Articles by Stephen Roberts
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‘Until head and knee weary’: motives and formats in the diarizing habit of Sir Simonds D’Ewes during the Long Parliament, 1640-47
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Stephen Roberts, emeritus director of the History of Parliament. On 25 June 2024 Stephen will discuss the diarizing habit of Sir Simonds D’Ewes during the Long Parliament. This…
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Time and the Hard Night’s Day in the Long Parliament
During the 1640s the parliamentary day grew longer and longer until all-night sittings became a regular feature in the House of Commons. Dr Stephen Roberts, editor of the House of Commons 1640-1660, explains the debates that kept the Commons sitting late…
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The Voice of the Parliamentary Diarists, 1640-60
May 2023 saw the publication of the History of Parliament’s The House of Commons 1640-1660 volumes. One of the main sources for our researchers was parliamentary diaries. Dr Stephen Roberts, editor for the House of Commons 1640-1660, looks at some of the…
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Clerks of the Commons: More than just scribes
The clerks of the Commons in the 17th century have often been depicted as people who simply recorded the events of the Commons. However, as Dr Stephen Roberts, editor of the House of Commons 1640-1660, explains, there is a lot…
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Contested Space: Politics and the Commons Chamber
The Palace of Westminster was the location of some of the most dramatic events in the English Civil Wars. Dr Stephen Roberts, editor for the House of Commons 1640-1660, discusses the layout of the House of Commons Chamber and its role…
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Introducing The House of Commons, 1640-1660
In exciting news for the History of Parliament, 2023 sees the publication of our long-running House of Commons 1640-1660 project. Here the section editor, Dr Stephen Roberts, reflects on the hard work that multiple historians have put into this project,…
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Parliament and Forced Colonial Labour in Richard Cromwell’s Parliament, 1659
In today’s blog Dr Stephen Roberts concludes his three-part blog series discussing parliamentary reactions to the 17th century transatlantic slave trade. Here Dr Roberts considers the case of a group of political prisoners who had been transported as indentured servants…
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Parliament and the Welsh Language/Dydd Gwyl Dewi: Y Senedd a’r Iaith Gymraeg.
To mark St David’s Day this year, we are publishing a translation into Welsh of a blog written in 2018, which provides an overview of relations between the Westminster Parliament and the Welsh language. There will no doubt be future…
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Violence at the Door of Parliament, 1640-48
Over the past few weeks the eyes of the world have been on Washington. As the United States prepares to swear in its 46th President, Joe Biden, after what has been a tumultuous transition of power, Dr Stephen Roberts examines…
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Did the Puritans ban Christmas dinner?
The Puritans are often accused of banning Christmas, and although the House of Commons did sit on Christmas Day during the English Republic, Dr Stephen Roberts felt the need to do a little myth-busting about the wholesale cancellation of Christmas…
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Discourses of Freedom and Slavery, 1640-60
Today we return to our recent series from History of Parliament director Dr Stephen Roberts, who has been discussing parliamentary involvement in the 17th century transatlantic slave trade. In the latest post Dr Roberts turns his attention to the uses…
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Slavery, the Caribbean and English Liberties, 1620-40
Today’s blog is the first in a three-part series from History of Parliament director Dr Stephen Roberts about parliamentary involvement in the development of slavery in the Atlantic World in the seventeenth century… During the 400th anniversary year of the…