Fascinating stuff.

Peter McLagan (1823-1900): Scotland’s first Black MP This is the first article in a new series for the Victorian Commons on Peter McLagan (1823-1900), by Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of Commons 1832-1868 project. McLagan was…

Later this month we will have a new article from @martinspychal.bsky.social as part of his series on Peter McLagan, Scotland's first Black MP. Here's a reminder of Martin's first article on McLagan and the process of researching his background: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/p...

A woman wearing a pink jumper is holding a copy of a book in front of her to display the cover. She looks happy.

Great excitement in the #HistParl office as our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones gets her hands on a print copy of her special issue of Parliamentary History. It's currently free to access online here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17500206...

Working from home set up with rubber suffragette duck on desk, New Dawn colourful print on wall behind and a suffrage teatowel hanging over a monitor

Exciting news! I've signed a contract to write my first solo book - on women, politics and the battle for equal franchise between 1918 and 1928. It will be published for the centenary of the Equal Franchise Act in 2028 by @yalebooks.bsky.social Suffraduck is on my desk waiting for me to start! 🗃️

Grateful to Marta Bartkowska for making a beautiful postcard & flyer for mine & @svenjaros.bsky.social workshop & public event in Germany this May! "Power Couples: Collaborations at work and at home, c. 1750-1920s" funded by the DFG & others. Do get in touch if you want more info about the project!

A map of London showing its parliamentary constituencies after 1832.

The Victorian Commons team are back at their desks after the Easter break. Our most recent batch of work included two Speakers of the House of Commons (Manners Sutton & Shaw Lefevre), the rather corrupt constituency of Canterbury & the UK's largest parliamentary borough in our period, Tower Hamlets.

In this free to read article, @lauracforster.bsky.social explores socialist political lecture tours in the late 19th century and how these produced everyday, intimate experiences that could powerfully embody socialist ideas for new audiences. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

The ‘Bifrons Purse’: Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham and aristocratic women’s participation in nineteenth-century elections Drawing on her research into Canterbury for the House of Commons, 1832-1868 project, our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones explores the political life of Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham (1769-1…

With #WomensHistoryMonth drawing to a close, here's a reminder of our most recent article on women and 19th century elections. Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones looks at Lady Conyngham's involvement in electioneering at Canterbury: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2026/02/26/t...

Internship: History of Parliament Trust, House of Lords 1640-60 Project - The History of Parliament The History of Parliament is excited to announce a new 8-week internship position for postgraduate-level researchers.

The History of Parliament is excited to announce a new 8-week internship position for postgraduate-level researchers, working with the House of Lords 1640-60 section.

Follow the link below for more details on the role, and how to apply!

I had a joyful time presenting at @ihr.bsky.social’s #histparl seminar yesterday: a BIG thank you to @martinspychal.bsky.social & Dr Robin Eagles for making me so welcome, to all who came along in person & online, & to Martin, Robin, & Drs Philip Salmon & Naomi Lloyd-Jones for some terrific leads!

Re-membering the medieval parliament, 1769-1886 - The History of Parliament At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 March, Dr Sarah Wride of the University of York and the Institute of Historical Research,

Really looking forward to hearing about May Day, the folkmote & reform debates in the 18/19C from @srwride.bsky.social at the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 17 March. The event is FREE in-person in London and online. @ihr.bsky.social Details: historyofparliament.com/2026/03/10/r...

Re-membering the medieval parliament, 1769-1886 - The History of Parliament At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 March, Dr Sarah Wride of the University of York and the Institute of Historical Research,

Really looking forward to hearing about May Day, the folkmote & reform debates in the 18/19C from @srwride.bsky.social at the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 17 March. The event is FREE in-person in London and online. @ihr.bsky.social Details: historyofparliament.com/2026/03/10/r...

Prime Ministers in the House of Lords Dr Kathryn Rix, of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project, explores the history and significance of prime ministers in the Lords.

It may appear strange today that a member of the House of Lords could serve as Prime Minister.

However, as @kathrynrix.bsky.social has explored in a new article, the 19th century saw more Prime Ministers leading from the Lords than the Commons.

Re-membering the medieval parliament, 1769-1886 At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 March, Dr Sarah Wride of the University of York and the Institute of Historical Research,

Dr Sarah Wride will be speaking at the next IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 'Re-Membering the Medieval Parliament, 1769-1886'.

📍 Senate House, London / Online
🗓️Tuesday 17 March 2026
⏱️5:30-6:30pm

Find out more about the paper and how to attend below.

A half-length coloured portrait of a woman, which in front of a dark brown background, it is a half-length portrait where she is wearing a dark blue dress with a cream lace frilled collar and sleeve cuffs, and is wearing a beaded necklace with many shades of blue. She is wearing a dark red lipstick with very long dark brown hair tied up.

Another figure we want to shed light on this #WomensHistoryMonth is Harriet Grote.

