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Sir Watkin Lewes, staunch supporter of Wilkes, was elected in 1780 as the first Welsh Lord Mayor of London since 1613.
He was often depicted with a leek.
His end was rather sad - arrested on the hustings in 1802, he died in the Fleet Debtors' Prison.

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2023-03-01

Benjamin Franklin, born 1706, was friends with several parliamentarians. One, John Walsh, MP for was a keen scientist and shared his findings on the properties of electric eels with Franklin, for which the awarded him the Copley Gold Medal

4 5
2023-01-17

Catherine of Braganza was born on 1638 (ns) in Alentejo, Portugal, daughter of the duke of Braganza, later King John IV (the Fortunate).
In 1662 she married Charles II.
A much under-rated Queen Consort.

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2022-11-25

William Hogarth, died in the small hours 1764 (or very late on the 25th) provided us with innumerable views of the world, including one of the best series on what it was like to vote in one of their elections

14 26
2022-10-26

Died 1719 "without a groan" George Smalridge, bishop of Bristol.
Very wrong, but always struggle not to equate him with von Smallhausen of Allo Allo fame...

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2022-09-27

New (almost) Truss's birthday (26 July) is the anniversary of the first (recorded) women's match, played near Guildford in 1745.

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2022-09-06

Died 1688 John Bunyan, teenage soldier in the New Model Army, preacher & writer best known for the Pilgrim's Progress

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2022-08-31

🚨The Parliamentary History Essay Prize 2022 is open!
The winner will receive £500 and have their essay published in
The submission deadline is 3 October

For details read:
https://t.co/k7kdyp4oJc

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2022-08-30

Born 1641 Meinhard Schomberg, 3rd & last duke of Schomberg.
Significant military figure under William III - he survived into George I's reign & at his death was honoured with interment in the Henry VII chapel at .

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2022-06-30

The last of the Wilkites was said to have been one of Wilkes's old servants called Guest, who survived to 1834.
On occasion he used to don an old mourning coat Wilkes had bequeathed him & tramp the streets of Aylesbury crying out "Wilkes and Liberty"

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2022-06-25

Interesting how many peers pleaded concerns of a smallpox outbreak to avoid turning out for the trials of the Jacobite lords captured during the 45 rebellion.
We'll be blogging about this early next month. Stay tuned!

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2022-06-16

Sarah duchess of Marlborough knew how to make a statement. Following a falling out with Lord Cornbury over she dumped a dead deer outside his residence stating:
"I value myself more upon sincerity than anything else"

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2022-06-13

Henry Addington (born 1757) succeeded Pitt the Younger as in 1801.
There seemed little doubt that he & his were minnows taking over from the giants who had preceded them.

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2022-05-30

Died 1758 William Collier MP for Truro, theatre proprietor & heavy drinker:
‘I can’t say Collier is entirely in the land of the living, for it is his hour of being very drunk, but as much of him as live is entirely devoted to you’.

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2022-05-24

Compare the comparative modesty of the Lords' temporary chamber with Barry & Pugin's gothic fantasy 👇

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2022-05-09

Hall in c.1800 giving off a rather provincial town vibe

from the collection at

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2022-04-26

Admiral Byng (executed 1757) continued to haunt the press well into the next century. His example was raised in relation to General John Whitelocke, who was cashiered in 1808 for failing in an assault on Buenos Aires

2 9
2022-03-14

"Princes are never supposed to be very ill till they die" [Lord Egmont]:
February 1737, George II suffering a lengthy indisposition, but by the 6th "they brag that he is now able to eat a little minced chicken"

3 3
2022-02-10

Born 1749 Charles James Fox, towering politician of the 2nd half of the
"Fox’s ‘negligent grandeur’ obscured his brilliance... his oratory, ‘original, deep, subtle, vehement & expansive’... was a force to be reckoned with."

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2022-01-24

Looking forward to presenting tomorrow at on the impeachments of Queen Anne's former ministers & the transformation of Hall into a court, along with on the earls of Sutherland & Nigel Aston on Lord George Germain.

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2022-01-04