portrait of a young man in 18th-century dress

‘of all others most desirable’: Pitt the Younger and elections for Cambridge

From the onset of his lengthy political career, William Pitt the Younger had his eyes fixed on representing his alma mater, the University of Cambridge. Writing to his mother in July 1779, he observed that the University seat was ‘of all others most desirable, as being free from expense, perfectly independent, and I think in every respect extremely honourable’. In this latest guest post for … Continue reading ‘of all others most desirable’: Pitt the Younger and elections for Cambridge

From celebrity to outcast: William Bankes MP (1786-1855)

Today’s blog is the second of three posts to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. In this blog we hear from Dr Philip Salmon, Editor of the House of Commons 1832-1868 project, about William Bankes who fled the country to avoid prosecution for homosexual offences … William Bankes was one of the most famous explorers of Regency England. A swashbuckling early 19th-century ‘Indiana Jones’, his discovery of … Continue reading From celebrity to outcast: William Bankes MP (1786-1855)