Title Details

Alasdair Hawkyard is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. He was formerly Co-editor and Principal Research Assistant on the 1509-1558 section of the History of Parliament. His long-standing interest in architectural, social, and political history is reflected in a range of articles published in Parliamentary History as well as other academic journals. He is the co-editor of Sir Thomas Duppa’s Commonplace Book (Wiley Blackwell, 2015) and co-author of The Counties of Britain: A Tudor Atlas by John Speed (1988).

Abbreviations

List of Tables and Maps

List of Figures

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1. Elections and Electoral Practice:

Summoning a Parliament

Circular Letters

Other Royal and Conciliar Letters

Nominations

Canvassing

Electoral Law

Enfranchisement and Disfranchisement

Shire Elections

Urban County Elections

City, Borough and Town Elections

The Franchise in the Urban Counties, Cities, Boroughs and Towns

Cities, Boroughs and Towns and Lordship

Sheriffs and Other Returning Officers

Election Returns, Indentures and Schedules

Witness Lists on Election Indentures

Alterations to Election Returns, Indentures and Schedules

False Returns

Overturned and Quashed Elections

The Assembly of the House, the Receipt of Writs and the Calling of Names

Crown Office Lists

Committees for Returns

By-elections

Chapter 2. The Members:

The Body Politic

The Size of the House

Social Background

Knights and Knightings

Ennoblement

The Associates of Peers

Education

Writers and Translators

Members’ Personal Notes,Records and Memory

King’s Councillors and Privy Councillors

The Royal Household

Other Royal Servants and Officers

Military and Naval Experience

Ecclesiastical Administrators, Lay Deans and Ordained Priests

Lawyers

Merchants, Manufacturers and Traders

Experience in County Government

Experience in Urban Government

Religion

The Acquisition of Church Property

Misfortune and Notoriety

Accommodation and Dining

Clothing and Accessories

Servants and Attendants

Wages

Depictions

Chapter 3. Organisation:

Meeting Places

Times of Business

Adjournments

Inter-sessional Prorogations

Seating and Hierarchy

The Speaker

Officers of the House

The Records of the Commons

Chapter 4. The House in Session:

The Opening of Parliament

The Speaker’s Petitions:

1. Freedom of Access by the Speaker to the Sovereign

2. The Apology by the Speaker to the Sovereign

3. Liberty of Speech

4. Privilege from Arrest

The House of Commons as a Court

Discussing and Reporting Business

Attendance

Outside Intervention

Visitors

Conferences with the Lords

The Presence of Members at Events outside Parliament

The Royal Assent

The Closing of Parliament

On Leaving

Chapter 5. Legislation:

The Preparation of Petitions and Bills

The House of Origin for Bills

Procedure on Bills

The Interests of Members and Constituencies

Speeches

Debates and Opposition

Suitors, Counsel and Defendants at the Bar

Influences on Members

Committees

Amendment and Engrossment

Voting: Acclamations and Divisions

The Bearing of Bills to the Lords

The Collection of the Subsidy Bill from the Upper House

Appendices:

1. Dates of Parliaments

2. The Parliament of September 1553

3. King Philip

4. New Constituencies

5. By-elections

6. Additional Members and Names

7. Private Acts for Members

8. Provisos in Acts for Constituencies

9. Provisos in Acts for Members

Bibliography

Index