Georgian

Reporting the House of Lords 1660-1832

Robin Eagles

February 8, 2018

The latest blog from the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles reports back from last month’s conference of the British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies in Oxford, which members of the section attended to speak about the project. A month has…
‘By God my Lord, if you can bear this you are the strongest man in England’: the appointment of ‘Harley’s Dozen’ new peers in the winter of 1711/12

Robin Eagles

January 10, 2018

Current rumours suggest that the government may be on the point of boosting the numbers of Conservative peers in the House of Lords. In the winter of 1711/12 the administration of the earl of Oxford also turned to bolstering its…
Georgian Christmas Recesses

Charles Littleton

December 20, 2017

For Parliamentarians in the early Georgian period, Christmas was not infrequently interrupted by the business of politics. Dr Charles Littleton and Dr Robin Eagles of the Georgian Lords consider some of the ways the festivities might be upset. The parliamentary…
‘Anxious for the welfare of his people’: the passage of the Royal Marriages Act (1772)

Robin Eagles

December 7, 2017

Last week we welcomed the news of the forthcoming marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. This is notable as the first royal engagement since changes were made to the rules governing royal marriages. Prior to 2013 and the passing…
Acquitted with three huzzas: the impeachment of Robert Harley, earl of Oxford

Robin Eagles

November 15, 2017

In today’s ‘Reporting Parliament’ series for Parliament Week 2017, Dr Robin Eagles considers the value of manuscript news accounts of the impeachment of the earl of Oxford just over 300 years ago for providing a more detailed impression of the…
Reporting George I’s parliaments: a Prussian diplomat’s view

Charles Littleton

November 2, 2017

In the latest blog from The Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton continues his examination of foreign reporters of Parliamentary events – a theme that will also feature in our forthcoming coverage for Parliament Week. A recent entry in the History…
“A foreigner is therefore the most likely man to give an impartial account”?: French observers of the early eighteenth-century British Parliament

Charles Littleton

October 11, 2017

Published this week and edited by our own Dr Vivienne Larminie, Huguenot Networks, 1560–1780 The Interactions and Impact of a Protestant Minority in Europe includes new research on the Huguenot community and Parliament. In today’s blog, Dr Charles Littleton discusses…
Waiting to Succeed: Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751)

Robin Eagles

October 5, 2017

Last month the Prince of Wales became the longest-serving holder of that title. The role of Prince of Wales was politically very different in the Georgian period and none of the four princes who held the title during the 18th…
“Hidden Gems”: Three Derby Museums and an unusual gift

stuart03630ebada

September 7, 2017

In the latest blog from the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley considers a rare holding by the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. This coincides with the major Jacobite exhibition currently on display at the National Museums of Scotland. Eighteenth-century Derby…
“Void of all faith and honour?” The fall(s) and rise of Viscount Bolingbroke

Robin Eagles

August 3, 2017

In this latest blog post from the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles considers the instability of the early years of George I’s reign and the changing fortunes of former secretary of state, Henry St John, Viscount Bolingbroke The Hanoverian succession…
A Turning Point? The Declaration of Independence and the House of Lords

Charles Littleton

July 4, 2017

The latest Georgian Lords blog by Dr Charles Littleton, Senior Research Fellow of the Lords 1715-90 Section, considers the origins and use of the two manuscript copies of the Declaration of Independence to be found in the United Kingdom. The…
‘Of the utmost weight for the safety and tranquillity of the kingdom’: the snap election of 1747

Robin Eagles

June 6, 2017

The latest in our General Election 2017 series and launching our new blog series on The Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles, Senior Research Fellow of the Lords 1715-90 Section, describes the Pelham ministry’s snap decision to call an election and…