History of Parliament Project
Britain
Parliamentary history is one of the key threads which runs throughout English and British history. An ancient institution which has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, the long centuries of its existence at the heart of politics.
The History of Parliament is a huge research project creating a comprehensive account of parliamentary politics in England, and then Britain, from the thirteenth century. Aiming to be a comprehensive and authoritative history. It consists of detailed studies of elections and electoral politics, by constituency, as well as closely researched accounts of the lives of everyone elected to Parliament in the period. There are also surveys of the themes and discoveries of the research and information on the operation of Parliament as an institution.
Forty-one volumes covering ten periods have already been published. They deal with 1386-1421, 1509-1558, 1558-1603, 1604-1629, 1660-1690, 1690-1715, 1715-1754, 1754-1790, 1790-1820 and 1820-1832. Over 25 million words, 20,000 pages, 21,000 biographies and 2800 constituency articles, covering 320 years of parliamentary history. All of these volumes are still in print. See their publications for details.
Houses of Parliament
The History’s staff of historians are currently researching the House of Commons in the periods: 1422-1504, 1640-1660, and 1832-1868. You can read about their current research. When these are complete, the History will provide a continuous account of the House of Commons from 1386 to the Second Reform Act of 1867. Since 1998, the History has also been researching the House of Lords. Two periods are currently under way: 1660-1832 (which will be split into three periods, 1660-1715, 1715-1790, and 1790-1832), and 1604-60. There are Lords volumes already published, including 1604-1629 and 1660-1715.
The History is funded principally by the two Houses of Parliament. It was originally founded before the Second World War, the brainchild of Josiah Wedgwood MP, Labour minister, and revived after the war with the support of several of the greatest British historians of the day, including Sir Lewis Namier, Sir Frank Stenton and Sir John Neale. Today, the project is based in London. It is governed by its Trustees, who are mainly Members and Officers of both Houses of Parliament. The project's research and writing is monitored by an Editorial Board of historians.
The History of Parliament is an excellent resource for those researching the political history of Britain. Its use is much wider than the history of Parliament, looking not just at top-level London politics but focussing on local events and individuals. The emphasis on constituencies and Members of Parliament provides a wide and detailed coverage of historic people and places. Making it useful for local and family historians also.
References and Resources:
For more on the History of Parliament project see their website, from which information for this post has been drawn, https://historyofparliamentonline.org/
The History of Parliament blog shares posts about current research projects, wider parliamentary history, highlights from their events, seminars and conferences, and future publications, https://thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com/
The Victorian Commons blog provides news and highlights from the History of Parliament’s research project on the House of Commons, 1832-68, https://victoriancommons.wordpress.com/
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Interesting, I'll be monitoring this as it's possible that two of my ancestors were named in a House of Commons special committee report on events in Ireland in the 1830s.