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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/

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Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 4h ago

For more on Pat Munro, see this post from our assistant editor @kathrynrix.bsky.social for @histparl.bsky.social : historyofparliament.com/2026/03/02/p...

‘One of the greatest Rugby players who ever sat in the House’: Pat Munro MP - The History of Parliament

Pat Munro made his debut as a Scotland rugby international on 4 February 1905 at Inverleith, Edinburgh, taking on Wales in the Home Nations Championship (the

historyofparliament.com

UK Parliamentary Constituencies (since 1885)@parlconst.bsky.social · 4h ago

Patrick Munro was a Scottish rugby international, who played for his country 13 times from 1905 to 1911. Later he became Governor of Khartoum. In 1931, he was elected Conservative MP for Llandaff & Barry, which he held until his death in 1942 while on a Home Guard training exercise at Westminster.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d ago

If the topics of the current exhibition and their wider historical context are of interest, you can download the East India Company at home book in full for free from @uclpress.bsky.social or as individual chapters (no subscription needed) from JSTOR. Very much enabled by @leverhulme.ac.uk . 3/4

The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857

The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857 explores how empire in Asia shaped British country houses, their interiors and the lives of their residents. It includes chapters from researchers based in a ...

uclpress.co.uk

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 2d ago

Continuing with this musical theme, we have just discovered that 'an excellent brass band from Watford' formed part of the procession accompanying one of the candidates to the hustings at the 1837 St Albans election.

The Georgian Lords@georgianlords.bsky.social · 5d ago

With the BBC proms now in full swing at @royalalberthall.bsky.social, a depiction of the Fox-North coalition administration (1783) as an impromptu orchestra: Charles Fox as leader of the orchestra on violin, Lord North on bassoon and Edmund Burke doing his best with a trumpet... #HistParl

caricature of a group of men in 18th-century dress gathered as an orchestra playing a range of instruments. In the foreground is a dog on a drum and another on the ground howling.
History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · 2d ago

🚨New Substack🚨 It is currently the Summer Recess for both Houses of Parliament, allowing MPs, Peers and parliamentary staff the opportunity to take some time off. @jhdavey.bsky.social has explored its long history and how MPs have historically enjoyed their time away from Westminster. ☀️🌴

Summer Recess

It is the Summer Recess for both Houses of Parliament, allowing MPs, Peers and parliamentary staff the opportunity to take some time off.

historyofparliament.substack.com

History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · 3d ago

Lord Ronald Gower was born on this day in 1845. Gower was MP for Sutherland (1867-73) and a prominent figure in British LGBTQ+ history. Our colleague @martinspychal.bsky.social has explored his life and career over a series of articles. 🧵

Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916): the life of a queer MP at the time of the Second Reform Act

Dr Martin Spychal introduces his series of articles on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), who was elected as MP for Sutherland in 1867. This is the first of five

historyofparliament.com

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 4d ago

For #YorkshireDay we are revisiting some of our past articles. Here we looked at the constituency of #York, one of relatively few seats where a Chartist candidate stood during our period: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/07/30/y...

York: exploring the local history of a Victorian constituency

This blog, which explains some of the key features of our constituency articles, and how they might be of use to those interested in the history of a particular locality, originally appeared on the…

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 5d ago

What a great image! We shall throw a band of music including eight trombones (the noise of which upset Charles Dickens at the 1835 Northants North by-election) into this musical mix: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/f...

‘Fighting, swearing, drinking, and squabbling’: Charles Dickens, Eatanswill and the 1835 Northamptonshire North by-election

Today’s blog marks the anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birth by exploring the inspiration behind one of the most notable political events in his first novel. Dickens’s riotous descript…

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

The Georgian Lords@georgianlords.bsky.social · 5d ago

With the BBC proms now in full swing at @royalalberthall.bsky.social, a depiction of the Fox-North coalition administration (1783) as an impromptu orchestra: Charles Fox as leader of the orchestra on violin, Lord North on bassoon and Edmund Burke doing his best with a trumpet... #HistParl

caricature of a group of men in 18th-century dress gathered as an orchestra playing a range of instruments. In the foreground is a dog on a drum and another on the ground howling.
Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 6d ago

Born #OnThisDay 1825, George Ward Hunt, who as chancellor of the exchequer is said to have inspired the tradition of chancellors holding up their red box before they leave Downing Street to make their budget speech. Find out more about him: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/t...

