18th Century history
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Did you know, Lord George Gordon had two brothers?
In his latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley looks into the family of the notorious Lord George Gordon, who was at the centre of the political storm that resulted in the 1780 ‘Gordon Riots’ that rocked London…
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John London: Britain’s First Black Voter?
At first glance, the 1749 Westminster constituency by-election does not seem to warrant too much attention, with the incumbent, Viscount Trentham, being re-elected following his appointment to office. However, as Dr Gillian Williamson explores, the election provides the earliest known…
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Conference Review: Histories of Scottish Politics in the Age of Union, c.1700-1945
23-24 July 2024 Collingwood College Durham In July 2024, the History of Parliament Trust supported the two-day conference Histories of Scottish Politics in the Age of Union, c., 1700-1945, held at Durham University and organised by Naomi Lloyd-Jones. In this…
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The day Parliament was invaded
In the summer of 1780 London, and several other cities across England, experienced some of the worst rioting they had seen in a generation, following the presentation of a petition to Parliament calling for the repeal of the Catholic Relief…
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‘The most surprising instance of a change of fortune raised by a man himself’: the case of James Brydges, 1st duke of Chandos
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton, considers the career of the 1st duke of Chandos, a man who rose to become one of the most flamboyant peers of the early 18th century and a key…
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The Southwells – from administrators to an ancient peerage
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley charts the history of the Southwell family, from their origins in Gloucestershire and as administrators in Ireland to their ultimate inheritance of one of the senior peerages in the…
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“Honest and essential service”: Henry Fox, Lord Holland, government fixer
Even in the 18th century, governments of all sorts relied on tough politicians who were willing to do the dirty work to keep administrations afloat. In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles highlights the case of…
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Declaring the result of an Eighteenth Century Election
Today the nation will be casting their votes in the 2024 General Election with most constituencies declaring their results in the early hours of the morning. However, as Dr Robin Eagles explains in our final Georgian Elections Project blog, 18th-Century…
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Election Chairing Ballads: The Songs and Music of Electoral Victory from Handel to ‘Things Can Only Get Better’
In today’s blog for the Georgian Elections Project, Dr Kendra Packham (Institute of English Studies, University of London and Newcastle University) tells us about her research on eighteenth-century election ballads, and finds in the forgotten election ‘chairing’ song points of…
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Breaking the Political Mould: a new 18th-century political party
With a multiple of parties vying for your vote in the 2024 General Election, the Whig and Tory monopoly of the 18th Century would have presented a much more limited choice for Georgian voters. However, in today’s blog for the…
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Hustings and leadership debates 18th-century style
Leadership debates, as experienced in modern elections, were not a feature of 18th-century contests. However, as Dr Robin Eagles shows in the latest post for the Georgian Elections Project, that does not mean that there was not plenty of opportunity…
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Chairing successful candidates
As the results of the 2024 General Election start to come in, successful candidates will have different ways to celebrate their win- but it is unlikely that these newly-elected MPs will be hoisted in the air in a traditional ‘chairing’…