The Georgian Lords

The Mystery of the 'Black Box' and the ‘true’ heirs of Charles II - The History of Parliament In the latest blog for the Georgian Lords, Dr Robin Eagles probes the mysteries of the ‘black box’ that was supposed to contain proof of Charles II’s marriage

historyofparliament.com/2020/07/02/t...

We have an entry on Monmouth in our @histparl.bsky.social Lords 1660-1715 volumes.
The article makes the point that as early as 1662 efforts were being made to secure (Scots) letters of legitimation for Monmouth by the king. Unlikely that would have been the case if he was doubtful of paternity.

Excellent to hear Henry Sacheverell remembered today on BBC Radio Wiltshire on the Sue Davies programme.
#HistParl

Congratulations to our colleague in the @victoriancommons.bsky.social section, Naomi, on this splendid special issue of Parliamentary History.

Parliamentary History Click on the title to browse this journal

The 2026 special issue, edited by Naomi Lloyd-Jones is now live! The issue is the product of a 2023 conference at @durhamhistory.bsky.social discussing collective action and the politics of organisation in Britain and Ireland in the long nineteenth-century:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1750...

I think we would be inclined to agree. It's a period that needs to be much more widely known.
We would also speak out for George II (much overlooked, bar a spike around 1745-6 for obvious reasons).

In his opening remarks #OTD 1710, the attorney general, Sir James Montagu emphasized that Sacheverell had set out to asperse the queen (Anne) and her Revolution 'by insinuating fears, and suggesting False lies', which were 'not a doctrine proper at this time'.
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engraving of a man in 18th-century clothes with black robes and a white collar, wearing a long grey curled wig.

#OnThisDay 1710 the state trial of Dr Henry Sacheverell got underway in Westminster Hall.
Sacheverell had infuriated the Whig ministry by preaching against the 1688 Revolution. Their efforts to impeach led to widespread rioting and ultimately brought the ministry down.
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‘Not voting at all’: the election of an imprisoned MP in 1769 - The History of Parliament 2024 represents the 250th anniversary of John Wilkes’s re-election for Middlesex and election as Lord Mayor of London. It was by any measure a remarkable

With by-elections and the state of the current electoral system in the news, another chance to consider one of the most famous sets of by-elections in the 18th century, when John Wilkes was re-elected multiple times for Middlesex, even though he was in gaol:
historyofparliament.com/2024/03/07/e...

The 'Bifrons Purse': Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham and aristocratic women's participation in nineteenth-century elections - The History of Parliament our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones explores the political life of Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham (1769-1861). Best known as George IV’s final mistress...

Elizabeth, Marchioness Conyngham, is best known as the final mistress of George IV.

However, as Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones explores below, her electioneering activity offers an important example of the behind-the-scenes roles wealthy women could play in politics during the 19th century.

Back to a system we would recognize in our period.

"they were so angry with you that it took up a great deal of time and several bottles of wine to appease them"
Lord Bathurst to Lord Gower in 1722, reporting back on a fraught meeting with some of their allies.
Politics as it ought to be done.
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Why weren't we told today was Wig Wednesday?
Needs to be shared widely.

Making the most of a parhelion: the earl of March and the battle of Mortimer’s Cross - The History of Parliament The battle of Mortimer’s Cross has two claims to uniqueness among medieval British battles: it was preceded by the appearance of the meteorological phenomenon of a parhelion and it took place while Pa...

Our colleague, Simon Payling, wrote about an example of this, when the future Edward IV made the most of a rare parhelion. Certainly raised the hearts of his soldiers.
One might also point to things like the 'Protestant Wind'.
@histparl.bsky.social
historyofparliament.com/2020/02/03/p...

Fascinating piece here by our colleague @kathrynrix.bsky.social over on the @histparl.bsky.social site.

New read alert! 💪

This is very interesting. We often wonder about journey times for MPs between their constituencies or homes and Westminster, particularly before the railways.

Love this: early in the 1745 rebellion, Sir Richard Wrottesley, whose father had been a Jacobite, made sure to equip his servants and tenants to form them into a yeomanry to help defeat the Jacobite threat, but they never made it further than the nearest pub, one mile down the road from his estate.

Interesting (if sad) deposition from 1747 of Margaret Ley, a gingerbread maker from Lichfield, who reported being assaulted at her stall in Birmingham by 4 men, because her husband and son had voted Whig at the recent general election.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1...
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painting of a man in 17th-century clothes, he wears brown robes with a lace collar over them and a long brown wig

portrait of a man in 18th-century clothes, he wears a long grey wig and a grey coat with gold edging

Samuel Pepys, diarist, admiralty official and MP for Castle Rising and Harwich was born #OnThisDay 1633.
As it happens, Pepys shares a birthday with Georg Frideric Handel (#OnThisDay 1685), the composer who most of all provides the 'soundtrack' to Georgian Britain.
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On the Althing I am currently reading Independent People (1946) by the Icelandic Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness.

In this week's Scribble Book, #HistParl director @jhdavey.bsky.social takes a literary trip to Iceland, and discusses the importance of Parliament in one of the country's most famous novels.

Read and subscribe via the link below!

Shocking. Marmalade surely an essential.

There are other famous bears in the history of the Lords. When Lord Byron was at Trinity, Cambridge, he responded to the ban on students having their pet dogs with them by bringing along his pet bear instead.

There very nearly was a Lord Paddington.
When Sir Henry Bennet (Charles II's minister)was casting around for potential titles, Paddington was at one time a front runner, as he owned land there.
He later settled for Arlington, where his family had an estate. It's now dominated by Heathrow Airport.

Paddington in Parliament Dr Hannes Kleineke of our Commons 1461-1504 Section explores how Paddington Bear's favourite sweet treat was traded by some members of the late medieval House

After his appearance at the BAFTAs last night, check out our latest article on Paddington Bear!

Dr Hannes Kleineke explores how his favourite sweet treat was traded by some members of the late medieval House of Commons.

‘A Christ Church Set’: Exploring the Discourse of Political Friendship in Late Hanoverian Britain, 1780s-1830s

Register to join us next week, either in person or online on 25 February to hear Warwick final year PhD @brendantam.bsky.social present his paper titled:
‘A Christ Church Set’: Exploring the Discourse of Political Friendship in Late Hanoverian Britain, 1780s-1830s

www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

@emmapeplow.bsky.social @histparl.bsky.social

It's easy to overlook the generational change that occurred in the first few years of Hanoverian Britain. Out went many of the big names of the reign of William III and Anne (most of the Junto, Marlborough &c) and in came some newer faces, eager to make an impression.

Reminder 👀