In our latest article, Dr Kathryn Rix has looked at the 23 MPs commemorated in the Commons chamber who died during the Second World War. Their biographies written by #HistParl are now accessible on Parliament's website, links to which you can find in Dr Rix's article below:

Chloe Mawson has been appointed the 66th Clerk of the Parliaments and is the first woman to take up the post. The Clerk of the Parliaments is head of the House of Lords Administration and Chief Procedural Adviser to the House.

William Wilshere, who died #OnThisDay 1867, found himself facing a possible challenge to a duel after being elected for Great Yarmouth without his consent in 1838. Find out more about events in this corrupt borough: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/e...

#OTD 1831: Birth of Henry Labouchere, writer, publisher, theatre owner and radical Liberal MP for Windsor 1865-66, Middlesex 1867-68 and Northampton 1880-1906. Born into a Hugenot family and nephew of the prominent Whig politician, Labouchere often cut a controversial figure.🧵

In November 1867, Lily Maxwell, a Manchester shopkeeper, voted in a parliamentary by-election. But how was she able to vote in an election more than fifty years before the partial enfranchisement of women in 1918? Dr Kathryn Rix explains:

Following up on our post on resources, this is great news!

In our #1832AtoZ R is also for our Resources page. This has links to many free to access resources for 19th century British history, from Hansard debates to maps. We’ve checked all the links today, but if anything is missing or broken, let us know! victoriancommons.wordpress.com/resources

Ahead of Remembrance Day this Sunday, and with 2025 marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War, Dr Kathryn Rix has looked at the 23 MPs commemorated in the Commons chamber who died during the Second World War: historyofparliament.com/2025/11/07/m...

The Worshipful Company of Curriers essay prize on London for early career scholars, in association with The London Journal Trust and the Institute of Historical Research. The author of the winning submission will receive £1,000, and publication, subject to peer review, in The London Journal.

Transcript of the newspaper report of his funeral including the huge list of mourners lostcambridge.wordpress.com/2018/08/06/t... #LostCambridge 1884

Died #OnThisDay 1884 Henry Fawcett, the first completely blind MP. He sat as a Liberal for Brighton 1865-74, & Hackney 1874-84. For more on him & the wife, the leading suffragist, Millicent Garrett Fawcett, see our earlier post: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/07/19/m...

Very interesting article from our colleague @georgianlords.bsky.social thinking about commemorations.

On 11 November, Steven Spencer of Birkbeck, University of London, will be speaking at the next IHR Parliaments, Politics & People Seminar, where he will be presenting on 'The campaign to pass the Criminal Law Amendment Bill' Find out more about his paper and how to attend below: buff.ly/OTB2wDo

Pakenham was one of two of the sons of Hon. Hercules Pakenham, a former MP for Westmeath, to be killed in action. His brother, Robert, died at Lucknow in 1857.

Having had a narrow escape at the Battle of the Alma, Edward Pakenham, Conservative MP for Co Antrim, died #OnThisDay 1854 after sustaining a fatal injury at the Battle of Inkerman. He was one of several Irish MPs to serve in the Crimean War: thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com/2018/06/26/i...

In Archives Week in 2021, the Peoples Collection of Wales placed on-line a very large number of documents relating to what happened on the day and subsequent trials... now been transcribed and versions can be read more easily www.peoplescollection.wales/users/10004 A remarkable resource. #Chartism

Ready and waiting to meet people at #HistDay25.

Members of the Victorian Commons team will be on the #HistParl stand from 11-11:45 and 2-2:45 for all your 19th century history needs, and other brilliant colleagues will also be on hand throughout the day!

#OTD 1839, government forces and Welsh Chartists clashed during the Newport Rising, now remembered as an iconic moment in the struggle for democratic rights in Britain. Find out more via Dr Philip Salmon's #HistParl article from 2019.

John Walter (b. 1818) followed in his father’s footsteps as proprietor of The Times and as an MP. He represented Nottingham, 1847-59, and Berkshire, 1859-65 & 1868-85. He died #OnThisDay 1894. Read more on his dual role here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/p...

Born #OnThisDay 1801, John Lloyd Davies rose from humble origins, aided by his wife, to become MP for Cardigan Boroughs in 1855. Find out more about his life and parliamentary career in our blog: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/m...

Died #OnThisDay 1854 Benjamin Rotch, MP for Knaresborough 1832-5. He was also a lawyer, inventor, teetotaller & cab proprietor, & challenged the lord major of London to a duel. More on this eclectic career here: historyofparliament.com/2025/08/31/l...

Come and say hello to the #HistParl team at History Day next week! We're excited to talk about our research and catch up with new and old friends working in the sector. Find out more via @ihr.bsky.social #HistDay25

One here for our early modern @histparl.bsky.social colleagues - Snygge was MP for Cricklade and Bristol: www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-...

New to the #HistParl site, @kathrynrix.bsky.social looks at the provision made for women to witness debates in the temporary chamber used by the Commons between 1835 and 1852: historyofparliament.com/2025/10/30/t...

