19th Century history
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Defying the Whip: ‘rebel’ MP Swynfen Jervis (1797-1867)
On the anniversary of Swynfen Jervis’s return for Bridport in 1837, Dr Philip Salmon of the Victorian Commons explores the…
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The 1872 Secret Ballot and Multiple Member Seats
In this post about the introduction of the ballot in UK elections, based on a seminar talk (click here to…
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‘Damn the secret ballot’: the UK’s public voting system before 1872
Today (18 July) marks another anniversary of the 1872 Secret Ballot Act, a topic we examined in more detail in…
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A ‘new Canterbury Tale’: George Smythe, Frederick Romilly and England’s ‘last political duel’
Drawing on her research into Canterbury for the House of Commons, 1832-1868 project, our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones looks…
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‘She, yes, she was the only member of parliament’: Harriet Grote, radical parliamentary tactics and House of Lords reform, 1835-6
In the fifth of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal explores Harriet’s relationship with the veteran radical…
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Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the first reformed Parliament, 1833-34: a woman at Westminster
In the third of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal looks at Harriet’s introduction…
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The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster
In the second of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s introduction to…
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‘Had she been a man, she would have been the leader of a party’: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), radicalism and Parliament, 1820-41
In the first of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s early life,…
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John Lewis: A Black Sailor at the 1828 Weymouth By-Election
In this guest article Dr Joe Cozens discusses his research into John Lewis, a Black sailor who was arrested during…
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John Bowes (1811-85): the MP and his museum
In this article Dr James Owen looks at the career of John Bowes (1811-85). Best known as an art collector…
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Peter McLagan (1823-1900): Scotland’s first Black MP
This is the first article in a new series for the Victorian Commons on Peter McLagan (1823-1900), by Dr Martin…
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Beyond the Census: John Rickman and Parliament
At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 17 June 2025, Professor Julian Hoppit, Honorary Professor of British History at…