Dr Kathryn Rix
@kathrynrix.bsky.social
Assistant Editor of the History of Parliament's House of Commons, 1832-1945 project. Cambridge/London.
Great piece from my colleagues!
Following some recent high-profile political defections, @alfiesteer.bsky.social and Dr @emmapeplow.bsky.social have delved into the History of Parliament's #OralHistory archive to explore some historical cases of MPs who 'crossed the floor' and changed their party affiliation.
Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project - The History of Parliament
Political defections, commonly known in Westminster parlance as ‘Crossing the Floor’, have been a phenomenon in Parliament since at least the 17th century.
historyofparliament.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Great piece from my colleagues!
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
As people move away from the other place, here’s a starter pack of historians from @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social, who is also worth a follow.
go.bsky.app/Fpw6Tvr
go.bsky.app/Fpw6Tvr
January 11, 2026 at 2:02 PM
As people move away from the other place, here’s a starter pack of historians from @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social, who is also worth a follow.
go.bsky.app/Fpw6Tvr
go.bsky.app/Fpw6Tvr
Autocorrect fail of the day - Augustus Plugin.
January 13, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Autocorrect fail of the day - Augustus Plugin.
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
We are hiring! @histparl.bsky.social's House of Lords (1660-1832) section - aka The Georgian Lords - is looking for a new research fellow. Details of the post and how to apply are below. Please spread widely.
#skystorians
historyofparliament.com/2026/01/12/v...
#skystorians
historyofparliament.com/2026/01/12/v...
Job Vacancy: Research Fellow, 1660-1832 House of Lords - The History of Parliament
The History of Parliament are excited to advertise for a research fellow to join our House of Lords 1660-1832 project.
historyofparliament.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:05 PM
We are hiring! @histparl.bsky.social's House of Lords (1660-1832) section - aka The Georgian Lords - is looking for a new research fellow. Details of the post and how to apply are below. Please spread widely.
#skystorians
historyofparliament.com/2026/01/12/v...
#skystorians
historyofparliament.com/2026/01/12/v...
I love the social history contained in memorials etc. in churches. This is a great example.
'First peal on these bells in which a lady has taken part, rung to commemorate the safe return of Mr Augustine Courtauld from the Arctic regions'
A detail of a peal board at Gestingthorpe, Essex.
A detail of a peal board at Gestingthorpe, Essex.
January 5, 2026 at 10:49 AM
I love the social history contained in memorials etc. in churches. This is a great example.
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2026! Here's our editor Philip Salmon's review of some of our project highlights of 2025. We look forward to sharing more of our research on 19th century politics and parliamentary history over the coming year...
Happy new year from the History of Parliament!
For our first article of the year, our colleagues @victoriancommons.bsky.social have put together a recap of all of their hard work and research from 2025:
For our first article of the year, our colleagues @victoriancommons.bsky.social have put together a recap of all of their hard work and research from 2025:
historyofparliament.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2026! Here's our editor Philip Salmon's review of some of our project highlights of 2025. We look forward to sharing more of our research on 19th century politics and parliamentary history over the coming year...
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
It's been a busy year for the Georgian Lords: we have been involved with events in #Parliament, a 2-day conference at the University of Worcester, and seen new publications out. All of this alongside continuing to draft entries on the 927 Lords in the current set.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
December 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
It's been a busy year for the Georgian Lords: we have been involved with events in #Parliament, a 2-day conference at the University of Worcester, and seen new publications out. All of this alongside continuing to draft entries on the 927 Lords in the current set.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
I love this! Photo of an elderly Frances Wyatt, an important Chartist in her earlier years, as unearthed by
@markcrail.bsky.social in his new book, Chartist Lives.
It’s brilliant that detailed research like this is still ongoing into this remarkable movement.
@markcrail.bsky.social in his new book, Chartist Lives.
It’s brilliant that detailed research like this is still ongoing into this remarkable movement.
Frances Wyatt was the matriarch of a prominent Chartist family and a mainstay of the City of London Female Charter Association. Her story is one of many to feature in Chartist Lives, out now in hardback, paperback and as an ebook #BookSky #C19th #History
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G3Q7PR7Y
December 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I love this! Photo of an elderly Frances Wyatt, an important Chartist in her earlier years, as unearthed by
@markcrail.bsky.social in his new book, Chartist Lives.
It’s brilliant that detailed research like this is still ongoing into this remarkable movement.
@markcrail.bsky.social in his new book, Chartist Lives.
It’s brilliant that detailed research like this is still ongoing into this remarkable movement.
