@histparl.bsky.social
Creating a comprehensive account of parliamentary politics in England, then the UK, from the thirteenth century to the present day.
You can find us at other places, here: https://linktr.ee/historyofparliament
@histparl.bsky.socialThe coronation of George II and Queen Caroline took place on 11 October 1727. Dr Charles Littleton looks back on the spectacular event and considers the roles played by some of those involved in it.
@histparl.bsky.socialOn 10 October 1562, Queen Elizabeth I, then 29, suddenly took ill with smallpox.
While Elizabeth eventually pulled through and would rule for another 40 years, Dr Andrew Thrush has explored what might have happened if her reign had been cut short. historyofparliament.com/2023/08/24/w...
@histparl.bsky.socialFollowing @georgianfun.bsky.social's groundbreaking research on John London, the earliest known Black voter in Britain, more research has gone into discovering instances of Black political participation in the 18th century, as Dr Robin Eagles investigates.
@georgianlords.bsky.social
@histparl.bsky.socialWilliam Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury 1633-45, was born on 7 October 1573. Charles I's chief religious advisor, he was imprisoned during the English Civil War and eventually executed. Below, Dr David Scott explores his relationship with leading parliamentarian peer, Viscount Saye and Sele.
@histparl.bsky.socialJeffrey Archer, Conservative MP for Louth (1969-1974) has died. Jeffrey was a best-selling novelist, whose turbulent political career ended in scandal. In his interview for our Oral History Project, he described having political ambitions from a very early age.
@kathrynrix.bsky.socialReposted by @histparl.bsky.socialAn interesting read. I wrote a very short piece on her brother Roland - a Conservative MP who was killed in action during the Second World War - here: www.parliament.uk/about/living...
@jhdavey.bsky.socialReposted by @histparl.bsky.socialMe on Barbara Cartland's political history. It really was quite the life.
@histparl.bsky.social🚨New Substack🚨
Barbara Cartland is remembered today as one of 20th century's best-selling writers and as an iconic socialite. But as @jhdavey.bsky.social explores, much of her life was also deeply political.
@histparl.bsky.socialRichard Cromwell was born on 4 October 1626. In 1658 he succeeded his father, Oliver Cromwell, as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. But as Dr Vivienne Larminie has explored, he fell from power less than a year later in 1659.
@histparl.bsky.socialDenis Healey, former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, died on this day in 2015. On our YouTube, we explore his career through the economic crises of the 1970s and the turbulent 1980s.
@histparl.bsky.socialWas John London Britain's first Black voter?
The 1749 Westminster by-election may seem unremarkable in its result. However, as @georgianfun.bsky.social explores, the election provides the earliest known record of a Black person voting in a British parliamentary election.
#BlackHistoryMonth
@victoriancommons.bsky.socialReposted by @histparl.bsky.socialGreat to hear about the progress of @histparl.bsky.social 's brilliant Oral History project!
@histparl.bsky.socialWe're very excited to be including Michael Howard, former leader of the Conservative Party, in our Oral History Project! Its been a busy few months for the project, including interviews with David Alton, Ian Blackford, Peter Bottomley and Patricia Hewitt, and we will be updating our progress here.
@histparl.bsky.socialOn this day in 1938, Neville Chamberlain returned to the UK, having signed the Munich Agreement. However, the agreement which sought to avoid a wider European war had its fair share of major dissenters.
@histparl.bsky.socialRobert 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.socialReposted by @histparl.bsky.socialWe love the featured image here, depicting events before the presentation of the first mass women's suffrage petition in June 1866.
@histparl.bsky.socialFollowing a recent workshop on the history of Westminster Hall, @jhdavey.bsky.social has explored the building's central role in Britain's political history.
@histparl.bsky.social🚨New article🚨 How best to repair the buildings of the Houses of Parliament has been a frequent topic of debate in recent years. But, as Dr Hannes Kleineke explores, Westminster Hall also required a lot of repair work in the Middle Ages. 👇
@histparl.bsky.socialThe 1832 Reform Act made drastic changes to the electoral system, including expanding the right to vote.
Dr Philip Salmon looks at the different (and sometimes quite unusual) ways in which people could qualify for the franchise after 1832.
@victoriancommons.bsky.social
@histparl.bsky.socialThe lack of surviving records creates unique challenges for our colleagues producing biographies of late-medieval MPs. Dr Simon Payling explores how poetic memorializations of two MPs help paint a more rounded, if overly positive picture of their characters.
