Category: Buildings and Architecture

Victorian Commons, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Parliamentary Life, Victorian

‘A place of business’: the temporary chamber of the House of Commons, 1835-1851

As part of our series on parliamentary buildings, Dr Kathryn Rix of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project looks at the temporary chamber used by the House of Commons from 1835 until 1851, after its previous chamber was destroyed by fire in October 1834. The devastating fire at the Palace of Westminster on 16 October 1834 made the House of Commons chamber in the former … Continue reading ‘A place of business’: the temporary chamber of the House of Commons, 1835-1851

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Georgian Lords, 14th Century history, 15th Century History, 16th Century history, 17th Century history, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Constituencies, Edward VI, Elections, Elizabeth I, George I, George III, Georgian, Henry VII, History of Parliament Trust, James II, John Stuart, 3rd earl of Bute, Local History, Medieval, Oliver Cromwell, Religious history, Stuart, Tudor

Descended from a giant: the Worsleys of Hovingham

The recent death of HRH the Duchess of Kent, who was married to the late queen’s cousin at York Minister in 1961, reminds us of her family’s long association with Yorkshire. This has included two brothers who served as archbishop of York and several members of her family who were elected to Parliament. Dr Robin Eagles considers the Worsley family’s connection with the north of … Continue reading Descended from a giant: the Worsleys of Hovingham

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19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Parliamentary Life, Victorian, Victorian Commons

‘The status of the Press is changed indeed’: the reporters’ gallery in the nineteenth-century House of Commons

Continuing our series on parliamentary buildings, Dr Kathryn Rix looks at the accommodation provided for the newspaper journalists who reported on the proceedings of the nineteenth-century House of Commons. The history of parliamentary reporting in the 19th century has two connected strands: the history of Hansard, and the history of reporting by the newspaper press, whose accounts of Commons debates formed the basis for Hansard’s … Continue reading ‘The status of the Press is changed indeed’: the reporters’ gallery in the nineteenth-century House of Commons

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19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Electoral Reform, Victorian, Victorian Commons, Women and Parliament

Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the first reformed Parliament, 1833-34: a woman at Westminster

In the third of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal looks at Harriet’s introduction to politics at Westminster during the first ‘reformed’ Parliament of 1833-34. Harriet Grote (1792-1878) was one of the most important British politicians of the 1830s. As I’ve discussed in my previous articles, she had been a key figure among London’s intellectual radicals during the previous … Continue reading Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the first reformed Parliament, 1833-34: a woman at Westminster

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

The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster

In the second of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s introduction to electoral politics at the 1832 election and her preparations for the 1833 parliamentary session… The 1832 election introduced Harriet Grote (1792-1878) to several of the traditional, and not so traditional, avenues through which a politician’s wife could engage in nineteenth-century electoral politics. As I discussed … Continue reading The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster

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18th Century history, Art, Fashion and Material Culture, Buildings and Architecture, Disability history, Frederick North, 2nd earl of Guilford, George III, Georgian, Georgian Lords, Legal history, Local History, Parliamentary Life, Religious history, Social history

Bloomsbury Square and the Gordon Riots

For almost 20 years, Bloomsbury Square has been the home to the History of Parliament. In the latest post for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles considers the history of the square in one of its most turbulent periods. Bloomsbury Square, and its immediate surroundings, have long been associated with prominent political figures. In 1706, several peers had residences in the square, notably the (2nd) … Continue reading Bloomsbury Square and the Gordon Riots

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19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Victorian, Victorian Commons

A Westminster Boy Made Good: Charles Barry (1795-1860)

In this guest post, previously published on the Victorian Commons, Dr Caroline Shenton, formerly the Director of the Parliamentary Archives and author of The Day Parliament Burned Down (2012) and Mr Barry’s War (2016), reflects on an often-forgotten aspect of the background of Charles Barry, architect of the New Houses of Parliament. On the night of 16 October 1834, thirty-nine year old Charles Barry was travelling … Continue reading A Westminster Boy Made Good: Charles Barry (1795-1860)

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A black and white drawing of St Stephens Chapel and Speaker's House. In the foreground there is a river with two boats being rowed from left to right. Above the river in the background from left to right is a selection of tall trees, St Stephen's Chapel with stained glass windows facing the front and two spires besides them, then next to it a white more modern building with crenellations across the top of the building, which is Speaker's House.
Georgian, 18th Century history, 19th Century history, Buildings and Architecture, Conferences, Seminars and Events, Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth, Speakers of the House

The Speaker’s House and the Evolution of the Speakership, 1794–1834

At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 6 May 2025, Dr Murray Tremellen of York Museums Trust will be discussing ‘The Speaker’s House and the Evolution of the Speakership, 1794–1834’ . The seminar takes place on 6 May 2025, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. It will be hosted online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here. There are … Continue reading The Speaker’s House and the Evolution of the Speakership, 1794–1834

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Contemporary History, 19th Century history, 20th century history, Benjamin Disraeli, Buildings and Architecture, David Lloyd George, Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th earl of Derby, George Canning, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, Modern, Robert Peel, Victorian, Winston Churchill

‘Made of Stone’ (or not): Statues in Parliament Square

For the past few months our Head of Contemporary History, Dr Emma Peplow, has been on Matt Chorley’s Radio 5live show every Thursday afternoon discussing the figures commemorated in Parliament Square. Here she shares some of what she has learned…. Even if the statues in Parliament Square are not ‘Made of Stone’, as the introductory music to our feature on Matt Chorley’s Radio 5live programme … Continue reading ‘Made of Stone’ (or not): Statues in Parliament Square

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The Commons in the Wars of the Roses, 15th Century History, Buildings and Architecture, Henry VI, Local History, Medieval, Military history, Social history

The town of Shrewsbury and the Wars of the Roses: The campaigns of 1459-61

Dr Simon Payling, of our Commons 1461-1504 section, explores the political allegiance of the Shropshire town of Shrewsbury during the Wars of the Roses. While, during the Wars of the Roses, the political allegiances of individual noblemen are relatively easy to determine, those of individual towns are generally obscured. This is not surprising, for the notion of the corporate allegiance of a town is a … Continue reading The town of Shrewsbury and the Wars of the Roses: The campaigns of 1459-61

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