Died #OTD 1866, Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood.

The MP for Preston 1832-1847 founded and gave his name to the seaside town of Fleetwood in Lancashire. Find out more about his career and legacy in this blog from TheVictorianCommons 👇 ow.ly/bylz50IENf6

#ICYMI last year Professor Sarah Richardson explored how widows, many of whom could vote in local elections, assumed a central place in some of the debates about giving women the parliamentary vote👇 WarwickHistory TheVictorianCommons ow.ly/oqbM50O7NaK

Some interesting MP connections in this blog. William Digby Seymour was MP for Hull 1854-7, while Heathcote was the son and namesake of an MP whose name was expunged from the parliamentary record, as our blog explains: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/mp-…

Histories of Scottish Politics in the Age of Union is a hybrid event Durham University 23-24 July 2024.
Registration for in-person and online attendance opens in May.
Contact Naomi Lloyd-Jones Durham History with any questions.

For this #ConstituencyTuesday find out about the impact of the 1832 reform legislation on English electoral politics between 1832 and 1868 in this blog from Dr Martin Spychal👇 TheVictorianCommons ow.ly/3hc550OtmXR

Born #OnThisDay 1817 Octavius Duncombe, Conservative MP for North Riding of Yorks, 1841-59, 1867-74. As his name might suggest, he was the 8th son of Charles Duncombe MP, of Duncombe Park [pictured]. He had more impact as chairman of the Great Northern Railway than as an MP.

#ICYMI last year Dr Kathryn Rix discussed one of the most colourful aspects of 19thc. election ritual: the chairing of the victorious candidates. TheVictorianCommons

Essentially a victory parade, it could become a flashpoint for violence...
Read about it 👇 ow.ly/Eank50NhEC7

Died #OnThisDay 1875 Alfred Rhodes Bristow, a draper’s son, alumnus of King's College London & solicitor, he became Liberal MP for Kidderminster in 1859. Find out more about his political career here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/11/25/mp-…

Find out more about the Ballot Act and some of the its lesser known and unintended consequences in this blog via TheVictorianCommons!

victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2022/11/22/the…

Died #OTD 1886, William Edward Forster, Liberal MP for Bradford 1861-85 & Bradford Central 1885-6.

Forster played a leading role in passing the 1870 Elementary Education Act that established the primary school system & the Ballot Act 1872, introducing secret voting at elections.

The Derby Daily Telegraph in 1899 on Feargus O'Connor helping himself to the Speaker's Chop.

#OnThisDay 1868 the House of Commons voted in a favour of a motion put forward by William Gladstone to go into committee to consider the disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Ireland. This was a key issue at the general election later that year. api.parliament.uk/historic-hansa…

Richard Cobden, Liberal MP and leading figure in the Anti-Corn Law League, died #OnThisDay 1865. This guest blog for us from the Letters of Richard Cobden Online project used Cobden’s letters to explore his human side: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2023/11/24/ric…

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 blog explains: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2024/03/08/the…

Six years ago our MP of the Month was John Barton Willis Fleming, a notorious election fixer or ‘boroughmonger’. Find out more about his dubious electioneering activities in our blog: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/03/28/mp-…

Three times Conservative prime minister, Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, was born #OnThisDay 1799. Find out more about his political career in this blog from our editor Philip Salmon: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/lor…