Articles by Robin Eagles
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Polling in advance of the votes
As the 2024 General Election campaigns continue this week, news outlets have been filled with many different polls, suggesting a…
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Dissolving Parliament
Today, on 30 May 2024, Parliament will be formally dissolved following a ‘Dissolution proclamation’ from the King. This is the…
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Benjamin Franklin and the state of Britain in the time of Wilkes
A new series exploring Benjamin Franklin’s time in Europe launches on streaming services this month, but how did the American…
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Enter the Dragon: the education of Robert Harley
Robert Harley (1661-1724) was in his late 20s when he was first elected to Parliament as MP for Tregony in…
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‘Not voting at all’: the election of an imprisoned MP in 1769
2024 represents the 250th anniversary of John Wilkes’s re-election for Middlesex and election as Lord Mayor of London. It was…
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The earl of Abingdon and the treatment of American prisoners of war
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles highlights the career of one of the House’s more…
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‘True Blue’: the choice of political colours in the 18th century
In British politics, we are now used to the idea of certain parties (or causes) being associated with particular colours.…
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Tackling congestion in 18th-century London
In the course of the 18th century, Britain’s towns became increasingly congested with private carriages as well as a variety…
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‘the genuine foundation of our evils’: the Tea Duty Act and Boston Tea Party 250 years on
In the 18th century, tea was a popular drink in America. Yet the East India Company struggled to sell their…
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“Take care, or you will break my shins with this damned axe”: The trials of Lords Balmerino, Cromartie and Kilmarnock (Summer 1746)
The summer is normally a period for Parliament to go into recess, and for MPs and members of the Lords…
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Who do they think they are? Lineage of members of the House of Lords
One thought he was descended from Adam, another that he was a Hapsburg prince. In this latest blog, Dr Robin…
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‘Almost an afterthought’: Queen Charlotte
The latest series of Bridgerton – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – has captured viewers with a reimagining of the…