TheVictorianCommons

Continuing his series on Scotland's first Black MP, Peter McLagan, our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of 'Philly'/'Filly', who was enslaved in Guyana by McLagan's father at the time of McLagan's birth. victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2026/04/30/phi…

Our final #StGeorgesDay MP is George Faithfull, the Radical MP for Brighton who clashed spectacularly with his former supporters over the rights of women voters in the town’s local elections. Find out more in our blog: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/mp-…

Our third George is George Donisthorpe Thompson, a noted platform orator and campaigner for the abolition of slavery (among many other causes), who was elected as MP for Tower Hamlets in 1847. Find out more about him here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/12/12/mp-…

For #StGeorgesDay a thread on MPs who share the name George. First we have Sir George Cayley, better known for his pioneering role in the science of flight than his brief stint (1832-5) as Whig MP for Scarborough. Find out more about him here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/mp-…

Charlotte Brontë was born #OnThisDay 210 years ago. In June 1850 she visited the Ladies' Gallery of the House of Commons to listen to MPs debating, as featured in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2024/03/08/the…

Benjamin Disraeli, twice Conservative prime minister, died #OnThisDay 1881. He has featured in several of our blogs. This post looked at his relationship with his fellow Maidstone MP Wyndham Lewis, whose widow became Disraeli’s wife: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/mp-…

Robert Spankie, born #OnThisDay 1774, followed an unusual career path, from reporting on parliamentary debates in the 1790s to speaking in them as an MP in the 1830s. Find out more in our blog: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/01/27/fro…

Henry Austin Bruce, Liberal MP for Merthyr Tydfil, 1852-68, & Renfrewshire, 1869-73, was born #OnThisDay 1815. His many official roles included serving as Home Secretary, 1868-73, President @AberUni & President @RoyalHistSoc 1878-91. He was created Baron Aberdare in 1873.

The former MP for Dorset, Henry Sturt, who died #OnThisDay 1866, was faced with a difficult choice over how to vote on the repeal of the corn laws in 1846. Find out more about his dilemma in our blog: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2019/03/29/con…

Our #1832AtoZ is at an end, with Z for Zoo. Nicholas Vigors, an Irish MP, played a leading role in the early development of London Zoo, and was the first secretary of the Zoological Society of London. For more on his scientific and political careers, see victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/07/10/mp-…

Our penultimate entry for our #1832AtoZ is Y for York. This post uses York to explore the structure of our constituency articles and discusses the city’s 19th century elections. victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/07/30/yor…

Our #1832AtoZ is almost at an end. Our first Y is for the town of Youghal, which featured in our article on elections in small Irish boroughs: historyofparliament.com/2021/01/26/sma…

Great to see our assistant editor Dr Kathryn Rix's article featured in this collection edited by our research fellow Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones.

Caitlin Kitchener approaches the practice of political decision-making from an historical archaeological perspective. Using St Peter’s Field as a case study, the article views landscape as an ‘active organising agent’. Read the article for free here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.11…

Graeme Morton’s article uses the 1854 Edinburgh Pollbook and organisational subscription lists to demonstrate how Conservative political hegemony was channelled through civil society. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/17…

Charlotte Brontë died #OnThisDay 1855. She took a keen interest in parliamentary proceedings when she visited the ladies’ gallery of the temporary House of Commons in 1850, as our post explains: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2024/03/08/the… #WomensHistoryMonth

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/the…

Born #OnThisDay 1809 John Wright Treeby, a London builder, was among the significant number of self-made men elected to the Victorian Commons. There’s more on his professional and political career in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/mp-…

In this Open Access article, Dave Steele explores the bodily and sensory experiences in the crowds formed by the reform movement from 1816-1848, offering new perspectives on the lived experience of popular politics and the mass platform. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/17…