Tag: Whigs

Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Victorian, Women and Parliament

‘She, yes, she was the only member of parliament’: Harriet Grote, radical parliamentary tactics and House of Lords reform, 1835-6

In the fifth of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal explores Harriet’s relationship with the veteran radical Francis Place (1771-1854), her views on radical tactics and her increasingly resourceful strategies for influencing Parliament during the 1835 and 1836 parliamentary sessions. In September 1836 the veteran radical, Francis Place (1771-1854), shared his thoughts on one of his closest Westminster allies, Harriet Grote (1792-1878). … Continue reading ‘She, yes, she was the only member of parliament’: Harriet Grote, radical parliamentary tactics and House of Lords reform, 1835-6

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Parties

“Honest and essential service”: Henry Fox, Lord Holland, government fixer

Even in the 18th century, governments of all sorts relied on tough politicians who were willing to do the dirty work to keep administrations afloat. In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles highlights the case of Henry Fox, Lord Holland, one of the most notorious of them all, who died 250 years ago. In the winter of 1762/3 Holland oversaw the … Continue reading “Honest and essential service”: Henry Fox, Lord Holland, government fixer

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History of Parliament Trust, 18th Century history, Elections, Electoral Reform, Georgian, Georgian Elections Project

To reform or not to reform: Party manifestos

As many modern political parties announce their manifestos this week Dr Robin Eagles from our House of Lords 1715-1790 project looks back at the decisions around flagship policies that could make or break parties and alliances in the 18th century, as part of our Georgian Elections Project. Party manifestos as we know them today are largely a product of the post-1832 changes in the way … Continue reading To reform or not to reform: Party manifestos

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Georgian Lords, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, Elections, Factions, Georgian, Parties

Tory to Whig – or helping out the Family?

Historians J.B. Owen, J.H. Plumb, and Linda Colley have all alluded to the post-1714 drift of the Tories into the Whig party. One of the families particularly referenced was the Legges. In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Stuart Handley demonstrates the family advantages of conforming to the prevailing political climate. In August 1714, the head of the Legge family was William, earl … Continue reading Tory to Whig – or helping out the Family?

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, George II, Georgian, William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire

‘A very disagreeable situation’: the brief premiership of William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire

Following Liz Truss’s record-breaking short tenure as Prime Minister, recently much attention has turned towards some of the historical figures who held the post of Premier for only a short period of time. William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire, is amongst this list, serving only 255 days in office. But as Charles Littleton from our Lords 1715-1790 project explores, it was never Devonshire’s intention to … Continue reading ‘A very disagreeable situation’: the brief premiership of William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire

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Georgian, 18th Century history, George II, Georgian Lords, Henry Pelham, Parties, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st duke of Newcastle, William Cavendish, 4th duke of Devonshire, William Pitt the Elder

‘A frenzy of quitting’: the art of resigning in the 18th century

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Charles Littleton considers two episodes in the mid-18th century when governments were subject to mass resignations… Between 5 and 7 July 2022, over 60 members of Boris Johnson’s government resigned, the highest number of resignations in a limited period in British political history. Few 18th-century governments saw as many departures, but many of the period’s administrations … Continue reading ‘A frenzy of quitting’: the art of resigning in the 18th century

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Georgian Lords, 18th Century history, Georgian, Health and Medicine, Legal history, Military history, Scottish History

To attend or not to attend: state trials during an outbreak of smallpox

In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles considers the dilemma facing some peers summoned to attend the trials of the Jacobite peers after Culloden as London faced an outbreak of smallpox in the summer of 1746. On 28 July 1746 the House of Lords convened in Westminster Hall for the trials of three Scots peers, who had been arrested following the … Continue reading To attend or not to attend: state trials during an outbreak of smallpox

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Georgian, 19th Century history, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Economic history, Elections, Factions, Slavery

The West India Interest and the Parliamentary Defence of Slavery, 1823-33

Ahead of Tuesday’s Virtual IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Michael Taylor, the author of The Interest: How the British Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery (2020). He will be responding to your questions about his research on the parliamentary resistance to the abolition of slavery between 5:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on 3 November 2020. Details on how to join the discussion … Continue reading The West India Interest and the Parliamentary Defence of Slavery, 1823-33

History of Parliament2 Comments
Georgian, 18th Century history, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Factions, Parties

Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: Edmund Burke and the Rockingham Whigs

Ahead of this evening’s IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, Dr Max Skjönsberg from the University of Liverpool revisits his paper from the previous session, discussing political philosopher and MP Edmund Burke’s alignment with the Whig party… Edmund Burke (1729/30-97) is the best-known proponent of party in parliamentary history and the history of political thought. In his Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People seminar: Edmund Burke and the Rockingham Whigs

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