In a series of articles, Dr Martin Spychal explores how she was able to establish herself as one of Westminster’s leading radical politicians.
@martinspychal.bsky.social
@victoriancommons.bsky.social

The representation of Devon and Cornwall after reform, 1832-68 Last week the History of Parliament and the Devon and Cornwall Record Society hosted a conference at Exeter on ‘The South West and Parliament’. Dr Martin Spychal of the Victorian Common…

For #CornwallDay we are sharing one of our earlier articles from @martinspychal.bsky.social, which looks at politics in Cornwall (and Devon) between 1832 and 1868: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2019/05/17/t...

Ahead of #ValentinesDay, a tale of failed romance from the perhaps unlikely source of reports on a select committee looking at bribery at the 1859 Bury election. Walter Wardle and Margaret Foley were both witnesses to this committee, which met in a House of Commons committee-room. (1/3)

'Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant': Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870 - The History of Parliament Dr Cara Gathern of UK Parliament Heritage Collections, will be discussing representations of women and sovereign power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870.

Dr Cara Gathern will be speaking at the next IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster.

📍 Senate House, London / Online
🗓️Tuesday 17 February 2026
⏱️5:30-6:30pm

Find out more about the paper and how to attend below:

Before the vote was won: women and politics, 1832-68 This month marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which received royal assent on 6 February. For the first time, virtually all the adult male population received …

Next in our #1832AtoZ is W for Women. Our Victorian Commons website has several articles exploring women’s involvement in 19th century politics, from local government electors to political wives, and from petitioners to electoral patrons. For links, see victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/b...

The History of the History: Part 1 Q&A

This week in Scribble Book, #HistParl Director @jhdavey.bsky.social explores the history of the History of Parliament, beginning in the 1930s with Josiah Wedgwood's questionnaire of former MPs who sat between 1885 and 1918.

Read and subscribe via the link below!

How many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act? - The History of Parliament Dr Martin Spychal examines how many people could vote in the UK after the 1832 Reform Act.

The 1832 Reform Act marked a pivotal moment in the extension of the franchise, but who was able to vote?

@martinspychal.bsky.social explores topic, which may not be as straightforward as you think.

In memory of Sir Roland Jackson, 1954-2026 We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of Sir Roland Jackson who was very well-regarded member, Fellow and Trustee of the Royal Institution (Ri) and a pivotal figure in the fields of science…

We were saddened to hear that Sir Roland Jackson, who was due to speak to our IHR seminar this term, died earlier this month.

The Royal Institution have published a moving tribute here.

Job Vacancy: Research Fellow, 1660-1832 House of Lords - The History of Parliament The History of Parliament are excited to advertise for a research fellow to join our House of Lords 1660-1832 project.

📣 We’re hiring!
The History of Parliament are seeking a Research Fellow for our House of Lords 1660-1832 project. @georgianlords.bsky.social

We’re looking for a historian with a PhD in 18thC British political or cultural history to join our expert team.

🔗 Details below:
#AcademicJobs #HistoryJobs

Steps towards identifying new Black voters in 18th-century Westminster and Hertfordshire - The History of Parliament A few months ago, the History welcomed a guest post by Dr Gillian Williamson with her groundbreaking research into John London, to date the earliest known

#ICYMI earlier this week, Robin Eagles of the Georgian Lords posted on uncovering the lives of Black Londoners, among them one who almost certainly joined John London in voting in the 1749 Westminster by-election:
historyofparliament.com/2026/01/05/s...
#HistParl #BSECS2026

Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons for 2026! - The History of Parliament Here’s wishing all our readers a very enjoyable New Year! 2025 was a particularly memorable year for our 1832-68 House of Commons project and the History of

We are all back at our desks for 2026 and we start with a reminder of some of our research from 2025. We look forward to sharing more highlights over the coming months. historyofparliament.com/2026/01/01/h...

The University of London, representation and the 1867 Reform Act Last week, as part of UK Parliament Week, we held a special event with the University of London to mark the 150th anniversary of the university returning its first MP to parliament. At the 1868 gen…

Next in our #1832AtoZ is U, which is for University seats. Find out more about University constituencies in @martinspychal.bsky.social's article on the University of London seat: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/t...

The Victorian Commons team enjoyed catching up with Lisa and other friends and colleagues at this event, and it was great to hear our director @jhdavey.bsky.social introduce proceedings with an overview of @histparl.bsky.social's activities in 2025. It has been a busy year!

Nick Thomas-Symonds stands in the middle of the image speaking into a microphone.

A packed room for @histparl.bsky.social’s annual lecture!

A great evening and lecture given by Rt Hon. Nick Thomas-Symonds on ‘Clement Attlee’s Labour Governments of 1945-51: A Reappraisal'.

Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860). A farmer’s son from Perthshire, McLagan senior acquired considerable wealth as an enslaver and plantation owner in Demerara …

A reminder of this month's new post from our senior research fellow @martinspychal.bsky.social, who continues his series on Peter McLagan, Scotland's first Black MP, with research into McLagan's father: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/p...

Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor - The History of Parliament Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860). A farmer’s son from Perthshire, McLagan senior acquired considerable wealth as an enslaver and plantation owner in Demerara…

Following on from his article on Peter McLagan, Scotland's first Black MP, Dr Martin Spychal has explored the life of his father, Peter McLagan senior, and his ownership of enslaved people in Demerara (modern-day Guyana):

historyofparliament.com/2025/12/11/p...