Georgian Lords
-
“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…
-
The rules governing lengths of parliaments in the 18th century
Despite all of the political events of recent years, the upcoming General Election is the first time that the nation…
-
Two anniversaries, two impeachments and an election
In 2024 the tercentenaries of the deaths of two important 18th-century figures the fell within weeks of each other. Dr…
-
Dissolving Parliament
Today, on 30 May 2024, Parliament will be formally dissolved following a ‘Dissolution proclamation’ from the King. This is the…
-
Tory to Whig – or helping out the Family?
Historians J.B. Owen, J.H. Plumb, and Linda Colley have all alluded to the post-1714 drift of the Tories into the…
-
Benjamin Franklin and the state of Britain in the time of Wilkes
A new series exploring Benjamin Franklin’s time in Europe launches on streaming services this month, but how did the American…
-
Enter the Dragon: the education of Robert Harley
Robert Harley (1661-1724) was in his late 20s when he was first elected to Parliament as MP for Tregony in…
-
‘Not voting at all’: the election of an imprisoned MP in 1769
2024 represents the 250th anniversary of John Wilkes’s re-election for Middlesex and election as Lord Mayor of London. It was…
-
The political identity of ‘inhabitant’ in early nineteenth-century England
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Mary O’Connor of Somerville College, University of Oxford.…
-
‘A very good bed for old courtiers to rest in’: The 18th-century Post Office and its Postmasters-General
Much attention has concentrated recently on the scandal surrounding the Post Office’s prosecutions of numerous sub-postmasters and -mistresses. The 18th-century…
-
“Get a haircut”Celebrating the career of Lord Chancellor Cowper
10 May 2023 marked the 300th anniversary of the death of William Cowper, Earl Cowper, a rarity among political lawyers…
-
The earl of Abingdon and the treatment of American prisoners of war
In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles highlights the career of one of the House’s more…