Articles by Robin Eagles
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‘Robin the trickster’ versus ‘Stiff Dick’: the election of Robert Harley as Speaker of the Commons in 1701
In the latest in our series discussing some of the notable figures to occupy the role of Speaker of the…
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To attend or not to attend: state trials during an outbreak of smallpox
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles considers the dilemma facing some peers summoned to attend…
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Before Big Ben there was Old Tom
As the restoration of the Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower reaches its final stages this summer, Dr Robin Eagles, editor…
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The Last Peer Hanged for Murder
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles re-examines the trial and execution of Laurence Shirley, 4th…
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‘Why not you?’ Sir John Cust, reluctant Speaker of the House of Commons
It is one of Westminster’s many traditions that, when an MP is elected to the role of Speaker of the…
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The true premier? Charles Spencer, 3rd earl of Sunderland
300 years ago, on 19 April 1722, Charles Spencer, 3rd earl of Sunderland, Walpole’s rival for the premiership, died following…
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Comings and goings: the other houses of Downing Street
Previously on the History of Parliament blog we looked into the history of No.10 Downing Street, the famous residence of…
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Pretending to be a Peer? The unlikely Lord Griffin and the Convention of January 1689
In today’s blog Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our Lords 1715-1790 project, looks into the case of Edward Griffin, a…
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Death of a Queen: the tragic end of Caroline of Ansbach
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles, considers the grisly end of Queen Caroline of Ansbach,…
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“A great lover of forms, and a regular Speaker”: Sir Spencer Compton, Speaker of the House of Commons 1715-1727
Sir Spencer Compton, earl of Wilmington, is often overlooked, overshadowed by his colleague and predecessor Sir Robert Walpole. But as…
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William Augustus, duke of Cumberland, ‘the real Prime Minister’ and ‘the strangest cabinet in British history’
2021 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of British history’s most controversial characters: William Augustus, duke of…
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“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water”: holidays by the sea in the 18th century
In the course of the 18th century a variety of spas and seaside resorts became popular destinations for busy Georgians…