‘The sagacity of the elephant, as well as the form’: MP of the Month, George Ward Hunt (1825-77)

The recent rise of a certain parson’s daughter to the premiership provides a fitting opportunity to consider the unexpected ascent of a parson’s son to one of the great offices of state during the …

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · last wk.

Following last week's article on who could vote after the 1832 Reform Act, this week we're considering 'where' people voted. Our colleague @martinspychal.bsky.social discusses the impact of reform on England's electoral politics. @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act - The History of Parliament

As my book, Mapping the State, explores, and the History of Parliament’s 1832-1868 Commons project is discovering, it is the rich complexity of England’s

historyofparliament.com

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · last wk.

Our latest blog, looking at the Speakership election of 1835 - a pivotal vote for the development of the Liberal party - is now available on our Victorian Commons site: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2026/07/29/s...

The Speakership election of 1835

In this article Dr Kathryn Rix and Dr Martin Spychal discuss a pivotal vote in the early nineteenth-century Commons – the selection of the Speaker in February 1835. They explore popular reaction to…

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

The Georgian Lords@georgianlords.bsky.social · last wk.

Sir Edward Coke seems to have been the first member of the family to enter Parliament when he was elected for Aldeburgh in 1589. The current earl of Leicester (the 8th) secured election to the Lords at a by-election (for hereditary peers) in 2021. He lost his seat on the passage of the 2026 Act.

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · last wk.

One of many Cokes covered by @histparl.bsky.social's volumes - and there's also this very interesting piece by @georgianlords on Sir Edward Coke: historyofparliament.com/2016/11/10/e...

Sir Edward Coke and the Bill of Rights: the royal prerogative and parliament in the seventeenth century - The History of Parliament

Last week’s judgment by the high court that Theresa May’s government was not able to use its powers under the royal prerogative to trigger article 50 made

historyofparliament.com

The Georgian Lords@georgianlords.bsky.social · last wk.

Such a substantial pile for someone without a peerage, though Coke of Norfolk did, of course, eventually secure elevation to the earldom of Leicester. www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1754-...

portrait of an older man with receding grey hair, wearing a dark double-breasted coat with a high collar and a tall white stock underneath.
Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · last wk.

Born #OnThisDay 1804, William Wilshere, who became embroiled in corrupt electioneering at Great Yarmouth. In 1838 he was elected for the constituency without his knowledge. Read more about his political career: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/e...

Elected without his consent: William Wilshere (1804-67) and the venal electors of Great Yarmouth

The huge financial cost of Victorian elections, especially in venal constituencies, has been a recurrent theme in some of our more recent blogs. It’s tempting to think of the MPs associated w…

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 2w ago

A reminder of the new post for July from our Victorian Commons team. Why was the choice of Speaker in 1835 so significant? And why it is so difficult to know how every MP voted in this key division?

History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · 3w ago

Why was the Speakership election of 1835 such a pivotal vote in the 19th century House of Commons? @martinspychal.bsky.social and @kathrynrix.bsky.social explore the significance of the division.

History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · 2w ago

Following the changes made by the 'Great' Reform Act of 1832, who was able to vote? From potwalloper to scot and lot voters, Dr Philip Salmon explores each type of post-1832 voting qualification. @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Who could vote? From potwallopers to ten-pounders: post-1832 franchises explained

Philip Salmon examines who could vote following the changes made by the ‘Great’ Reform Act of 1832. This article covers the system which was in operation until the next major Reform Act in 1867.

historyofparliament.com

Martin Spychal@martinspychal.bsky.social · 3w ago

Just published this co-authored article with my brilliant colleague @kathrynrix.bsky.social on the controversial 1835 election of the Commons Speaker! @histparl.bsky.social @victoriancommons.bsky.social historyofparliament.com/2026/07/17/s... 1/4

The Speakership election of 1835 - The History of Parliament

In this article Dr Kathryn Rix and Dr Martin Spychal of our House of Commons, 1832-1868 project discuss a pivotal vote in the early nineteenth-century Commons

historyofparliament.com

Victorian Commons@victoriancommons.bsky.social · 3w ago

Born #OnThisDay 1804 Brownlow Layard was an army officer who sat as Liberal MP for County Carlow, 1841-7, and campaigned tirelessly on the issue of soldiers’ welfare. Find out more about ‘the soldier’s friend’: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/c...

Captain Brownlow Layard: The Soldier’s Friend

Contrary to popular perceptions of the nineteenth-century British army, a significant number of its officers who sat in the Commons held progressive and radical views. Among them was our MP of the …

victoriancommons.wordpress.com