Starting to feel a little bit festive after yesterday's combination of about 80% parliamentary history and 20% mince pies and Christmas trees!
December 17, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Starting to feel a little bit festive after yesterday's combination of about 80% parliamentary history and 20% mince pies and Christmas trees!
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Great to hear our colleague @emmapeplow.bsky.social in action here!
Following my brilliant colleagues @sclapperton.bsky.social and Melissa Hamnett I’ve been on Matt Chorley 5 Live ‘Made in Stone’ feature the last few Thursdays talking about the busts of Prime Ministers in Members’ Lobby. Last week Neville Chamberlain (starting 1hr 42)
Matt Chorley - Two Lords a Leaping - BBC Sounds
Two of the newest members of the House of Lords, Sanna Marin and 'Spin Class'.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Great to hear our colleague @emmapeplow.bsky.social in action here!
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Current Special Collections Visiting Fellow Michelle Reynolds (@lovelymydear.bsky.social) is researching the role of Laurence Housman (1865-1959) in the women's suffrage movement.
December 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Current Special Collections Visiting Fellow Michelle Reynolds (@lovelymydear.bsky.social) is researching the role of Laurence Housman (1865-1959) in the women's suffrage movement.
Enjoyed a visit yesterday to David Parr House. A fascinating & beautiful time capsule of hand-painted Arts & Crafts decoration lies within this unassuming building. Added interest for me as we used to live in a house of similar layout (but less grand decor!) further out of town. davidparrhouse.org
December 14, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Enjoyed a visit yesterday to David Parr House. A fascinating & beautiful time capsule of hand-painted Arts & Crafts decoration lies within this unassuming building. Added interest for me as we used to live in a house of similar layout (but less grand decor!) further out of town. davidparrhouse.org
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Following on from his article on Peter McLagan, Scotland's first Black MP, Dr Martin Spychal has explored the life of his father, Peter McLagan senior, and his ownership of enslaved people in Demerara (modern-day Guyana):
historyofparliament.com/2025/12/11/p...
historyofparliament.com/2025/12/11/p...
Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860): enslaver, plantation owner and landed proprietor - The History of Parliament
Dr Martin Spychal explores the life of Peter McLagan senior (1774-1860). A farmer’s son from Perthshire, McLagan senior acquired considerable wealth as an enslaver and plantation owner in Demerara…
historyofparliament.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Following on from his article on Peter McLagan, Scotland's first Black MP, Dr Martin Spychal has explored the life of his father, Peter McLagan senior, and his ownership of enslaved people in Demerara (modern-day Guyana):
historyofparliament.com/2025/12/11/p...
historyofparliament.com/2025/12/11/p...
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Great to see our colleague @martinspychal.bsky.social's book Mapping the State reviewed by Matthew Roberts as 'a work of impressive scholarship which deserves to be widely read'. Mapping the State is available on Open Access here: uolpress.co.uk/book/mapping...
December 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Great to see our colleague @martinspychal.bsky.social's book Mapping the State reviewed by Matthew Roberts as 'a work of impressive scholarship which deserves to be widely read'. Mapping the State is available on Open Access here: uolpress.co.uk/book/mapping...
Really enjoyed this talk from the always excellent @satisfactory20.bsky.social who discussed a fascinating array of cartoons.
Join us on Wednesday 10 December at 2.30 pm at LSE Library for a talk by Dr Mari Takayanagi @satisfactory20.bsky.social, historian and former Senior Parliamentary Archivist, on the subject of The 'Flapper': Lucy and Betty Baldwin in 1920s press cartoons.
If you'd like to join on zoom, DM us please.
If you'd like to join on zoom, DM us please.
December 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Really enjoyed this talk from the always excellent @satisfactory20.bsky.social who discussed a fascinating array of cartoons.
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Our #1832AtoZ continues with T for Trowel and Tower. This trowel was used to lay the first stone of the Clock Tower for the new Houses of Parliament. Find out more about who performed this task in September 1843 in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/f...
From Rochdale to Westminster: Emily Kelsall and the new Houses of Parliament
This post from our assistant editor Dr Kathryn Rix was first published on the Parliamentary Archives: Inside the Act Room blog, which has many more articles to read on parliamentary history, from t…
victoriancommons.wordpress.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Our #1832AtoZ continues with T for Trowel and Tower. This trowel was used to lay the first stone of the Clock Tower for the new Houses of Parliament. Find out more about who performed this task in September 1843 in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/f...
Great to see this excellent article and well-deserved proxime accessit for the Parliamentary History prize 2024 in print! Especially brilliant is the new source describing women's experiences of the 'ventilator' in the Commons.
