Legal history
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A last roll of the dice? Richard III’s pardon to John Morton, 16 August 1485
On 16 August 1485, King Richard III issued a pardon to an old adversary, John Morton, bishop of Ely. Dr…
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“Take care, or you will break my shins with this damned axe”: The trials of Lords Balmerino, Cromartie and Kilmarnock (Summer 1746)
The summer is normally a period for Parliament to go into recess, and for MPs and members of the Lords…
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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.…
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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…
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The capture and execution of Sir Robert Tresilian, chief justice of King’s bench, and the ‘Merciless Parliament’ of 1388
On the 19th February 1388, one of the most dramatic events of medieval parliamentary history took place. Simon Payling from…
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History of Parliament and Excavating Early Queer History
To mark LGBTQ+ History Month 2023, guest blogger Charles Upchurch, Professor of British history at Florida State University, explains how…
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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…
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‘Always look a gift horse in the mouth’: the abbey of Louth Park and the deathbed of Sir Henry Vavasour (d. 1342) of Cockerington, Lincolnshire
On his deathbed, Sir Henry Vavasour reflected on life after death and made some changes in his will to ensure…
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The Aftermath of the Impeachment of Thomas Parker, earl of Macclesfield
In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley reassesses the impeachment, and later career, of Thomas Parker,…
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‘Never ending war’ and ‘the enriching of Parliament-men’: MPs and corruption in the 1640s
In the second of two blogs from Dr Vivienne Larminie, editor of our Commons 1640-1660 project, here attention is turned…
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Thomas Burdet of Arrow, MP for Warwickshire in 1455, and the execution of George, duke of Clarence
The execution of Thomas Burdet has long been linked to that of George, duke of Clarence a few months later.…
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The Secret Ballot: The Secret to Reducing Electoral Violence?
In July 1872, 150 years ago this month, the Ballot Act introduced the secret ballot to all UK parliamentary and…