House of Lords, 1558-1603

The Elizabethan House of Lords project began in 2021 and is nearing completion. The work of multiple authors, some of them from outside the History of Parliament, it will be the first full study of the Elizabethan House of Lords and its members ever published. At its core is a complete set of biographical studies, ranging in length from 600 to 25,000 words, of all 246 members of the House of Lords between 1559 and 1601. These biographies, which draw upon a wide range of sources, both published and unpublished, include many figures who will be familiar to students of Elizabethan political history, such as William Cecil, 1st Lord Burghley, and Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester. However, the project will also include comprehensive entries on many lesser known figures, some of them of considerable political importance, who have been largely neglected by scholars. Alongside the biographical component, the project will include an analytical Introductory Survey on the House of Lords under Elizabeth. There will also be provided, in digital form, a detailed listing and summary of the surviving records of the Elizabethan upper House. Members of the team working on the project occasionally publish articles relating to their research under the heading ‘The First Elizabethan Age’.