After the hard work that goes into a peer-reviewed article, very pleased to be in print today! Come for the constructions of women’s sexuality in the 19th century Lords; stay for new diary source on the hidden attic from which women watched the Commons below onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Ringside seat? Women's modes of entry to the early 19th‐century parliament
You have to enable JavaScript in your browser's settings in order to use the eReader.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Great to see this excellent article and well-deserved proxime accessit for the Parliamentary History prize 2024 in print! Especially brilliant is the new source describing women's experiences of the 'ventilator' in the Commons.
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
As Nick says here, this really is a 'gem of a story' and told expertly and brilliantly by @victoriancommons.bsky.social
Our colleague @kathrynrix.bsky.social was featured in yesterday's 'Pick of the Week' on BBC Radio 4!
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the Week, Nick Ahad
Nick Ahad presents a selection of the best bits of audio across the BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
As Nick says here, this really is a 'gem of a story' and told expertly and brilliantly by @victoriancommons.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Our colleague @kathrynrix.bsky.social was featured in yesterday's 'Pick of the Week' on BBC Radio 4!
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the Week, Nick Ahad
Nick Ahad presents a selection of the best bits of audio across the BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Our colleague @kathrynrix.bsky.social was featured in yesterday's 'Pick of the Week' on BBC Radio 4!
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
You can check out her featured interview with Susan Hulme, on how women watched Commons debates from 'the ventilator' after they were barred from the chamber in 1778, below (starting at 7:22):
I'm really thrilled that my interview was included as part of Radio 4's 'Pick of the Week' yesterday evening. It starts at 07:22 here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or for the fuller version see the post quoted below.
December 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I'm really thrilled that my interview was included as part of Radio 4's 'Pick of the Week' yesterday evening. It starts at 07:22 here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or for the fuller version see the post quoted below.
Death by turnip was one of the first MPs I researched for the History of Parliament and I'm not sure I have bettered this as a research finding!
Death by turnip remains one of the History's most bizarre reasons for carrying off a member of Parliament.
T in our #1832AtoZ is for Turnip and also for Tiger, both of which had fatal consequences in incidents involving our Victorian MPs. Find out more here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/b...
December 5, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Death by turnip was one of the first MPs I researched for the History of Parliament and I'm not sure I have bettered this as a research finding!
Great to hear Dr Helen Wilson talking about her recent PhD thesis on Black participation in British politics, 1750-1850 @ihr.bsky.social this evening. This was jointly supervised by Amanda Goodrich (Open University) and my colleague Robin Eagles @georgianlords.bsky.social @histparl.bsky.social.
December 3, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Great to hear Dr Helen Wilson talking about her recent PhD thesis on Black participation in British politics, 1750-1850 @ihr.bsky.social this evening. This was jointly supervised by Amanda Goodrich (Open University) and my colleague Robin Eagles @georgianlords.bsky.social @histparl.bsky.social.
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
Last week our colleague Dr Kathryn Rix appeared on Today in Parliament to discuss how women were able to watch debates in the House of Commons after they were officially barred from the chamber in 1778.
You can check out her interview here (starting at 22:55):
buff.ly/yrr6CQo
You can check out her interview here (starting at 22:55):
buff.ly/yrr6CQo
buff.ly
December 1, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Last week our colleague Dr Kathryn Rix appeared on Today in Parliament to discuss how women were able to watch debates in the House of Commons after they were officially barred from the chamber in 1778.
You can check out her interview here (starting at 22:55):
buff.ly/yrr6CQo
You can check out her interview here (starting at 22:55):
buff.ly/yrr6CQo
Reposted by Dr Kathryn Rix
A minor insight into the importance of 18th-century women lacking a formal vote, but commanding influence over their menfolk:
"Mr. Winford, notwithstanding his behaviour in St. Stephens, has not the hearts of the citizens, or what is worse, the citizens' wives."
www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-...
"Mr. Winford, notwithstanding his behaviour in St. Stephens, has not the hearts of the citizens, or what is worse, the citizens' wives."
www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-...
www.histparl.ac.uk
December 1, 2025 at 3:21 PM
A minor insight into the importance of 18th-century women lacking a formal vote, but commanding influence over their menfolk:
"Mr. Winford, notwithstanding his behaviour in St. Stephens, has not the hearts of the citizens, or what is worse, the citizens' wives."
www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-...
"Mr. Winford, notwithstanding his behaviour in St. Stephens, has not the hearts of the citizens, or what is worse, the citizens' wives."
www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-...