Members of our project will be attending this great event as part of the @histparl.bsky.social team - do come and say hello!

Just one new parliamentary borough was created between the 1832 and 1867 Reform Acts: Birkenhead, enfranchised in 1861. Fittingly, its first MP was the major local shipbuilder John Laird, elected in December 1861, who represented it until his death #OnThisDay in 1874.

Tonight Dr Mari Takayanagi will be speaking at the IHR Parliaments, Politics & People Seminar where she will be discussing her paper 'The Speakers and the Suffragettes'. You can either attend online or in-person, details of which can be found below:

Next in our #1832AtoZ is R. For 19th century political parties Registration was a key part of their activities, making sure their supporters were on the electoral register and trying to remove opponents. Find out more about these efforts here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/r...

There is still time to book for what promises to be a great talk by @satisfactory20.bsky.social - join us at 5:30 tomorrow (Tues) in person or online.

Charles George Lyttelton, born #OnThisDay 1842, became Liberal MP for East Worcestershire at a by-election in June 1868. He was one of the most accomplished cricketers to sit in the Commons, as our post on him explored: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/t...

A fine example of bad political verse (one of our favourite things!) from our 18th century colleagues.

For #EssexDay Philip Salmon's post on the unusual 'freedom-by-marriage' franchise includes material on the Essex borough of Maldon, where wives were interviewed before their husbands could exercise their right to the vote: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/m...

Q in our #1832AtoZ is also for Quakers. As a Quaker, Joseph Pease refused to take an oath as a new MP in 1833. Find out here how he secured the right to affirm instead, becoming the first Quaker to take his seat in the Commons: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/q...

Robinson (aka Viscount Goderich/Earl de Grey and Ripon/Marquess of Ripon) was the son of the PM Viscount Goderich and was born at 10 Downing Street. He was MP for 3 Yorkshire constituencies - Hull, Huddersfield and the West Riding - before succeeding to the peerage in 1859.

Born #OnThisDay 1792 William Collins, Radical MP for Warwick, 1837-52. He was among the minority of 46 MPs who voted in support of the 1839 Chartist petition. There’s more on the Victorian Commons & Chartism here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/t...

Looking forward to the IHR Parliaments, Politics & People seminar on 28 October. Dr Mari Takayanagi @satisfactory20.bsky.social will be sharing new research, inc. a recently discovered ‘suffragette chain’. FREE in-person in London & online. More info here: historyofparliament.com/2025/10/21/t...

Died #OnThisDay 1869 Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, three times Conservative Prime Minister (1852, 1858-9, 1866-8). This post from our editor Philip Salmon gives an overview of his political career: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/l...

The last resting place of Rainald and Louisa, adjacent to the tower of Fawsley St Mary’s. Their former home, Fawsley Hall, can be seen on the far side of the field. #OnePlaceStudies

Rainald Knightley’s wife, Louisa, was a leading figure in the Primrose League, a parish councillor & a supporter of women’s suffrage. Her diaries (for 1856-1884 via archive.org/details/jour... & for 1885-1913 ed by P. Gordon) provide fascinating insights into women’s political activity.

Rainald Knightley, Conservative MP for Northamptonshire South for 4 decades (1852-92), was born #OnThisDay 1819. There’s more on him and his father (also an MP) here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/a...

With that essential feature for historians, a wall of books!

On 28 October, Dr Mari Takayanagi will be speaking at the next IHR Parliaments, Politics & People Seminar, where she will be presenting on 'The Speakers and the Suffragettes'. Find out more about the paper and how to attend below: historyofparliament.com/2025/10/21/t...

#OnThisDay 1854 Florence Nightingale departed with fellow nurses from London for the Crimea. She was encouraged by Sidney Herbert MP. Find out more about their friendship here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2019/09/16/m...

Moving in day at the new office for @histparl.bsky.social. Lots of unpacking has happened.

In the late 1830s and 1840s this newspaper was owned by Henry George Ward, then MP for Sheffield, previously MP for St Albans, and probably best known for his Irish Church motion of 1834.

For more on the earlier history of parliamentary reporting, see our short article, which has links to several other pieces from us on the reporting of Commons proceedings: historyofparliament.com/2025/09/08/t...

Our assistant editor @kathrynrix.bsky.social and our @histparl.bsky.social colleague @emmapeplow.bsky.social appeared this morning on a special Radio 4 programme marking the 80th anniversary of 'Today in Parliament'. If you missed it at 5 a.m.(!), catch up here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Great to see Helen Wilson, who was co-supervised by Amanda Goodrich and @histparl.bsky.social's own Robin Eagles (@georgianlords.bsky.social) featured on this term card. Helen's will be a joint session with the Parliaments, Politics and People seminar (for other PPP seminars, see the link).

Died #OnThisDay 1869 George Macartney, Conservative MP for County Antrim, 1852-9. His wife had died in tragic circumstances after an explosion at Lissanoure Castle 22 years earlier. Read more here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/a...