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.

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:

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...

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

Can anyone help me identify these schoolgirls who visited Parliament in July 1909? I'm writing about them in my book and would LOVE to be able to say who they are! www.npg.org.uk/collections/... #histed #histchild

Did you take part in a mock election at your UK school or college between 1983 and 2001? Share your memories for a research project on young people and democracy in modern Britain! Write to us about your experiences here: forms.office.com/e/FNAwjfFR7f

New post today from me for @histparl.bsky.social. Among these 23 MPs were the 'Baby of the House', a former international rugby player, half of the second-ever pair of brother and sister MPs, the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Air and the former captain of the Lancashire county cricket team.

My favourite acquisition from #HistDay25, which was, as usual, a great opportunity to join my colleagues in spreading the word about @histparl.bsky.social, and to find out about lots of other exciting resources, archives, libraries and more. Thanks @ihr.bsky.social and all the organisers!

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

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...

I enjoyed chairing the brilliant @satisfactory20.bsky.social for her seminar yesterday, which featured the fascinating history of this 'suffragette chain' and lots more. Thanks for a great paper Mari!

The last MP to speak in this chamber was Patrick Munro, who moved the adjournment on 8 May 1941. Munro, best known as a former rugby international for Scotland, died at the Palace of Westminster just under a year later. He was a private in the Home Guard, who were taking part in a major exercise.

Looking forward to the first Parliaments, Politics and People seminar of term on Tues 28th, when the always excellent @satisfactory20.bsky.social will be sharing her research on The Speakers and the Suffragettes. Join us in person or online. historyofparliament.com/2025/10/21/t...

This was fun to do, although you won't know it was me from listening 🤣 @kathrynrix.bsky.social is brilliant as ever and an interesting look back on the programme

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).

Stunning dahlias at Anglesey Abbey today.

I think I will stick with the long 19th century, but this was food for thought at the National Museum in Prague!

The History of Parliament is moving from Bloomsbury to pastures new next month. I shall miss lots of things about our old office, but high on the list is enjoying the view of this tree across the changing seasons.

Today is the anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Clock Tower (now the Elizabeth Tower) at the Houses of Parliament. Find out more about the 15 year old who wielded this ceremonial trowel in 1843: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/f...

On a side project looking at MPs killed during WW2. Edward Kellett, MP for Aston, Birmingham 1939-43, apparently 'had two drawbacks' to overcome when he entered politics, 'his ginger moustache' and 'his nickname "Flash".

Had a very interesting day in Bloomsbury at the 'What is a Parliament?' workshop organised by @stephenholdenbates.bsky.social @benworthy.bsky.social and @pseaward.bsky.social Thanks to them and to all the speakers who gave such thought-provoking papers!

Born #OTD 1782, Daniel Gaskell, who was elected as the first MP for the new constituency of Wakefield after the 1832 Reform Act. Dr Kathryn Rix looks at his parliamentary career, as well as his friendship with the author Mary Shelley: historyofparliament.com/2025/09/11/d...

Currently researching Duncan McLaren, Liberal MP for Edinburgh from 1865. On holiday in 1868 the men of the family went to a Liberal meeting at Oban, but the women did not. McLaren's wife Priscilla Bright McLaren wrote: 'As we have the misfortune to wear petticoats we are not to go’.

New article today from @victoriancommons.bsky.social. Dr Kathryn Rix explores the creation of a dedicated reporters' gallery in the House of Commons after the fire of 1834, showing the growing importance of the press in reporting proceedings in the Commons in the 19th century: buff.ly/Y1uTIXt

I also enjoyed these talks @womenshistnet.bsky.social, especially hearing about Joyce Butler MP - a great project from @teadevotee.bsky.social and Julie Melrose - and about life in Churchill Archives in the 1970s.

I learned a lot at the very interesting @womenshistnet.bsky.social conference, but unsurprisingly this was my favourite panel! Many thanks to all the organisers and speakers.

And just like that, #womenshistory conference is over for another year. Thanks to everyone @womenshistnet.bsky.social for organising - it's been a great two days! If you're not following WHN please do! And check out their website for more information womenshistorynetwork.org

@chloechallender.bsky.social will have an article on women's modes of entry to the early nineteenth-century parliament in our next issue, coming in October. More to follow!

Looking forward to day 2 of the @womenshistnet.bsky.social conference online. Especially looking forward to the parliamentary themed papers from @chloechallender.bsky.social and @satisfactory20.bsky.social

This is a brilliant profile of a man who sadly only has a walk-on part in my forthcoming book about temperance life assurance. Rotch's busy-ness and crankiness seem characteristic of some other mid-century teetotalers, reminding us that temperance could be radical--or just plain weird

I can't leave #GingerCatAppreciationDay unmarked! Here is my ginger cat enjoying life.

New on the @histparl.bsky.social site is one of my favourite MPs to research, because of the range of his interests. Who doesn't want to know more about ‘Drinkwater Rotch, the Sheep-shearing Magistrate’, who challenged the lord mayor of London to a duel?! historyofparliament.com/2025/08/31/l...

If you love women's history, sign up for the Women's History Network ‪@womenshistnet.bsky.social‬ annual conference. Running over 4-5 Sept, it's free, online, & packed with great panels on activism, archives, the arts and fashion, economic life, sexualities womenshistorynetwork.org/the-womens-h...

Today marks the anniversary of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act receiving royal assent in 1883. My new post for @histparl.bsky.social looks at the Act's impact on election expenditure and electoral corruption: historyofparliament.com/2025/08/25/1...

Great piece here from my colleague Philip Salmon.

The Parliamentary History Essay Prize 2025 is open! The prize is worth £500 and winners will have their essay published in our journal! The submission deadline is 30 Nov 2025! For details 👇 🧵1/4 @histparl.bsky.social @georgianlords.bsky.social @victoriancommons.bsky.social

Some really interesting papers here - looking forward to hearing from some familiar faces including @satisfactory20.bsky.social @teadevotee.bsky.social and @chloechallender.bsky.social as well as some new ones.

Can't quite believe that it is 13 years since I made my first foray into Wordpress and created our Victorian Commons site! Very proud of all the work my colleagues have put in to sharing our research highlights and enthusiasm for 19th century history.

Very interesting post from my colleague Naomi Lloyd-Jones on the last political duel in England.

@histparl.bsky.social @victoriancommons.bsky.social

🗳️ #OTD 2 July 1928: The Equal Franchise Act received royal assent in the UK, granting all women over 21 the vote—regardless of property. It gave women electoral equality with men, adding 5 million to the roll and making them the majority in the 1929 election. #VotesForWomen #Suffrage #GenderHist

A pensioner gives her verdict on an organised excursion to Cambridge, early 1960s: the colleges were dirty, she disliked the fish and chips, but the cemetery was fun.

Great thread with links to @martinspychal.bsky.social's series of articles on the influential Harriet Grote and politics in the 1830s.

📢📢📢 CfP: What is a Parliament? ***Hurry! Deadline is this Friday!*** Interdisciplinary workshop on 19th September 2025 in London. Full details below. Kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the University of Birmingham and @psa-parliaments.bsky.social Please apply and/or spread the word!

I'm having flashbacks to first year undergraduate history classes, where we definitely watched excerpts from at least two of these!

Brilliant and fascinating research here from my colleague @martinspychal.bsky.social.

If you have published your first book in women's or gender history in 2023 or 2024, please do consider putting it forward for the Women's History Network Book Prize. It's open to all who live in the UK or are affiliated to a UK university. womenshistorynetwork.org/whn-annual-b...