18th Century history
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Liberalism, the law and Parliament in modern British history
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Ben Griffin of the University of Cambridge. On 2 May between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., Ben will discuss the relationship between liberalism, the law and Parliament…
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‘The most solemn, magnificent, and sumptuous ceremony’: The coronation of George II and Queen Caroline, 11 October 1727
Contemporaries were agreed that the coronation of George II and Queen Caroline on 11 October 1727 was spectacular. In our second Coronation-themed blog, Dr Charles Littleton looks back on the event and considers the roles played by some of those…
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The Peerage and the Coronation of George I
The death of Queen Anne on 1 August 1714 heralded the arrival of a new dynasty in Britain – literally – the kingdom had to await the arrival of the new king from Hanover on 18 September. Continuing our Coronation…
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Parliament’s Committees of Privileges
The House of Commons Committee of Privileges has its origins in 1995 when, in the light of scandals such as ‘cash for questions’, a Committee of Standards and Privileges was established to monitor and regulate the conduct of MPs. In…
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“I have got rid of all the fateague, all the mortification that attends the fruitless endeavours to serve ones country”: The struggle of being an MP in the 18th century
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Maria Tauber of the University of Warwick. On 14 March, between 5.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., Maria will discuss MPs and political communication in the eighteenth century The…
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The Rivalship of Pompey and Caesar: the rift between John Wilkes and Parson Horne and the splitting of the Bill of Rights Society
Continuing with our new blog series on ‘Factions‘, Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project looks at the dramatic fallout between John Wilkes and John Horne that led to the splitting of the Bill of Rights Society. Few…
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The Duke of Newcastle’s “resignation honours list” of 1756
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Stuart Handley considers the duke of Newcastle’s resignation honours list in 1756. #HistParl #twitterstorians
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How to expel an MP from Parliament: The ejection of John Wilkes in 1764
John Wilkes was well known for treading a fine line in his outspoken comments against the government, but in 1763 Parliament decided he had gone too far. Here Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790 project, reflects…
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Politics before Democracy Conference
Call for Papers, deadline – 17 February 2023 The History of Parliament and the School of History, University of East Anglia, would like to invite proposals for papers for ‘Politics Before Democracy: Britain and its world, c.1750-1914’. This two-day conference,…
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The Mince Pie Administration or Plum Pudding Billy
Every December mince pies fly off the shelf, but our love for them never seems to last past Christmas. In 1783, William Pitt’s government was disparagingly nicknamed after this ‘phenomenon’. Dr Robin Eagles, editor of our House of Lords 1715-1790…
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Of Pretenders and Prime Ministers: Robert Walpole and the Atterbury Plot 300 years on
As 2022 draws to an end Dr Charles Littleton considers the tercentenary of the Atterbury Plot, the failed plan for a Jacobite insurrection in England in 1722. The investigation of the conspiracy by Parliament in 1722-23 had far-reaching effects, as…
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Organise! Organise! Organise! Collective Action, Associational Culture and the Politics of Organisation in the British Isles, c.1790-1914
Durham University, in collaboration with the History of Parliament, and supported by the Leverhulme Trust, are hosting a conference in Durham, Thursday-Friday 20-21 July 2023. The Call for Papers will close on 31 January 2023. The conference forms part of…