which failed to become Acts of Parliament don’t now survive, and little is known about them except their titles. But two lost bills to annex Dorset to the diocese of Salisbury shed new light on one of…
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The 1626 coronation: Charles I’s botched political relaunch
After a shaky start to his reign, the king intended his coronation to bolster his personal image and agenda ahead of the 1626 Parliament. However, things didn’t go according to plan, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section…
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Picturing the Parliament of 1523
What did a meeting of the English Parliament look like 500 years ago? The earliest-known image of a state opening offers important clues, but also requires careful interpretation, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… The picture…
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Parliament and the Elizabethan energy crisis
Steep increases in fuel bills are not just a modern problem, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… The picture sounds all too familiar: rapidly rising fuel prices; people on low incomes struggling to heat their homes;…
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William Turner and the reformation of gardening
Climate change is making gardening more of a challenge in this country, but at least we have plenty of information on the best plants to use. Five hundred years ago the picture was a lot more confusing. Dr Paul Hunneyball…
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William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke: the ‘nearly man’ of early Stuart politics
As we wait to hear who has triumphed in the latest contest to become prime minister, Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section considers a leading 17th-century courtier who seemed destined for the top, but never quite made it……
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One of our seals is missing! How a summer vacation brought Charles I’s government to a grinding halt
During the coronavirus pandemic we have grown used to government interventions disrupting our travel plans. However, in 1625 the government itself was disrupted by a holiday in Wales, as Dr Paul Hunneyball of our Lords 1558-1603 section explains… In the…
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The jubilee tour of King James VI and I
In the 21st century, royal visits are often quite brief events, with high-speed travel, and an emphasis on public appearances and social events, rather than affairs of state. Four hundred years ago the picture was very different, as Dr Paul…