Victorian Commons

@victoriancommons.bsky.social

The History of Parliament's House of Commons 1832-1945 project, currently researching MPs, elections and parliamentary history between 1832 and 1868. Find more details on our website: https://victoriancommons.wordpress.com/

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 10, 2026, 9:59 AM

Born #OnThisDay 1819 Charles Stanley Monck, an Irish landowner who sat as Liberal MP for Portsmouth, 1852-7. As governor-general of British North America he played a leading role in Canadian confederation. Read more on him here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2019/10/10/m...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 10:41 AM

An unusual MP connection in the Museum of Cambridge last weekend - this belt for the Long Distance Champion of the World was presented by Sir John Dugdale Astley, MP for North Lincs, 1874-80. He was a keen promoter of the sport known as 'pedestrianism': www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

A silver buckle with the words 'Presented by Sir J. D. Astley Bart MP March 1878'

A gold buckle on a belt with the words 'Long distance champion of the world'. Silver buckles on either side depict a man running.

@georgianlords.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 8:19 AMReposted by @victoriancommons.bsky.social

This morning we welcome a guest post to the Georgian Lords' series.
Amanda Westcott considers the importance of George III's return to Oxford following the failed assassination attempt by Margaret Nicholson in 1786.
historyofparliament.com/2026/10/08/g...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 8:52 AM

Were they not a polite and commercial people?

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 8:35 AM

Encountered earlier this week, this statue of Prince Albert - the fact that he is raising his hat apparently led to it being dubbed 'the politest statue in London'! Erected in 1874, its panels feature the laying of the first stone of the Royal Exchange in 1842 and the 1851 Exhibition.

A street scene with traffic passing by. There is a large glass building on the opposite side of the road, in front of which is a large plinth with a man on a horse who is raising his hat.

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 10:59 AM

No, not a relative. The artist's father and grandfather were American.

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 10:16 AM

Born #OnThisDay 1780 the Conservative MP Wyndham Lewis was Disraeli’s running mate in the Maidstone constituency in 1837 and financed their election campaign. Find out more about his political career in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/m...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 10:33 AM

During our research we’ve found several places named after MPs. One of them is Cape Adare, home to a penguin colony, named after Viscount Adare, Conservative MP for Glamorgan. Later 3rd Earl of Dunraven, he died #OnThisDay 1871.

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 5, 2026, 9:13 AM

A surprising number of the MPs in our 1832-68 project came from humble backgrounds. John Rolt, born #OnThisDay 1804, began his working life as a draper’s apprentice. Find out more about his rise to the position of attorney-general: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/f...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 4, 2026, 12:50 PM

Born #OnThisDay 1788 Thomas Barrett Lennard, MP for Maldon, who combined some progressive views, notably on capital and corporal punishment, with an attachment to established traditions. Find out more about his parliamentary career: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/08/25/m...

@markcrail.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 2:53 PMReposted by @victoriancommons.bsky.social

New page on Chartist Ancestors: Barnsley Chartist Peter Hoey's petition to John Fielden in support of factory reform
#Chartism #FactoryActs #C19th #Barnsley #History
www.chartistancestors.co.uk/peter-hoeys-...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 9:39 AM

Died #OnThisDay 1842 John Hodson Kearsley. Conservative MP for Wigan in the 1830s, he was a well-known Commons character. Find out more about the man nicknamed ‘the Walking Beer Barrel’: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2024/09/18/t...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Oct 1, 2026, 10:06 AM

For #LincolnshireDay here’s one of our articles about a Lincolnshire resident, Sir Robert Heron, of Stubton Hall (MP Grimsby 1812-18, Peterborough 1819-47). He kept a diary (a useful source for historians) & a menagerie of exotic animals. victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/m...

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 9:08 AM

Great to hear about the progress of @histparl.bsky.social 's brilliant Oral History project!

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 9:06 AM

The most notable Hampshire North MP from our 1832-68 project was Charles Shaw Lefevre. Find out more here about his election as Speaker of the Commons in 1839: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/t...

@parlconst.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 9:00 AMReposted by @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Arthur Frederick Jefferies was Conservative MP for Basingstoke from 1887 until his death in 1906. He was born and brought up in Australia, and played first class cricket for New South Wales, Hampshire and the MCC.

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 7:42 AM

Born #OnThisDay 1800 the architect Decimus Burton, whose projects included many prestigious London buildings. He also planned the new town of Fleetwood, which was funded by and named after a Victorian MP. Find out more here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/04/15/t...

@histparl.bsky.social Sep 29, 2026, 9:57 AMReposted by @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Robert Spankie, MP for Finsbury 1832-35, had an unusual pre-parliamentary career. @martinspychal.bsky.social explores his route from parliamentary reporter to serving as a controversial advocate-general of Bengal.

@victoriancommons.bsky.social Sep 29, 2026, 9:46 AM

19th-century Westmorland MPs included the 'Father of the House' (between 1862 and his death in 1867), Hon. Henry Cecil Lowther. He had first been elected for the county in 1812.

@georgianlords.bsky.social Sep 28, 2026, 2:14 PMReposted by @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Of course, this was not the palace's first clock tower. Spare a thought for the old, mediaeval, tower and its most famous bell, Old Tom, which could be heard as far away as Windsor (apparently)...
historyofparliament.com/2022/06/30/o...

Older posts